Causes of Violence Perpetrated by Students - Research Proposal Example

Causes of Violence Perpetrated by in School Contents 3 Introduction 4 Background and Significance 10 Research Design and Methods 11 Overview 11 Population and Study Sample 11 Sample Size and Selection of Sample 12 Data Collection 13 Data Analysis 13 Potential Limitations of the Proposed Study 14 References 15 Appendices 18 Appendix 1: Cover Letter 18 Appendix 2: Consent Form 19 Appendix 3: Questionnaire 21 Abstract Violence in schools has become a serious problem in many countries following the numerous school shootings and reports of different violent acts. The worrying statistics of violence in schools have motivated researchers to seek to establish the root causes of the problem. This is because such violence is perpetrated by some students against their fellow schoolmates. Schools are no longer safe havens where children can receive instructions without worries. Unfortunately, the occurrence of school shootings and other forms of violence have imparted children with fear especially in the affected schools. The issue has exhibited its potential to compromise the quality of education, a factor that places emphasis on the need to understand the real causes of such violence. Parents and school administrators have embarked on a blame game concerning the issue. However, there is a need for a more rational view which should establish why the perpetrators of such violence in school choose to do so. Notably, the majority of the teenagers perpetrating violence are between the ages of 12 and 18 placing them in the category of adolescents. Previous research has sought to highlight some of the leading factors that may motivate students to involve themselves in violent acts. However, none of the previous researches have been conclusive regarding the issue. In a bid to establish the causes of violence perpetrated by students in school, a mixed methodology research will be carried out. Introduction In the United States, violence in school has been reported since 1927. However, the 1980s registered an increased prevalence of school shootings and other forms of violence perpetrated within the school. In the 1990s, such cases became more popular and their effects became more widespread. According to statistics, about 200 cases of violence in schools have been reported in the United States. In this country, there is an ever increasing fear of future occurrences of violence perpetrated by students. The type of violence in question denotes school shootings, rape cases, bullying, stabs, and other cases of minor violence. Although the media has been blamed for exaggerating the seriousness of the issue, there is no doubt that violence in schools needs real solutions. In order to define effective strategies of intervention, there is a salient need to understand the root causes of the problem (Barnes, Brynard, & de Wet, 2012). Previous researches have indicated that a considerable percentage of students admit to experiencing a form of violence in school. There is a high level of victimization in some schools a factor supported by the fact that, there are 200 crimes committed within the school setting in every 1000 students. These statistics are true in the American population a factor that has only served to increase the tension surrounding violence in schools. Parents are more worried that before, considering the recent cases of school shootings has relied on the use of guns and other weapons. Moreover, there are reported cases of threats in different schools which are negative signs that the future may present more school shootings if there is no proper intervention. Even though parents have opted to transfer their children from affected schools, this move of offers no guarantee that violence will not take place in other schools (Bastos da Silva et al, 2014). The need to establish the cause of violence perpetrated in schools cannot receive any form of underestimation. With the emerging statistics regarding this issue, many researchers have tried to explain the potential causes of such violence. Some studies have focused on analyzing the home environment and describing its effects on children. There is evidence that children who grow in an adverse home environment are more likely to exhibit violent behaviors. These children are victims of violence and trauma within the home setting. They experience the lack of affection and attention which every child deserves. The reasons why they are exposed to such adverse childhood experiences may be attributed to domestic violence, divorce, poverty as well as the sophisticated modern day life which has placed both parents in full time careers. Any of these factors have the potential to harm the home environment affecting children negatively (Dogutas, 2013). Some children usually develop resentment and anger because of the trauma they have been exposed to. In a bid to avenge their resentment, they opt to indulge in violence. As has been noted in many school shootings, many of the perpetrators usually commit suicide, a factor that highlights their unwillingness to face the consequences of their actions. In other cases, their suicide may be considered as a means of escape from their traumatic lives. The effects of certain events such as divorce have been described as potential causes of negative personality development. Usually, children suffer emotionally after their parents’ divorce and if they are not accorded the right therapy, their emotional trauma may prompt them to develop negative traits. It