Violence involving children is a serious concern in our society. In particular violence in schools is a growing problem that interferes with children's physical well being, academic functioning, social relations, and emotional/cognitive development. In addition, violence erodes the effectiveness and threatens the safety of administrators, teachers, parents, and support staff.
This course explores the theoretical, empirical, and practive-based literature's on children, schools, and violence. Topics include but are not limited to: what is school violence, major theories of aggression and violence, individual and contextual risk factors, vulnerable populations, sociocultural risk factors among youth of color, gangs,weapons, bullying and victimization, prevention - what works/what doesn't, the role of school professionals, teacher training efforts, school safety and the law, assessing school violence - tools and techniques, and developing a safe school plan.
Special focus is placed on the role of the school as a social system in regulating violence and creating a nonviolent school culture. Current school-based violence interventions and programs will be explained.
This course draws students from diverse graduate and undergraduate programs throughout Michigan State University. The structure of the course assumes that it is essential to involve different professional perspectives. Teachers, social workers, psychologists, criminal justice another professionals may have differing theoretical and practical views on school violence. The course is designed to encourage dialogue and learning between students from an array of programs.
All students will be expected to become competent in the basic knowledge about school violence including:
The lectures in SW491 will be presented entirely online. An outline of the lecture is available for you to view while you listen with the option to print a copy to facilitate note-taking.
In addition to the lectures, selected readings and additional resource sites are listed fro each unit. Please be sure to complete the readings, print any handouts and review resource sites before you begin listening to the lectures for each unit. Students are expected to participate in online discussions in WebTalk.
Upon the completion of each unit, there will be an unit exam. The exams will cover the lectures and readings, and will consist of multiple-choice, true-false, fill in the blank and short answer questions.
UNIT 1 : Bullying, the problem.
UNIT 2 : Bullying, the solution.
UNIT 3 : Sexual harassment and school violence.
UNIT 4 : Vulnerable populations.
UNIT 5 : Gangs, history, development and interventions.
UNIT 6 : School safety and the law.
UNIT 7: Prevention and intervention.
UNIT 8: School safety assessment.
UNIT 9: Safe school planning.
Conclusion: Course review and summary.
This class is worth 3 units of credit.
Grades will be on a point system as follows:
| Completing the Gauntlet |
5
|
|
| Unit quizzes |
180
|
|
| Web Talk |
10
|
|
| Course review |
5
|
|
|
_____
|
||
| Total possible points |
200
|
The grades will be based on a scale of a possible 200 points.
| 200-180 | = | 4.0 |
| 179-170 | = | 3.5 |
| 169-160 | = | 3.0 |
| 159-150 | = | 2.5 |
| 149-140 | = | 2.0 |
| 139-130 | = | 1.5 |
| 129-120 | = | 1.0 |
| Bellow 120 | = | 0.0 |
Readings are mostly online and are assigned with each unit. There may be a course pack to be purchased later in the semester.
Mini-series on School Violence. (1994). School Psychology Review Volume 23, (2), 131-322. National Association of School Psychologists.
Mini-series on School Violence. (1994). Social Work in Education. Volume 17, (2), 65-128. National Association of Social Workers.
Tolan, P., & Guerra, N. (1994) What Works in Reducing Adolescent Violence. US Department of Justice. Washington DC
Metropolitan Life Survey of the American Teacher (1994) Violence in America's Public School: A Family Perspective.
National Education Goals Report/State and National Data (1994) Goal Seven.
Connell, R.W. (1994) Poverty and Education. Harvard Educational Review, 64, 125-148.
Enrollment in this course may be completed in one of two ways.
1. You may enroll as a Lifelong Education student for noncredit, and upon completion of the course you will receive written documentation from the MSU School of Social Work verifying your successful completion of the training once you have finished all the modules. Please note that enrollment in the course as a lifelong education student for noncredit is less expensive however, you will not receive any notation on an official university transcript for completing this course. To register as a lifelong education student, you can either contact the Michigan State University Outreach Office at (517) 353-0791 or by E-mail at outreach@msu.edu or visit the following web page at http://www.reg.msu.edu/ROInfo/EnrReg/LifelongEducation.asp.
2. You may enroll in the course for 2 graduate level credits under the course number SW 890, section 730 that will result in a grade denoted on an official university transcript (contingent upon your performance on course assignments) at the conclusion of the semester you enrolled in. You may be able to enroll in this course for credit through the Virtual University web site http://vu.msu.edu/enroll.htm or by contacting the MSU Registrar's Office.Please refer to the information on minimum equipment requirements. You can go through this setup process to ensure that you have to proper equipment setup to attend this course.