The Florida School Violence Policies and Programs Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Education Policy
• Criminology

Background:

• School violence remains a significant concern in educational settings.
• Effective prevention strategies require comprehensive policies and programs.
• Understanding existing district-level approaches is crucial for evidence-based interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the characteristics of violence prevention and control policies in Florida's public school districts.
• To evaluate the nature of violence prevention education programs implemented across these districts.
• To provide data on administrative and programmatic aspects of school violence prevention.

Main Methods:

• The Florida School Violence Policies and Programs Study (FSVPPS) utilized a questionnaire (FSVPPQ) based on the national School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS).
• Data were collected from 67 Florida public school districts via mail survey in spring 1996.
• Fifty-five districts (82% response rate) provided usable data through key informants responsible for violence prevention.

Main Results:

• The study gathered administrative and programmatic information on violence prevention education from participating districts.
• Respondents represented various administrative levels, including superintendents, administrators, and "Safe & Drug Free Schools" coordinators.
• Participating districts were geographically distributed across Florida.

Conclusions:

• The FSVPPS provides a baseline assessment of violence prevention policies and programs in Florida schools.
• The findings can inform the development and refinement of future school violence prevention initiatives.
• This research highlights the importance of district-level data collection for understanding and addressing school violence.