Preventing Violence Through Coordinated Responses to Classroom Disruption

Abstract

Crisis escalation in the classroom creates a disruption to the teaching environment and increases the potential for violence in the educational setting. The importance of safe classroom climates and the adoption of programs to decrease the escalation of crisis in the classroom remains a priority for K-12 and postsecondary educational institutions. This chapter details a three-tiered approach to preventing classroom disruptive or dangerous behaviors. First, this approach details the importance of establishing a positive classroom climate through clear expectations and engaging teaching practices. The second tier describes crisis de-escalation skills and techniques for teachers to address escalating concerns in a timely and effective manner. The third tier then explains the importance of teachers reporting concerns to a centralized threat assessment or Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) in order to allow the behavior to be considered from a school system perspective. This chapter explains why an approach encompassing all three tiers is an effective and efficient way for teachers to support efforts to prevent school violence.