Running Head: SCHOOL VIOLENCE 1

School Violence: The Effects from

Social Learning Theory and Conflict Theory

Deion Green

University of North Carolina-Pembroke

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School Violence: The Effects from

Social Learning Theory and Conflict Theory

In studying human behavior, understanding different theories in terms of explaining why

something occurred might help people to better help something not occur again or give them

some way to deal with it appropriately. An analysis of social learning theory and conflict theory

will be applied in an effort to discuss the major assumptions, strengths and limitations, and social

privileges and oppressions in the causes and course of actions for school violence. School

violence, in this case, takes into account any action of a student to psychologically, physically, or

generally cause harm to another person[CITATION Dum13 \l 1033 ].

Theories Explained

Social learning theory focuses on the fact that people are sociable within a group or

community and learn to perform and act based on the actions or approvals within that group or

community. According to social learning theory there is some type of extrinsic reward system in

place for behavior and performance. Initial discussions intellectualized social learning as adapted

acquiring that happens in a social framework and is therefore manipulated by shared customs or

emulating character archetypes [ CITATION Ban77 \l 1033 ]. But while for the most part

ascertaining takes position in some collective circumstance it needs to be better defined than this.

With this in mind, social learning must validate that a shift in insight has taken place in the

entities participating, and that those entities subsequently take this new insight and circulate it on

to supplementary collective makeups through exchanges and practices amongst them with others

in a societal system. Thus, giving us a more formative definition “a change in understanding that

goes beyond the individual to become situated within wider social units or communities of
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practice through social interactions between actors within social networks” [ CITATION

Ree10 \l 1033 ].

Conflict Theory, suggested by Karl Marx, alleges civilization is in a condition of

continual controversy over rivalry for inadequate resources. Numerous explanations of a

widespread assortment of social incidents have employed conflict theory, comprising battles and

uprisings, prosperity and deprivation, intolerance and intimate partner violence. It attributes

nearly all of the rudimentary events in human history, such as social equality and civil rights, to

free enterprise endeavors to control the majority instead of aspiration for social harmony. The

theory spins about perceptions of social disparity in the discord of supplies and concentrates on

the disputes that happen among divisions.

Many types of conflicts can be described using conflict theory. Some theorists, including

Marx, believe that inherent societal conflict drives change and development in society. The

hypothesis depends on the talk of present-day governmental issues and who controls the dialog.

The meaning of words and even the procedure of reason itself are suspect since these things

created as one gathering started controlling current society. For moderns, science, majority rule

government and prizes dependent on social legitimacy are the basic types of social avocation.

For basic scholars, these three things are additionally types of control since they are generally

weapons in the hands of the bourgeoisie who control cash. Science and popular government were

never intended to liberate humankind, but instead are implies for the bourgeoisie to revamp

society to their greatest advantage.

Major Assumptions

One of the major assumptions of social learning theory is that through interactions with

others that we can learn from them, especially observing behaviors and their consequences.
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Another assumption is that acquiring can take place deprived of a shift in conduct, but that as

vigorous and probing entities they struggle to enforce harmony, permanence and connotation on

experience. Social learning also undertakes that via our social collaborations (partnership,

teamwork, discussions, examinations, instruction, and acquiring) that it enhances embodied into

the individual and is then spread by the individual in additional exchanges.

The four fundamental notions of conflict theory are: war, competition, structural

inequality, and revolution. Competition concentrates on the contest among factions inside

civilization over restricted sources. Structural inequality views collective and fiscal

establishments as devices of the tussle in the middle of groups or classes, utilized to preserve

discrimination and the supremacy of the governing class. Marxist conflict theory perceives

humanity as partitioned through contours of financial class among the blue-collar class and the

conformist governing class. Revolution, coming about as conflict between groups, helps to

change the power dynamic abruptly and copiously. War is seen as a result of a cumulative and

growing conflict that tends to unify, cleanse societies, or even end societies.

Strengths

Social learning theory has many strengths. It maintains that possibilities in the setting

have an effect on actions, but that perception and the collective humanity sway conducts as well.

