District-Wide Discipline Codes

Every school district should have a clearly defined discipline code that is communicated to students and their parents each year. A major focus of it should be understanding discipline as a positive rather than a negative sense of being. The emphasis must be on prevention as well as intervention. Equally important, the discipline code should be enforced consistently, firmly, and fairly.

It is also critical for teachers, parents, and members of student services programs to work together to help schools and communities address the issue of increased youth violence. School psychologists, counselors, nurses, social workers, speech-language pathologists, and all other student services personnel must be part of the violence prevention decision-making process. Further, schools should maintain a liaison with local police authorities since some acts of violence in schools are a spillover from disputes that originate in the community.