ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of background information regarding school violence. School violence entails any type of harmful behavior on school grounds. No one is immune to the possibility of school violence due to the pervasiveness of bullying, lack of adequate counselors in schools, accessibility to guns, desire for retaliation, control, and power. It is important to note that the majority of acts of violence in schools are premeditated and that there is no universal profile of students who carry out acts of violence. However, many perpetrators have been bullied, have difficulty coping, have experienced loss, have access to weapons, or have engaged in behavior prior to an attack that reflects a need for help. The chapter also addresses the dire impact that school violence has on students regarding truancy, decreased graduation rates, and increased rates of mental health disorders. As school violence is escalating, there is an urgent need for stakeholders to do more to augment student safety in order to foster success for all. The chapter highlights the leading causes for school violence including the need for revenge. Additionally, this chapter addresses perpetrator characteristics that stakeholders need to be cognizant of in order to identify at-risk students and provide support for struggling students in order to create safer, more secure, and inclusive school climates.