Behavioral determining factors, individual elements, and situational factors all interrelate to

impact performance. The societal aspect of social learning theory contends and reinforces the

difference in actions of people based on the surroundings they are in at different times. Another

strength is that there are numerous methods of discovering.

In terms of conflict theory, a strong point in its macro point of view of society.

Intellectualizing various segments of society into separate groups accepts simpler evaluation for
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exchanges amongst these sets. It has launched the approach for society to be considered from

unconventional and essential viewpoints.

Limitations

A weak point of social learning theory may possibly be the absence of importance on life

activities in facilitating and limiting conduct. Another limited point is the accountability of the

individual for their actions, placing more emphasis on how situations impact conduct and thus on

the characters and society while disregarding how the individual manages and administers

different knowledge. An additional limitation is that it doesn’t pivot on understanding as

succession development in which progress is sequential or age reliant, thus not explaining for

growth is a flaw. A shortcoming of social learning hypothesis could be the absence of

accentuation on natural forms in interceding and compelling conduct.

In terms of conflict theory, the basic hypothesis' association with communism and statism

is its most noteworthy shortcoming. A definitive vision of the contention school is to see a

general public where all can uninhibitedly collaborate in the creation of social merchandise. In

any case, this expect all enemy of social components in the populace depend on class rule and its

cognates. It accepts, without contention, that human instinct is commonly great yet ruined by

"development" in its shifted structures. Subsequently, once "control" is disposed of, individuals

will at that point start to participate. This is the "frail connection" in the contention of the

contention school. Conflict theory collapses in the intensity of predictions through macro point

of view of society. It creates numerous expectations about the degree of subservience of the

working class and poorer classes that are not embraced by history. Conflict theory also ignores

the smaller interactions and the individual.

Social Privileges and Social Oppressions

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Social learning theory depicts in what manner people discover by networking through

and witnessing others. Social learning relates to approaches that partakers find out or obtain

assistance from prominent associates or advisers[ CITATION Byr11 \l 1033 ]. Nevertheless,

social learning theory ceases to sufficiently clarify how within society underprivileged class, or

societal division, generates a manner of subjugation for individuals of assorted ethnic group or

various beliefs compared to Caucasian groups [ CITATION Byr11 \l 1033 ]. While the research

acknowledged that the guidance affiliations with Caucasians do not extend the equal fortune for

African American women to communicate, ponder upon, and absorb from encounters that arise

from the meeting point connections of existing as a Black woman [ CITATION Byr11 \l 1033 ].

Consequently, subjugation is evident inside the collective structures ensuing in understanding

encounters that are displayed to be dissimilar from their White contemporaries. Moreover, it can

be deduced that since African American women are an element of a greater group affected by

suffered historical subjugation then their encounters are not able to and ought not be

oversimplified with the encounters of others.

The quality of conflict theory is that it looks for good finishes: the liberation of

humankind from bogus cases of "all-inclusiveness." Universality is the point at which one

gathering takes power and tries to legitimize it in light of the fact that it speaks to "opportunity

for all." actually it is "opportunity for them." Using Universalist talk to camouflage explicit

mastery is a typical method for controlling talk and political discussion. This method of

"exposing" is one of the most appealing components of basic/clash hypothesis.

In contrast public activity is the predominance of one bunch over another, and

governmental issues is the logical support of that gathering's control. This is the fundamental

case of contention/basic hypothesis. Struggle hypothesis has been one of the prevailing methods
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of deciphering public activity all through the majority of the twentieth century. It is ambiguously

connected with types of communism.

Social Problem

As an employee within the school system in North Carolina and wanting to remain a key

part within even as a social worker, it is imperative that I focus on school violence. My concern

with school violence is that it is often not even known to be a problem until an event happens

that brings about the awareness of the underlying factors that led to that event. As a social

worker, being able to interact with students would help me to curtail school violence in a way by

acknowledging and recognizing conflicts that are arising among students, changes in behavior

that lead to violence if not altered, and setup precedented interceptions to avoid violence and

conflict. Thus, a school social worker needs to understand the avenues that lead to school

violence and the ways at which to set up interventions that can deter school violence.

