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Reports of school violence escalate By Vicki Guarino Teachers, counselors and administrators last year called on police to handle violent students more than ever before. But statistics released Wednesday by Jackson County likely indicate that schools are becoming safer, not more dangerous, according to the juvenile department head. "Parents should be pleased," said Jackson County Juvenile Department Director Alan Young. "It shows that schools are responding. It is very positive.�� Breakdown of county reports The Jackson County Juvenile Department report for the 1999-2000 school year reveals the following: 93 incidents of threatened violence during the 1998-99 school year. 119 incidents of threatened violence during the 1999-2000 school year. 27 criminal charges. 72 comprehensive risk assessments conducted by the county Mental Health Department. 20 youth who have been or will be placed on court-ordered probation. Seven bomb threats that resulted in arrest. Two arrests for possession of firearms in schools. Three repeated incidents of threatened violence. Where incidents occurred: 33 percent involved elementary school students. 37 percent involved middle school students. 30 percent involved high school students. The department�s report for the 1999-2000 school year showed 119 incidents of violence or threatened violence, a 28 percent increase over the year before. Young attributes the increase to heightened awareness of school safety issues by school staff and police and to a decreased tolerance for bad behavior. After a closer, case-by-case examination of the statistics, Young said he believes that school personnel are reacting appropriately to misbehavior � neither overly panicked by troubled youth nor excessively lax. "They are only calling the police for the things they really need to call the police about," said Young. "I think it�s appropriate. I don�t think we�re criminalizing behavior that shouldn�t be considered a crime." The juvenile department�s school violence tally includes all incidents of violence and threats of violence defined within the Safe Schools Compact, a 1998 agreement among all eight Jackson County school districts, all county police agencies, and the county juvenile and mental health departments. The compact specifies the circumstances in which police should be summoned. Police, in turn, determine whether a crime has occurred and which county agencies should be brought in to assist. Because the compact covers a range of behavior � from a mild, non-criminal threat to harassment to a physical attack � the newly released statistics don�t differentiate between violence and threats of violence. However, only a small number of the 119 compact cases, about 15 to 18, amounted to physical contact, Young said. Most of the cases, 92 all together, wound up not being a crime at all, but rather behavior that warranted counseling. "What�s interesting to me is that just less that 23 percent of these cases resulted in criminal charges," Young said. "That�s a low number, which is good." For school officials, the low numbers follow years of work in teaching students how to get along and resolve differences peacefully. In just about every school now, the lessons begin in kindergarten. "You actually teach kids the skills to resolve problems in a peaceful manner,�� said Central Point School District Superintendent Candace Manary. About six years ago, as curriculum director for Central Point, Manary led a communitywide effort to establish character trait curriculum in all classrooms. Every year, everyone explores three valuable traits. This year, students and teachers will be working on responsibility, patriotism and self-restraint. Medford schools completed a districtwide conflict resolution curriculum in 1999. It focuses on making students feel comfortable with themselves and respectful of others and teaches skills to mediate disputes. Behavior, discipline and dispute resolution curriculum began in the Phoenix-Talent district practically by accident about a dozen years ago. Curriculum Director Tim Mobley, then principal of Orchard Hill Elementary School, worked with teachers to find better ways to reach students academically. In finding ways for students to learn through cooperation and group endeavors, the teachers found a key to improving behavior along with comprehension. "The discipline was just a wonderful bonus," Mobley said. The small lessons at Orchard Hill have grown into an ever expanding districtwide program, which this year will introduce student mediation at the high school. Mobley said the county statistics, like the new problem-solving curriculum, reflect heightened concern for student behavior. 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