Building a Civil Society: Are Schools Responsible?

This study identified teachers' perceptions of violence in society and in schools and the responsibility of schools to help create a more civil society. Participants were 78 predominantly white elementary and secondary teachers taking a graduate class at a Texas university. Each participant completed a survey instrument, "Are Schools Responsible for a Civil Society?" that focused on teachers' perceptions of violence in society and in the schools and asked about the causes of violence and civil disobedience, types of violence they witnessed most often, who they believed was responsible for developing a civil society, and the extent to which their schools or districts provided staff development for teachers and/or students. The final question asked what message they would like the outside world to get about the school's responsibility for violence prevention in society. Most teachers felt violence had increased in society and in their schools in recent years. About three-quarters of the teachers surveyed said schools had organized programs in place to deal with the problem. Just over half felt the primary cause of the increase in violence was lack of parental influence (followed by media influence). Nearly 60 percent believed that schools were extremely responsible for helping develop a civil society. Less than half had any training at all on the issue. The survey instrument is attached. (SM)