Scope & Cost

In the past ten years, there have been 356 victims from 180 school shootings on K-12

campuses [ CITATION CNN19 \l 1033 ]. The truth of the matter is there seems to be no school

or community that is safe and the incidents are rising. With these shootings occurring in big

cities and small towns alike, as well as at school events, during the school day, as students

entered or left school, and even just students arguing in the parking lot late at night. When CNN

(2019) analyzed the data from school shootings they found most occurred during the afternoon

and more frequently on Fridays. According to CNN (2019) “These shootings have tragic effects

that ripple beyond the victims and their families. Nearly 200,000 students attended schools

where one of these shootings occurred.” CNN (2019) even found that there was a distinguishing

fact between the racial composition of the schools and time of shootings: white dominated
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schools had shootings in the mornings, at the start of classes or at the end of the day, while black

dominated schools experienced shootings after 4 pm during after-school events. CNN (2019)

also found that shootings at predominately white schools tend to claim more victims. But all

violence in schools does not involve school shootings, there were 30 homicides, 7 suicides, and 1

legal intervention death in the United states from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 [ CITATION

IES \l 1033 ]. During the 2015-16 school year there were 1.4 million crimes consisting of

violence, thefts, or other crimes in public schools, while on 449,000 of them were reported to the

police [ CITATION IES \l 1033 ]. Even teacher threats by students (10% in 2015-16)) and injury

by students happen (6% in 2015-16) [ CITATION IES \l 1033 ].

The first thing to tackling such alarming information is having comprehensive and

reliable data [ CITATION CNN19 \l 1033 ]. Secondly, it is having personnel trained and aware

of conflict, how to recognize it, how to intervene and how to prevent it within the school and on

campus. According to PlanUSA [CITATION Pla10 \n \t \l 1033 ] “the total cost of school

violence in terms of foregone social benefits in just 13 countries for which information is

available is up to almost US $60 billion.” Also, ”Violence in schools is a major reason for

children not attending school or dropping out early” [ CITATION Pla10 \l 1033 ]. PlanUSA

(2010) discusses numerous instances of cost-efficient methods that are effective at preventing

violent behavior and becoming safe and sound schools: positive discipline training for staff;

improving facilities at schools; conflict resolution systems and school codes of conduct;

expanding curriculum to include conflict resolution, rights, citizenship and gender equality; and

enlightening communication between all stakeholders[ CITATION IES \l 1033 ].

Clientele
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The population of the clientele within the school I currently work with is 6-12th grade

students who have been kicked out of other schools for various reasons. They are considered the

worst students within the county. Also, the population includes teachers and staff of the school as

well as other workers from agencies who come into the school to work with these students

(probation officers, child welfare agents, school specialists, etc.). Lastly, the population includes

the parents and family members of the students and staff, as well as community stakeholders.

Interventions

When it comes to violence in schools, there seem to be some predictors to putting

students of violence together as socially they build a group that supports their actions and

rewards them with compliments and friendship, such as in the case of bullying where

“association with other bullies was the most influential opportunity measure influencing bullying

behaviors” [CITATION Moo15 \p 851 \l 1033 ], and they further state “bullying behavior relies

on recognition and elevated social status afforded by the peer subculture” [CITATION Moo15 \p

851 \l 1033 ]. Demonstrating how the community of the school needs to adjust the climate in a

way to make sure that violence within schools is not only intolerable but also demonstrate the

actions against and punish all offenses in a way to deter action Moon & Alarid (2015, p. 851)

also states that “school climate is related to bullying and other behavior problems,” leaving one

action unpunished or acknowledged feeds into the extrinsic rewards.

