School should be a place for learning, not a battleground

Earlier this month, black students at South Philadelphia High School waged racial attacks against their Asian-American classmates, beating about 30 immigrant students throughout the course of the day. Students of Asian descent are now boycotting classes out of fear for their safety, and protesting the failure of school officials to stop the violence against them. Meanwhile, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) plans to file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against the Philadelphia School District for allowing the widespread violence to occur.

All of this makes you wonder exactly what kids are learning in school these days. It is clear that some schools are unsafe, not conducive to learning, and not adequately dealing with violence. And students are not learning conflict resolution along with more traditional subjects.

As a result of the South Philly incident, seven students were hospitalized. Six black students and four Asian students were suspended. School officials say the attacks were retaliatory, but the police and the School District are conducting investigations into the matter.

In a Brooklyn, NY case, Lafayette High School entered into a consent decree with the DOJ after a federal investigation found that the school was deliberately indifferent to severe cases of anti-Asian racial harassment.

"The severe, rampant and unchecked nature of the racially motivated attacks against Asian students at South Philadelphia far exceeds what I have seen" in Brooklyn, said Cecilia Chen, an AALDEF attorney who testified before the Philadelphia School District School Reform Commission last week. "Although we have been focusing on South Philadelphia High School, I want to stress that attacks on Asian students are occurring throughout the district and that these attacks often go unrecognized, minimized, or ignored by school staff and officials," Chen added.

With Asian students now suing because they need federal protection from their black peers, something is going tragically wrong in the schools. During the civil rights movement, black students were beaten when they tried to integrate lunch counters. They were met with fire hoses and police dogs when they peacefully protested. They required military escorts just to go to school, and they faced angry white students who would beat, taunt and spit at them.

Back then, the issue was school desegregation. But today, the issue is school safety and the threat of student violence. With metal detectors and police officers in many urban public schools throughout America, students are immersed in a punitive environment where they are viewed as criminals-in-waiting. Concerns about gun-toting bullies and gang assaults are just as real as worries over the next math test. Moreover, with failing schools that are not actually teaching them, many poor, black and brown students are being groomed for little more than a life behind bars.

Faced with a variety of issues - perhaps abusive parents, addiction, or untreated mental health and developmental issues - some youth are unable to even articulate their anger, sorrow or frustration. These young people don't have the tools or the language ability to cope. So, without a proper support structure, a friendly ear or a constructive outlet, they resort to violence.

Youth violence is a serious problem. According to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control, 24 percent of students reported the presence of gangs in their schools. Ten percent of teachers in urban schools were threatened with injury by students. Sadly, 6.5 percent of students in grades 9-12 carried a weapon on school property, while 7.9 percent were threatened or injured by a weapon at school, and 13.6 percent were involved in a physical fight on school property.

The CDC also reported that in 2005, students age 12-18 were the victims of 628,200 violent crimes in school, including rape, sexual and aggravated assault, and robbery. Children who bully are more likely to become criminals, and 20 percent of students who commit homicide at school were known victims of bullying.

Meanwhile, violence and homicide disproportionately impact black youth. Homicide, usually gun-related, is the leading cause of death for African-American males ages 15-34, and the second leading cause of death for black females ages 15-24. Murder is the second leading cause of death for black boys ages 10-14, and the third leading cause of death for the 5-9 age range.

But there are solutions to breaking this vicious cycle. One government report says that an effective school violence prevention plan must have: 1) An effective school-wide foundation designed to improve the academic performance and behavior of all children, 2) early intervention for at-risk youth, and 3) intensive interventions for the few children with significant emotional and behavioral problems.

"Just as students learn how to read, write, and calculate math equations, they must also learn how to interact appropriately with peers and adults and how to solve interpersonal conflicts nonviolently," states the report. "A school will have an increased risk of having students who solve problems with violence if the students are not encouraged and taught to interact appropriately and to use problem-solving skills. Thus, safe schools develop interpersonal, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills in all students."

And according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, violence and antisocial behavior are less likely to occur in positive school environments that give students the opportunity to gain skills and develop socially. These schools also have clear and high expectations of students, and high levels of student participation and parent involvement. Plus, afterschool programs reduce the likelihood of teens being crime victims, or involved in risky and dangerous activity.

Students deserve an environment free from violence. If children are to learn and grow, they must feel safe and supported.