The Need to Increase Funding and Institute Programs to Reduce the Amount of Violence in Public Schools
WHEREAS, The NAACP recognizes that violence in schools hinders students' overall academic performance and wellbeing; and
WHEREAS, The country's first high-profile school shooting occurred in 1853 in Louisville, Kentucky when a student shot and killed a teacher in an act of revenge. Since then, there have been many high-profile incidents that involve acts of violence at public schools. For example, in 1927 a school bombing in Bath Township, Michigan resulted in the deaths of 38 children and 4 adults; and
WHEREAS, According to the National Institute of Health, Black students are more likely to report they have been bullied in schools; and
WHEREAS, Black students, nevertheless, are more likely to be disciplined at higher rates and Black girls experiencing some of the highest rates of school discipline in suburban areas; and
WHEREAS, While much of the work of improving school safety is the responsibility of state and local governments, federal involvement in school safety and security began in the 1970s. During this time there was intense concern over juvenile crime in schools; and
WHEREAS, Following the 1999 Columbine shooting and many others that occurred afterward, policymakers passed new statutes and enacted regulations aimed at preventing further violence in public schools. These laws, enacted by both federal and state governments, included increased investment in school-based police and security measures such as metal detectors, surveillance cameras, and on-campus police officers; and
WHEREAS, Measures to decrease violence, including the use of school resource officers, meant that at nearly 37% of schools with majority Black students, there is a school resource officer presence, as opposed to a presence of school resource officers at 5% to 11% of schools with majority white students; and
WHEREAS, 80% of students who have been assaulted by police since 2011 have been Black according to Education Week; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, children who experience any type of violence at school may develop long-term mental and physical health conditions, such as reactive attachment disorder, modest physical inactivity, overweight or obesity, diabetes, smoking habits, and heavy alcohol use. Moreover, children who have been victims of violence or exposed to it in some capacity sometimes believe that becoming violent is the only way they will be safe, hence, leading to more violence in schools. Additionally, when children experience or witness trauma, their basic beliefs about life and other people are often changed. Children who witness or experience violence in school often no longer believe that the world is safe, which can also lead to mental health issues; and
WHEREAS, Frameworks such as positive behavioral interventions, creating wraparound services for students at schools, and restorative justice practices have been found to create a safer and more welcoming environment for students.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP reaffirms its 2009 resolution ensuring the safety of all students in public schools as violence in schools can have many harmful effects on students' educational and social capabilities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP opposes implementation of programs that enhance the safety of students but disproportionately affect students of color as such efforts can negatively affect these students' ability to earn a quality education.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NAACP urges local educational agencies to allocate funding for wraparound services for students, decrease funding for services that create violence towards students, and emphasize restorative justice practices.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NAACP demands state departments of education to collect data regarding law enforcement referrals, school resource officer placement, school discipline, and disaggregated data regarding the use of discipline interventions in schools and allows local control of funding for wraparound services in schools and make this information publicly available.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP strongly encourages federal, state, and local governments to institute and increase funding for programs that guarantee the safety of all students so that they may thrive educationally, socially, and economically.