Another application of how social learning theory applies to school violence is “multiple

contexts are important for shaping youths’ behavioral outcomes, including resources that youth

acquire from both their families and their schools” [CITATION Rad18 \p 1506 \l 1033 ], thus

meaning that the community and group should focus on setting standards that deter from school

violence. Social learning theory is great model for helping stop violence in schools, but
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sometimes it also is an explanation of how the violence within the home and community come

into the school environment. As Rocque [CITATION Roc12 \n \t \l 1033 ] discusses the impact

of violence experienced by youth in relation to abuse and home environment and how the

violence was then perpetrated at the school, which had no involvement in the home situation or

abuse, but since violence was learned in the home the youth felt it allowed them to perpetrate

violence elsewhere in their life. While social learning theory helps to explain how communities,

schools, and families could work together to stop violence in schools it really means an all or

nothing battle to stop violence in every way, which is hard to do when the media exploits it in

ways that gives them attention rather than not focusing on them[CITATION Pop12 \l 1033 ].

While social learning theory focuses on the teachings from within the group, the

problems arise when those teachings are not withheld and visible or acted upon and thus the

reward of publicity which even for some odd reason lends to fans of the people causes the

opposite of what was trying to be achieved [CITATION Pop12 \l 1033 ]. According to Radu

[CITATION Rad18 \n \t \l 1033 ] the bonds between youth and their families and youths and

their schools are important agents of social control, thus important aspects of how they learn

socially and how they receive extrinsic rewards and making these relationships stronger could

help to eliminate violence within schools. In terms of extrinsic rewards from social theory, Fox

and Stallworth [CITATION Fox10 \n \t \l 1033 ] discuss how the development of public and

educational policy that relates to satisfactory disciplinary and administrative action to handling

acts of violence lends to lessen the association of violence in schools, but that also the presence

of counselors and social workers did not help deter nor buffer the effects of violence.

Social learning hypotheses will in general be smaller scale auxiliary, concentrating on

connections inside explicit settings or conditions. Individuals are transformed into degenerates
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through authentic methodology that are about the activity of intensity and authority inside

stratified social orders instead of carefully articulations of equity. For social learning scholars,

the truth is socially developed or created through the exercises of different and fluctuating

gatherings both inside and through their collaborations with other, pretty much amazing,

gatherings. They stress the significance of intensity relations inside a given society and

recommend that it is basic to realize who accept the position to do the marking in the public

arena. This data clarifies why less unsafe acts, for example, shoplifting or squeegeeing, which

are frequently completed by less amazing individuals from society, are focused for

criminalization and the organization of criminal equity framework assets, though increasingly

hurtful acts, for example, contamination, item wellbeing, or unreasonable work rehearses, which

are ordinarily attempted by corporate elites, are less inclined to leave the culprit with a

degenerate or criminal name.

Social learning hypothesis stresses demonstrating and the procedures by which

individuals learn through direct understanding as well as by watching others whom they regard

or respect. Good examples in the media, expressions, sports, or music, for instance, can impact

individuals to act in alluring or unwanted manners. Social learning speculations are noteworthy

in indicating that social orders' definitions decide if certain conduct is viewed as freak or

criminal, and in pointing out that these definitions change after some time and spot. Regularly

these definitions are the result of social battle, disparity, and misuse.

In looking at conflict theory as a model theory for explaining school violence, it would

mean that the cooperative equivalent of every person worked together to change, protest,

educate, and eliminate school violence while having the viewpoint that inequality will always

exist and that all things are society’s fault rather than belonging to the school, community, or
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students which could be accounted for in Intriligator’s accounts on the analysis of conflict

theory[CITATION Int82 \n \t \l 1033 ]. As stated by Guilherme [CITATION Gui17 \p 216 \n \t

\l 1033 ], “understanding all violence and its manifestations is not just important for the

avoidance of conflict and conflict resolution; rather, it actually goes beyond this because

understanding violence is that which enables human beings to realise their potential, their

humanity.” In this aspect, Guilherme (2017) is stating that conflict theory is important in making

everyone aware of their own humanity and role in stopping violence. Moon and Alarid (2015)

also discuss how the personal relationships with people (teachers, parents, siblings, etc.)

