position paper no.3

“Violence in the school is a result of differences outside school. We as counsellors can’t do anything about it.” Discuss.
Prepared by: Noor Aspariza bt Awang (0819996)

Nowadays, crime and violence happened in everywhere in our country. The news about the violence becomes our “breakfast” when we slip the newspaper every morning. Normally, violence happened in public road, public places and what so sad it also happened in school area especially multicultural school. We are so worried on what will happened to our future leaders if they are behave like an “enemy” toward their unique community especially school communities which can severely impact a child success and feeling of well-being in school. We cannot deny the fact that most of the violence in school is a result of differences outside the school. As we already know, our country is multiracial country; Malay, Chinese, Indian and the other ethnic. Some issues may lead to the dissatisfaction among the communities that can cause violence sometimes. This is sad situations where we are feared that will endangers and cripple our society, threatened personal freedom, and fray the ties that are essential for healthy community. Looking to the seriousness of the violence happened in school, I’m strongly believed that, the counsellor can take a part in reducing the violence in school area.


As a counsellor, they have an important role to play through psychoeducation and supportive interventions. Several approach may counsellor do in order to reduce the violence in school such as using the protocol approach, conflict resolution strategies and transformation approach.

In a protocol approach, it identify on what the next step to be taken especially in reducing violence in school. The counsellor may held the counselling session either individual or group session with the aggressive and problematic student to discover what is actually the cause for the violence do by them. As we already know, counsellor is the one who are skilled to understand the other people personality also behaviour done by people in deeply. Normally, counsellor outreach directed toward interpersonal understanding and group problem solving does work When the counsellor know the course of the violence happened, then they try to come up with the solution and held the intervention approach such as run the mediation program to student to avoid violence in school. Besides that, counsellor may held separate educational workshop for student, parents, teacher and also administration. This very important to create the awareness on the violence issues such as reason of the school violence exist and also the effect of the violence that brings harmful to person life. In short, to make schools safer requires the effort of staff, students, and parents. But it is the skill of counsellors that can provide what may be most needed, an effective violence prevention program.


In conflict resolution strategies, counsellor may play their role as the violence-prevention person where they are not a police officer who seeks out and punishes wrongdoers. What they do is that, they try to play their prevention. Their prevention role may include on how to prevent violence or any other undesirable behaviour happened in school by build a strong satisfying relationship with the unhappiest students and with the students who can help them to identify the conflicting parties. Here, a few students played roles; the source of information and also the subject of a problem


For transformation approach, counsellor tries to educate student to using conflict as an educational experiences. It will reduce the violence in school since the conflict happened is seems as an opportunity to educate members on how to listen to each other, try to understand the other perspective and this will lead to the sustainable harmony in life.

Some people may say that school counsellor cannot do anything in reducing the violence due to the differences outside the school. They claim that the violence done by student in the school is nothing to do with the counsellor but normally will be directed to the discipline teacher to give a punishment. In this case, we should remember one thing. People behaviour can be change and it is called as behaviour modification. It means that, if we use punishment it will only causing the student uneasy feeling toward their teacher. Instead of using enforcement, why don’t we change the student behaviour using the intervention and more educated approach? Although many teachers are observant and sensitive to the emotional needs of their students, they cannot offer counselling services for individuals or groups in the classroom. That the roles play by the counsellor.


In conclusion, school counsellor alone cannot eliminate violence in young people lives in school; clearly they can have an important role to play through psychoeducation and supportive interventions. Without cooperation of the school communities and society nothing we be change. Cooperation is needed in doing something become better. Not much people believe that the counsellors are able to reduce the school counselling. But the fact is that, School counsellors are trained to recognize "early warning signs" in at-risk youth. School counsellors work with principals, teachers and other staff to develop and implement school safety, and to prevent school violence. Students who have joined counselling programs report that they are being more positive, and having greater feelings of belonging and safety in their schools. All the above explanation makes us clear the fact that So many things counsellor can do to reducing and eliminating the violence in school.