Gangs have become a part of school life for many public school districts, and identifying the signs of gang activity is the first step to putting a stop to it. Gang violence has several features that make it unique, according to National School Safety and Security Services. Gang violence tends to involve large groups of students as opposed to only a select few. When gang violence begins, it normally gets spurred on by the group and can escalate quickly. Gang violence tends to be more dangerous because it will often involve the use of violent weapons. Parents can help by letting school administrators know about any unusual habits their children may exhibit, such as wearing gang-related clothing.
Bullying is no longer dismissed as acceptable activity among school children. A child that is bullied may decide to retaliate against the bully, but also may retaliate against other students who did not stop the bullying from happening. The Public School Parent's Network indicates that the initial signs that your child may be the victim of bullying are persistent excuses to not go to school, or calls from school saying your child is sick and needs to be brought home. Discuss school issues with your children and ask if they may be having problems with a bully. With new measures against bullying in place in many school districts, you can discuss the issue with school officials and have it remedied.
The Reason Foundation suggests that school violence may be a result of a lack of understanding on the part of the students and the staff. A lack of communication helps breed safety issues and helps them to grow. Educate the staff and students on how to identify potential safety issues, what the proper channels are to report the problems and the consequences if the issues are not reported.