influence how they view themselves in terms of society, and Rocque (2012) discusses how

relating themselves and the violence done to them turns their violence on society as a backwards

model of conflict theory, where one takes the internal conflict and points it outward. As Radu

(2018), discussed the agents of social control as the relationship between youth and their parents

and youths and their schools, it is important to understand how this relates to conflict theory in

that violence perpetrated in one has a direct relation to the other. As schools may be potential

sites of violence it is also true that they can be the place of greatest impact for anti-violence

interventions and thus the real area where the conflict theory arises and shows its head. An

example of this is how the bystander program Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) actually

only works if people think of themselves as connected to the people that the violence occurs to

and can see themselves not only as the victims but also as the perpetrators [CITATION Kat11 \l

1033 ], and that once they view themselves as the perpetrators it is easier for them to understand

and make change but getting them to make that connection is hard in and of itself[CITATION

Dum13 \l 1033 ]. And despite the emphasis of the school and teaching practices to focus on non-

violence, the role of the person and conflict within themselves and struggle to find an avenue to
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explore and create non-violence when surrounded by violence is hard to overcome [ CITATION

Lau16 \l 1033 ].

Conflict hypotheses have their foundations in radical political developments, for

example, Marxism and insurgency. Since the 1960s, they have additionally been impacted by the

women's activist and hostile to bigot developments just as post-structuralism and against settler

hypotheses. Industrialist social orders, which are established on a wide division of work and

exceptionally stratified with huge aberrations of riches and destitution, are grounded in

frequently sharp clashes. As a framework dependent on monetary imbalance, private enterprise

has for quite some time been described by significant battles over social assets and political basic

leadership. The focal clash happens between the individuals who possess and control property

and assets (the bourgeoisie or capital class) and the individuals who need to offer their work to

endure (the low class or common laborers). Extraordinary contrasts among "haves" and "those

who lack wealth" give rise not exclusively to strife yet additionally to sociopolitical foundations

that serve to control that contention, normally in manners that protected the accomplishment of

elites and predominant classes. Conflict theory scholars want to concentrate on tip-top

abnormality, including acts that are socially, monetarily, and naturally unsafe, instead of on

minor road wrongdoings and the annoyance exercises and endurance techniques of poor people.

Conflict theory scholars stress therapeutic equity and compromise by means of network-based

procedures, for example, recuperating circles–a procedure that brings unfortunate casualties,

guilty parties, and network individuals together to look for common comprehension and

reestablish social relations. For conflict theory scholars, specialists ought not to be thought to

follow up for the benefit of society everywhere, but instead serving their own advantages and

following up in the interest of other predominant gatherings. Conflict theory speculations

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underline that a few people and gatherings employ control and can make their meanings of

circumstances stick, while others come up short on this limit. Along these lines the meaning of

abnormality is a type of social control applied normally by increasingly amazing entertainers

over less incredible on-screen characters. As a feature of this procedure, specialists (the

predominant) learn standards and practices of control, while subordinates (subjects) learn

standards and practices of reverence. Conflict theory scholars don't accept rules and guidelines as

given, yet rather see them as a feature of a sociopolitical procedure. Conflict theory scholars

contend that contemporary criminalization procedures work to guarantee that the individuals

who are brought inside the criminal equity framework are commonplace of the most minimal

financial standing.

In relation to school violence, social learning theory teaches us that the whole lot need to

focus on stopping violence in its tracts by using measures that do not reward the acts but also

teach and demonstrate that tolerance is not available and has it consequences. On the other hand,

conflict theory explains how the effect of violence in any form on a person is potential to be a

result in school violence and thus to stop it would require that all violence at every level be

stopped, but as inequality exists there will always be violence. Even those who know about it and

don’t act for the victim and allow it to happen are in direct relation to conflict theory and why it

is continually perpetrated. It is important to understand and look at what leads to violence, to

create an intolerable space and attitude, and to impact initiatives and actions against violence.

But then isn’t punishing violence with violence still an issue?

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