may even motivate them to become criminals or perpetrate violence against fellow students (Kopel, 2000). The effects of adverse home environment have been compared to those of a positive home environment. It emerges that children who have grown up in families where they receive love, affection and support are less likely to indulge in violence compared to those who have been subjected to violence, neglect and abuse (Johnson, Burke, & Gielen, 2011). Research has also revealed that, exposure to violence within the school setting may motivate certain students to revenge. For example, in schools where bullying is a common factor, children are more likely to develop the defensive violent behavior. Moreover, since the children feel unsafe within the school environment, they are more likely to consider carrying weapons to school. The issue of bullying has had adverse effects to the school system and has not been effectively addressed despite concerted efforts of addressing the issue. Innocent children who are bullied at a tender age may hold resentment and anger because of the traumatic experience and decide to avenge through terrible school shootings. Notably, many of the students who have been bullied in different ways usually find it difficult to share the experience because of the inferiority complex associated with bullying. Most of the children harbor negative feelings because they were once bullied and opt to revenge in their own way (Khubchandani et al, 2013). This may be a cause of other serious violent acts within the school. Children who face bullying are more likely to have a lower self esteem and may choose to obtain weapons and use them in a bid to boost their ego. Psychologists have sought to analyze the profiles of students perpetrating violence in schools. There is evidence that, students with psychological disorders are more likely to exhibit violent behaviors. Some of the psychological disorders make some student highly antisocial, a factor that makes them tend to withdraw from the society and their peers. This has been identified as one of the psychopathologies that explain violent behaviors in children. Other children exposed to adverse childhood experiences lack the capacity to overcome the hardships in their lives. They are likely to develop an additional psychopathology, which may motivate them to adopt violent behaviors. This is typical of children exposed to domestic abuse, bullying or those facing identity crisis. Such children lack the required resilience to overcome their situation an often become reactive (Lormand et al, 2013). There is evidence that some students who perpetrate violence are usually under the influence of substances, which alter their normal cognitive processes. When this occurs, they are unable to exhibit proper judgment and may act out of impulse. In other cases, they may be prone to delusional thinking as well as hallucinations, which may prompt them to become violent. Stress and anxiety have also been categorized under psychological factors that trigger violence in students. With an evident pressure to register good performance in school, students are compelled to remain alert in their studies and be focused on their future careers. There is evidence that such pressure may serve to affect the children negatively. The high expectations spelled by both parents and teachers make them over anxious, a factor that may trigger violent behavior. Other psychological factors associated with violence in schools are attributable to low self esteem exhibited by some students. Adolescents are prone to low self esteem complexities and may respond negatively in a bid to rise to a higher status in the society (Maume, Kim-Godwin, & Clements, 2010). For example, they may join gangs or their peers in violent acts in a bid to experience a sense of belonging. The easy access to weapons has also been blamed for violence in schools. Although many governments have exhibited efforts towards regulating the ownership of weapons, there is evidence that many people still own weapons illegally. With the increasing ease of illegal possession of weapons, students have found it easier to access such weapons. In the United States for example, a considerable percentage of students have been reported to carry weapons in school as long as their parents or relatives own weapons, they gain easy access to such weapons, making it much easier for them to perpetrate violence. Many researchers have asserted that the gun control policies have failed to ensure proper control of gun ownership (Lormand et al, 2013). Although there are efforts of reinforcement of such policies, their efficiency cannot be guaranteed. The influence of the media in fueling violence in schools cannot be underrated. In the modern world, children have access to a diverse range of media forms and an increased level of content. This has only served to introduce children to violence depicted in different media forms. For example, the popularity of video games, comic series and movies that depict violence among teenagers has been described as one of the factors that encourage children to involve themselves in violence. Psychologists have highlighted that the effect of the media on children has multiple adverse effects (Dogutas, 2013). This means that what children watch and read, as well as listen to, has a potential of affecting their behavior. Children have adopted characters depicted in different media forms as their heroes. Therefore, they strive to imitate their actions. Since many of these heroes practice