Newswise — Washington, DC, December 20, 2012 –The American Educational Research Association (AERA) joined well over 200 prevention scholars and practitioners and over 100 endorsing organizations in issuing a Call for More Effective Prevention of Violence. The AERA Council voted unanimously on December 19 to endorse the statement, prepared by leading research scientists with expertise and depth of experience studying school and community violence and safety.
On the heels of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, the position statement, prepared by an interdisciplinary group of experts in prevention of school and community violence, details the key elements of violence prevention and underscores the need to focus on issues of mental health, threat assessment, media effects, and access to guns. AERA has worked on issues of school violence previously and this continues that work,” stated Felice J. Levine, Executive Director of AERA. “AERA is proud to stand with experts who prepared this statement based on high quality, peer reviewed research.” The Call for Effective Prevention of Violence emphasizes the groups’ wish to comment on the tragic acts of violence at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which have shaken the nation, and to express deepest condolences to the entire Newtown community. “We all share a common priority: Keeping our children safe.”
The statement asks for “a renewed nationwide effort to address the problem of mass shootings that have occurred repeatedly in our schools and communities. Now is the time for our political leaders to take meaningful action to address the need for improved mental health services and protection from gun violence. At the same time, concerned citizens in every community should engage in comprehensive planning and coordination to prevent violence in our schools and communities.… The bottom line is that we must all work together toward the common goal of keeping our schools and communities safe.”
The full-text of the Call for More Effective Prevention of Violence can be found here: http://curry.virginia.edu/articles/sandyhookshooting
To access the special issue of the AERA’s Educational Researcher on School Safety and Violence Prevention or research fact sheets presented at the AERA Capitol Hill Briefing on School Violence, see: http://www.aera.net/Newsroom/News/AERAontheTragedyatSandyHookElementarySch/tabid/14694/Default.aspx.
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To reach AERA Communications, call (202)238-3200 Amy Weiss ([email protected]) or Lucy Cunningham ([email protected]).
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the national interdisciplinary research association for approximately 25,000 scholars who undertake research in education. Founded in 1916, AERA aims to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. www.aera.net
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