Watch for Signs... Take Action

See also: The Department of Education and the Department of Justice have also produced an early warning guide for spotting trouble in schools

Know signs that kids are troubled and know how to get them help. Look for such signs as: Lack of interest in school Absence of age-appropriate anger control skills Seeing self as always the victim Persistent disregard for or refusal to follow rules Cruelty to pets or other animals Artwork or writing that is bleak or violent or that depicts isolation or anger Talking constantly about weapons or violence Obsessions with things like violent games and TV shows Depression or mood swings Bringing a weapon (any weapon) to school History of bullying Misplaced or unwarranted jealousy Involvement with or interest in gangs Self-isolation from family and friends Talking about bringing weapons to school The more of these signs you see, the greater the chance that the child needs help. If it's your child and he or she won't discuss these signs with you, see if a relative, a teacher, a counselor, a religious leader, a coach, or another adult can break the ice. Get help right away. Talk with a counselor, mental health clinic, family doctor, psychologist, religious leader, the school's dean of students, or the office of student assistance. The faster you find help, the more likely the problem can be resolved. Not your child? Recognizing these signs in any child should set off alarm bells for any community member. If you know a child well enough to notice these changes, constructively express concern to the parent(s), who may already be taking action and would welcome your support. If parents appear disinterested, speak to the child's teacher or counselor.

	Resources
	Big Brothers Big Sisters of America 230 North 13th Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-567-7000 215-567-0394 (fax) www.bbbsa.org Boys & Girls Clubs of America 1230 West Peachtree Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30309 404-815-5700 404-815-5789 (fax) www.bgca.org Bureau of Justice Assistance Clearinghouse PO Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849-6000 800-688-4252 www.ncjrs.org Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Campus Box 442, Building #10 Boulder, CO 80309-0442 303-492-8465 303-443-3297 (fax) http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/ Educational Resources Information Clearinghouse National Library of Education U.S. Department of Education 600 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 2002-0498 800-LET ERIC http://askeric.org/Eric/ Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse PO Box 6000 Rockville, MD 20849-6000 800-638-8736 www.ncjrs.org National Association of Police Athletic Leagues 618 North US Highway 1, Suite 201 North Palm Beach, FL 33408 561-844-1823 561-863-6120 (fax) National Center for Conflict Resolution Education Illinois Institute for Dispute Resolution 110 West Main Street Urbana, IL 61801 217-384-4118 217-384-8280 (fax) National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information PO Box 2345 Rockville, MD 20852 301-468-2600 www.health.org National Crime Prevention Council 1000 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 13th Floor Washington, DC 20036 202-466-6272 202-296-1356 (fax) www.ncpc.org or www.weprevent.org	National Injury Control and Prevention Center Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30333 404-693-3311 404-639-1623 (fax) www.cdc.gov/ncipc/default.htm National Institute for Dispute Resolution 1726 M Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 10036 202-466-4764 202-466-4769 (fax) National PTA 330 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 2100 Chicago, IL 60611 312-670-6782 www.pta.org National School Safety Center 4165 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Ste 290 Westlake Village, CA 91362 805-373-9977 805-373-9277 (fax) www.nssc1.org National Sheriffs' Association 1450 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3490 www.sheriffs.org National Youth Gang Information Center Institute for Intergovernmental Research PO Box 12729 Tallahassee, FL 33217 850-385-0600 850-386-5356 (fax) www.iir.com/nygc/ Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program Office of Elementary and Secondary Education U.S. Department of Education Portals Building, 600 Independence Ave, NW Washington, DC 20202-6123 202-260-3954 202-260-7767 (fax) www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS/ Street Law, Inc. 918 16th Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20006-2902 202-293-0088 202-293-0089 (fax) www.streetlaw.org Teens, Crime, and the Community 1000 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 13th Floor Washington, DC 20036 202-466-6272, x152 or 161 202-296-1356 (fax) www.nationaltcc.org Youth Crime Watch of America 9300 South Dadeland Blvd, Ste 100 Miami, FL 33156 305-670-2409 305-670-3805 (fax) www.ycwa.org YouthInfo U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services youth.hhs.gov
	Readings This list highlights just a few of the more recent documents that offer ideas about programs and strategies that can help reduce or prevent violence in schools, as well as information on the problem. They in turn offer referrals to still more sources of information and ideas. Many of the organizations listed above will send free catalogs listing all their publications. Arnette, June and Marjorie C. Walsleben. Combating Fear and Restoring Safety in Schools. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. April 1998. (NCJ 167888). Drug Strategies, Inc. Safe Schools, Safe Students: A Guide to Violence Prevention Strategies. Washington, DC: Drug Strategies, Inc. 1998. Heaviside, Sheila, Cassandra Rowand, Catrina Williams, and Elizabeth Farris. Violence and Discipline Problems in U.S. Public Schools: 1996-1997. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. March 1998. (NCES 98-030). Kenney, Dennis J. and T. Steuart Watson. Crime in the Schools: Reducing Fear and Disorder with Student Problem Solving. Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum. 1998. Lockwood, Daniel. Violence Among Middle School and High School Students: Analysis and Implications for Prevention. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. 1997. (NCJ 166363) U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice. Creating Safe and Drug-Free Schools: An Action Guide. Washington, DC. 1996. Electronically available through http://www.ed.gov or http://www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm, or by calling 800-624-0100. Zimmer, Judy, Terrence W. Modglin, and Jean F. O'Neil. Teens, Crime, and the Community: Education and Action for Safer Schools and Communities, Third Edition. Cincinnati, OH: West Educational Publishing (a Thomson International company). 1998.