violence, children are more motivated to indulge in violence themselves. On a different perspective, the media has played a significant role in creating awareness of the rampant violence in schools. This has given the children an opportunity to learn the stories describing the actions of their age mates. Some of the children have begun to admire others who have perpetrated school shootings. Such admirations make it easier for children to imitate their behavior, which they view as heroes (Dogutas, 2013). All the above factors have been described as potential causes of violence in schools. Although different researches have been carried out, the researchers have exhibited diverse views concerning the issue. There is still no conclusive definition of the root cause of violence perpetrated by students in school. This is the reason why a research on the issue is justified as it will seek to identify some of the common causes of violence perpetrated in schools by students (Lormand et al, 2013). Background and Significance With the realization that violence in school is a serious problem, this study seeks to analyze the existing literature concerning the causes of violence in school. Afterwards, a study will be carried out whose purpose will be to establish the root causes of violence and offer conclusive definitions on factors that motivate such violence. As it is at the moment, parents and school administrators are in a dilemma concerning the issue. Although they are compelled to make decisions, in a bid to intervene when a new case of violence results, it is evident that they still need to rely on conclusive findings on the potential causes of violence perpetrated by students. This research will seek to fill in this gap, providing both teachers and parents with the relevant information concerning the factors that motivate students to perpetrate violence in school. Moreover, the study will yield information that is useful not only to schools but also to government institutions that have focused on investigating the different school shootings (Dogutas, 2013). Therefore, this research hypothesizes that, there are multiple factors that motivate students to perpetrate violence against fellow school mates and teachers. Research Design and Methods Overview The fact that school shootings have made headlines in different media forms has been a shocking occurrence to many parents and the society as well. As many people come to terms with the reality, they contemplate on the potential factors that may be contributing to violence acts among school going children. For many people, it is unbelievable when they hear stories of children as young as six years using different weapons to perpetrate violence in school. The lack of conclusive answers on what could be demonizing such children and persuading them to commit such forms of violence has left many nations, especially the United States in dire need for intensive research to understand the contributing factors. This research, therefore, will seek to address the question that has bothered many people (Ncontsa, & Shumba, 2013). It is evident that, the problem can only be addressed if the causes have been identified. This explains why the proposed study will seek to analyze the potential causes of violence in schools. Population and Study Sample The proposed study will focus on understanding the causes of violence perpetrated by students in the Colorado state. The reason why this state was chosen for this research is because it is the home to the Columbine school where one of the terrible school shootings occurred in 1999. Evidently, this target population is likely to yield real results because the region was affected by one of the worst cases of violence in schools. The study sample will include schools in different districts within the state. Participants in the research will comprise of school administrators, teachers, students, and parents (Ncontsa, & Shumba, 2013). Sample Size and Selection of Sample Since this study will rely on mixed methods, it will be critical to obtain both a representative sample randomly selected from all the schools in the state as well as a purposive sample selected using a rational judgment by the researcher. This will be critical because, the random sample will be used for quantitative research while the purposive sample will be used for the qualitative approach. Five schools will be randomly selected and studied, in each school, a representative number of teachers and students will also be selected. On the other hand, purposive sampling will consider the Columbine high school and other schools within the state that register the highest level of violence (Ncontsa, & Shumba, 2013). The use of both samples described will ensure that the research questions, which focus on describing the factors that fuel violence in schools, are addressed from different perspectives. Although the state has many schools, random sampling will only settle for five because the research will focus on identifying school administrators, teachers, students and parents from each of the selected schools. At each school, 20 students, 5 teachers, 10 parents and 2 school administrators will be randomly selected as the participants of the study. Notably, the participants will form a reliable sample which will ensure that the results can be generalized to a large population. On the other hand, the purposive sampling will seek to identify participants who have participated in violence or those affected by violence in schools (Fetters, Curry, & Creswell, 