SCHOOL VIOLENCE AMONG CULTURALLY DIVERSE POPULATIONS - SOCIOCULTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

The incidence of violence reflects a disproportionate representation of ethnic and racial minorities, especially African-Americans and Latinos, as both victims and victimizers. When these statistics are placed in the context of social, economic, and cultural factors associated with violence, a more revealing picture emerges - one that places violence in a social and economic context suggesting relationships between violence and such factors as poverty, lack of opportunity, and discrimination. A greater sensitivity and understanding of cultural diversity, coupled with knowledge of the cultures represented in our society, will speed development of culturally appropriate strategies for violence prevention. Consequently, a significant percentage of the acts of violence in schools are precipitated by the lack of cultural sensitivity and the limited awareness of cultural differences. A paradigm for understanding cultures in the context of American society is presented in order to help school psychologists develop effective violence prevention strategies.