Anger and Violence in Public Schools Documented in New SPH Survey

A general climate of anger and violence in and around the nation's junior and senior high schools is documented in new findings from the Harvard-MetLife Survey on Youth Violence, released in conjunction with an Oct. 15 White House Conference on School Safety: Causes and Prevention of Youth Violence. The problem is similar and serious in all settings (urban, suburban, and rural), all regions of the country, and among all races and ages.

School of Public Health researchers, in collaboration with Louis Harris Associates, questioned 1,558 junior and senior high school students in the United States between April and June 1997. A large minority of students characterized themselves as having predispositions toward violence such as the inability to control anger, or liking to fight. For example:

33 percent agreed with the statement that "When I am really angry, there is no way I can control myself."

41 percent agreed with the statement that "If I am challenged, I am going to fight."

"These self-reported risks of violence are, in fact, associated with fighting behavior," said Penelope J. Greene, the study's lead author. "Students who have trouble controlling their behavior or are predisposed toward fighting are at least 50 percent more likely to engage in fights."

The Harvard-MetLife Survey also found that within the year prior to the survey, 66 percent of the students reported participating in or witnessing fights. Asked about the fight that occurred most recently, these students reported characteristics, including:

68 percent resulted in injury, including 12 percent in which the injury was serious, and 1 percent in which someone was killed.

73 percent occurred on or around school property (including on a school bus).

33 percent resulted in someone being suspended or expelled from school.

Insulting or disrespectful behavior was the most common factor provoking the fights, cited by 54 percent of students. Greene commented, "When these verbal insults are combined with the problem of anger control, it is no surprise that there is so much fighting. When you add access to guns, there is a higher probability of lethal outcomes."

Based on this research, the study's authors suggest focusing increased attention on identifying and implementing effective anger management and conflict resolution programs for students; creating "safe passages" and "peaceable" environments in and around our nation's schools; and implementing effective policies and practices to curb teenagers' access to guns.

The study's authors, all based at the Harvard School of Public Health, are Penelope J. Greene, Stephen L. Buka, Steven L. Gortmaker, William DeJong, and Jay A. Winsten.

The Harvard-MetLife Survey was conducted by Harvard's "Squash It!" Campaign to Prevent Youth Violence. "Squash It!" is a youth violence prevention campaign conducted by the Center for Health Communication at the Harvard School of Public Health in collaboration with the entertainment industry. Its goals are to empower young people, promote positive alternatives to violence, and lend social legitimacy to teenagers' decisions to disengage from potentially violent confrontations.

The Harvard-MetLife Survey on Youth Violence is funded by a grant from the Metropolitan Life Foundation. "Squash It!" receives major funding from the Joyce Foundation and the Metropolitan Life Foundation.