2013). This means that, only students who have been either perpetrators or victims can be enrolled into the sample. Moreover, parents who will be considered for the study are the ones whose children have either been perpetrators or victims of violence in school. Teachers and administrators considered for this study will be from schools that have been affected by different types of violence within the school setting (Venkatesh, Brown, & Bala, 2013). Data Collection In the proposed study, it will be critical to identify effective data collection methods. In the survey that will be carried out, the questionnaire method will be used in the data collection. The design of the questionnaire to be used will be attached in the appendices question. Questionnaires will be delivered to the different participants and they will be guided on how to handle the different questions. Notably, questionnaires will suffice the quantitative approach. On the other ends, interviews and focus groups will be used in the qualitative study. This is because the research relies on mixed methodologies in a bid to explain the causes of violence perpetrated in schools. The interview sessions will be carried out by the researchers and will focus on several questions that will be presented in the appendix. The focus groups will seek to understand the opinion of parents concerning violence in schools. The questionnaire will rely on the five point scale in all the questions (Venkatesh, Brown, & Bala, 2013). The five point scale denoted as the Likert scale which is one of the reliable scale sin quantitative researches. It has been described as a psychometric scale which is a common factor in many questionnaires. Data Analysis After successful data collection, data analysis will follow. Different strategies have been described that are commonly used in the analysis of data obtained from a mixed method research. One of the strategies is data transformation which involves a process of conversion of one data type, for example, in the conversion of qualitative data into quantitative data. After the conversion, the data is analyzed together (Cronholm & Hjalmarsson, 2011). An additional strategy is the typology development which relies on the analysis of one of the two data types, yielding substantive categories which are used as frameworks for analyzing the other type of data. In other cases, data merging occurs which involves jointly reviewing the two types of data and creating data sets expressed either in the quantitative or qualitative way. The fourth strategy is the extreme case analysis, which involves the pursuit of one data type after the identification of an extreme case. Usually, if the extreme case is identified in quantitative data, the researcher opts to refine the extreme case using qualitative data. These four strategies will be critical in the analysis of data obtained from the proposed study which relies on a mixed method approach (Larkin, Begley, & Devane, 2014). The SPSS software will be used as a reliable data analytic tool. Potential Limitations of the Proposed Study In the proposed study, potential limitations can be foreseen. One of these limitations concerns the sample size. In the Colorado state, there are many schools, but only five will be chosen in the randomized sample. However, the reason why the research will rely on such a sample is because of the resources required for a larger sample as well as the time it will take to complete the study. However, since the participants from the schools will form a reliable sample size, the results can still be valid (Bloch et al, 2014). The other limitation involves data analysis while using the mixed method approach. Since many of the strategies are not commonly used, they may pose potential challenges. References Barnes, K., Brynard, S., & de Wet, C. (2012).The influence of school culture and school climate on violence in schools of the Eastern Cape Province.South African Journal Of Education, 32(1), 69-82. Bastos da Silva, E., Cocco da Costa, M., dos Santos, M., & do CarmoJanh, A. (2014). School violence in the view of adolescents: possibilities for its confrontation [Portuguese].CogitareEnfermagem, 19(1), 27-41. Bloch, C., Sørensen, M. P., Graversen, E. K., Schneider, J. W., Schmidt, E., Aagaard, K., &Mejlgaard, N. (2014). Developing a methodology to assess the impact of research grant funding: A mixed methods approach.Evaluation & Program Planning, 43105-117. doi:10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2013.12.005 Cronholm, S., &Hjalmarsson, A. (2011). Experiences From Sequential Use of Mixed Methods. Electronic Journal Of Business Research Methods, 9(2), 87-95. Dogutas, A. (2013). School violence in american schools: teachers perceptions. International Journal Of Academic Research, 5(3), 87-92. doi:10.7813/2075-4124.2013/5-3/B.15 Fetters, M. D., Curry, L. A., & Creswell, J. W. (2013). Achieving Integration in Mixed Methods Designs-Principles and Practices. Health Services Research, 48(6pt2), 2134-2156. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.12117 Johnson, S. (2009). Improving the School Environment to Reduce School Violence: A Review of the Literature.Journal Of School Health, 79(10), 451-465. Johnson, S., Burke, J. G., &Gielen, A. C. (2011). Prioritizing the School Environment in School Violence Prevention Efforts.Journal Of School Health, 81(6), 331-340. