School Districts throughout the Nation are losing millions of dollars in ADA (average daily attendance) funding as the result of suspending students for fighting and other acts of person directed aggression in school.
The suspension of any student is problematic for students from all groups. Suspension and expulsion as interventions are inadequate to change behavior unless they are paired with teaching replacement behaviors. However, African American/Black, American Indian and Hispanic students are suspended and expelled at rates that are disproportionate to their White peers.
Suspending a student from school does not address the problem behavior and instead prevents the student from obtaining services they need, such as counseling or social skill support. Recidivism rates are typically high, ranging from 35-45 percent (Skiba & Knesting, 2001). Suspension fails to decrease the problem behavior and, instead, often predicts an increase in it.
While fighting in grade school is not new it is increasing at a rate not previously experienced. Many school Districts have responded by increasing on-campus security, weapons screenings, strict dress requirements and zero tolerance for violence polices. None of these policies have been effective in reducing the incidence of school violence especially in Middle and High Schools throughout the nation especially in urban areas.
A far more effective and less expensive strategy which is being implemented in some school districts in California, Texas, New York, Arkansas and Missouri is evidenced based anger management coaching or classes provided by Certified Anger Management Facilitators using Pre and Post Emotional Intelligence Tests along with Adolescent Anger Management Workbooks, CDs, DVDs, Posters and other ancillary training material designed to teach skills in a wide range of interpersonal relationship areas.
Legitimate evidenced based anger management intervention includes empathy, stress management, communication and anger management. In addition it includes the important emotional intelligence skills of self-awareness, self-control, social awareness and relationship management. Further all of these skills are culturally neutral making them equally relevant and teachable to adolescents of any racial or ethnic group. The training material is available in English, Spanish, Canadian French and Chinese.
Classes or Coaching for anger management can be provided in small groups or individually for students unable to profit from group intervention. Since anger is not an illness, anger management is neither counseling nor psychotherapy but rather specific training in enhancing skills in emotional intelligence. Hence, Emotional Intelligence/Anger Management does not include the stigma too often associated with counseling or psychotherapy.
In contrast to IQ which is related to the capacity to master precision learning or succeed academically, Emotional Intelligence skills can be mastered by anyone who is motivated to change and is provided with the structured training needed to acquire new skills in anger management, stress management, communication, empathy, self-awareness, self-control, social awareness and relationship management.
Finally, anger management for students attending public schools is not a cost to the district, the school or the community. Rather, instituting anger management in Middle and High School protects the school district from the loss of it ADA for each student who may otherwise be suspended or expulsed for fighting or other aggressive behavior at school.
Emotional Intelligence based Anger Management that is evidenced based should be considered for any student who is being considered for suspension or expulsion for aggressive behavior. School suspension does not offer options for increasing a studentâs learning.
George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF, CEAP