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00598.x Khubchandani, J., Telljohann, S. K., Price, J. H., Dake, J. A., &Hendershot, C. (2013). Providing Assistance to the Victims of Adolescent Dating Violence: A National Assessment of School Nurses Practices. Journal Of School Health, 83(2), 127-136. Kopel, D. B. (2000).Guns, Gangs, and Preschools: Moving Beyond Conventional Solutions to Confront Juvenile Violence.Barry Law Review, 163. Larkin, P., Begley, C., &Devane, D. (2014). Breaking from binaries--using a sequential mixed methods design.Nurse Researcher, 21(4), 8-12. Lormand, D. K., Markham, C. M., Peskin, M. F., Byrd, T. L., Addy, R. C., Baumler, E., & TORTOLERO, S. R. (2013). Dating Violence Among Urban, Minority, Middle School Youth and Associated Sexual Risk Behaviors and Substance Use. Journal Of School Health, 83(6), 415-421. Maume, M. O., Kim-Godwin, Y., & Clements, C. M. (2010).Racial Tensions and School Crime.Journal Of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 26(3), 339. doi:10.1177/1043986210369283 Ncontsa, V., &Shumba, A. (2013). The nature, causes and effects of school violence in South African high schools. South African Journal Of Education, 33(3), 1-15. Venkatesh, V., Brown, S. A., &Bala, H. (2013).Bridging the qualitative-quantitative divide: guidelines for conducting mixed methods research in information systems.MIS Quarterly, 37(1), 21-54. Appendices Appendix 1: Cover Letter Date Name Address City, State Dear Participant, RE: REQUEST FOR PARTICIPATION IN SURVEY The purpose of reading this letter is to request you to participate in a survey designed to investigate the causes of violence perpetrated by students in school. The survey comprises of a questionnaire which will require about 15 minutes to be filled in. After filling in the survey questionnaire, you are requested to return it in the enclosed and self addressed envelope, as soon as you consider convenient, but not later that 5th August 2014. Kindly be informed that, you have the freedom to voluntarily choose to participate or not. It is my hope that you will consider participating in this research. However, if you chose to decline, kindly notify me using the address given. Responses from this research will be accorded the highest level of confidentiality and anonymity. Thank you for choosing to participate in this survey. In case of any question, call me at xxxxxxxxxxx. Sincerely, Appendix 2: Consent Form CONSENT DOCUMENT FOR RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS INVESTIGATOR: Your Name Department of Educational Leadership Address City, State Phone Number Email Address TITLE OF STUDY: Causes of Violence Perpetrated by Students in School PURPOSE OF STUDY: You are kindly requested to participate in a study that seeks to determine the causes of violence perpetrated by students in school. Since this problem has become serious, it has proved important to undertake this study in order to understand the root causes of the problem. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The procedure of the research study is scheduled to take about 15 minutes for the questionnaire and about 30 minutes for the interview questions. In the hope that you will accept my request of participating in this research, you will provide your background information in the first part of the questionnaire. The interview sessions will involve discussion of your opinion regarding the issue. RISKS AND DISCOMFORT: This study does not pose any potential risks except the tension that you may experience when filling in the questionnaire or when attending the interview session. BENEFITS OF THE STUDY: The findings of the study will be of critical help in the definition of strategies to be used in preventing violence in schools. CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION: Kindly be notified that a high level of confidentiality and privacy will be maintained in this study. The use of codes for each participant will promote anonymity of the highest level and data security will be maintained. VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION: Your participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Therefore, you my decline to answer any question or withdraw from the study at your convenience. PARTICIPATION CONSENT: I recognize that my completion of the questionnaire will mean that I give my informed consent as a volunteer in the study. I am well aware of the purpose and design of the study and the potential benefits of this study. I am aware that I can withdraw from the study at my convenience. Participant Signature: __________________ Date: ____________________ Investigator Signature: _________________ Date: ____________________ Appendix 3: Questionnaire Causes of Violence Perpetrated by Students in School This questionnaire has been designed for the use in the survey on the causes of violence perpetrated by students in schools. Your completion of the survey will be greatly appreciated. Please note that the information you will provide will be kept confidential. Part one: Demographic information 1. Gender: Male ( ) Female ( ) 2. Age: 10-20years ( ) 20-30years ( ) 31-40 years ( ) 41-50 years 51-60 years ( ) 61+ ( ) 3. Race: Black/African American ( ) White ( ) Asian ( ) Hispanic ( ) Other ( ) _______________ 4. Highest Level of Education? High School. ( ) B.S./B.A. ( ) M.S./M.A. ( ) Ed.S ( ) PhD/Ed.D ( ) 5. Grade Level Completed? 9th Grade ( ) 10th Grade ( ) 11th Grade ( ) 12th Grade ( ) 6. Check your marital status: Single ( ) Married ( ) Divorced ( ) Other ( ) 7. Do you have children? __ Yes __ No 8. * If so: How many? ________ 9. What are their ages? _________________ 10. Are you employed?: Yes____ No ____ 11. School Population: __ Read More