School violence is a serious problem, especially in public schools.

It wears many faces and includes gang activity, locker thefts, bullying and intimidation, gun use,
assault—just about anything that produces a victim. Violence is perpetrated against students,
teachers, and staff, and ranges from intentional vendettas to accidental killings of bystanders.
Most educators and education researchers and practitioners would agree that school violence arises
from a layering of causes and risk factors that include (but are not limited to) access to weapons,
media violence, cyber abuse, the impact of school, community, and family environments, personal
alienation, and more. Pinpointing causes of school violence is a difficult task. It is difficult to
categorize the numerous school violence attacks that have occurred.
In some cases, the perpetrators of a violent school attack feel powerless against classmates or school
authorities. Planning and carrying out a school attack gives the attacker a sense of power and
accomplishment. To limit the feeling of powerlessness, positive behavior needs to be praised. Without
rewards for positive behavior, children can develop negative behavior patterns.
Access to weapons is one of the main causes of school violence. Many family homes contain at least
one firearm. An illegal sale of handguns to teenagers increases the accessibility to weapons. Carrying a
weapon into a school is almost too easy. Metal detectors in school systems should help reduce the
incidence of violent attacks. If you own a gun, make sure that you keep it locked away from your child,
and add a reliable trigger lock to increase safety. If you find your child with an illegal gun, always
contact authorities.
Media violence also plays a strong role in the increase in school violence. Children witness violence on
television and movies or through video games. Exposure to these types of media might increase the
likelihood of aggressive behavior. Talk to your children to make sure that they understand the
difference between fictional violence, which has no real-life consequences, and real violence, which can
lead to heartbreak, prison and death.
Cyber abuse has significantly eroded school safety. Some online gaming contains extreme levels of
violence depicted in real-life situations. Constant contact with these types of games increases the
chance of violent attitudes. Other technologies, including text message, e-mail, and instant messaging,
opened up new avenues for possible violent behavior. Cyber-bullying cases continue to increase.
A child's environment has also been linked to school violence. Family and home life has changed with
the times, and the disintegration of the family unit might be another cause of school violence. Lack of
parental participation, abuse and poverty set up systems for failure. When a child is shown negative
behavior, such as alcoholism, gun violence or physical abuse, a child might find it difficult to break out
of the mold. Sometimes, the failures of role models translate into school violence.
Adapted from http://www.life123.com/parenting/young-children/child-discipline/causes-of-school-violence.shtml
1. Say whether the following statements are TRUE , FALSE or does not say . Quote from the
text to support your answer.

1. Having access to guns or other weapons can lead to violence.

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2. Most of the serious violent crimes take place in the middle and high schools

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3. The breakdown of family isn’t the real root cause of school violence

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4. There is a genetic disposition towards violence and delinquent behavior

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5. Young people use cyber violence to taunt, insult, or even threaten their peers.

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6. School violence is a many-faceted problem.

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2. Complete the following sentences according to the text. Use your own words as far

as possible.

1. When teens assimilate violence in the form of entertainment..........................................................................

2. The causes of school violence are .............................................................................................................................
3. Many teens witness violence in their own homes ..................................................................................................
4. When teens are rewarded for positive behaviour they can learn.....................................................................

3. Find synonyms in the text for the following words or expressions

1. nonparticipant spectators..........................................................................................................................................
2. achievement..................................................................................................................................................................
3. models............................................................................................................................................................................
4. effects.........................................................................................................................................................................
5. deficiency.........................................................................................................................................................................

4.Unscramble the sentences below:

1."serious especially schools problem, public is School violence in a

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2. "Being to often others lead by can violence bullied"

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3. "also in sales illegal can acquire handguns Teens"
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4. "levels games of video high violence popular feature Many realistic"

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5. "in contemporary popular Teen media theme anger a is"

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6. "educators difficulty playing have roles schools Most as "

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5. Fill in the gaps with the words or expressions provided.

Attention Deficit or Learning Disorder-Communication-differences-Hanging Out with the Wrong-
Crowd –Hyperactivity-Lead-Low Academic Achievement-Other Factors-Social Rejection-Turn-
Victimization -Withdrawal

Several factors can cause violence in schools.

1.........................................
1. If a child has been treated violently, at home or by other people, it could cause him to become
violent himself. Parental neglect, a lack of 2............................. in the family and poor supervision put him
at a higher risk of behaving violently.
3..............................................................
2. A child with attention deficit disorder or 4...................................... might become violent toward
other students if she doesn't learn to cope well with the disorder.
5...............................................
3. If a student's friends behave violently or exhibit other delinquent behavior, it could lead him to
become violent as well. Drug use also can 6.................................... to violent behavior, according to the
Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice.
7............................................
4. If a student has low grades, or doesn't care about school, she might 8............................ to violence
as a way of "proving herself" to others.
9..................................
5. Feeling rejected by his peers, as well as other emotional issues, can cause a child to become
violent. Social 10................................ can also cause a student to turn to violence.
11................................
6. Numerous other factors, such as feeling disconnected from the community and having a low I.Q.,
can cause a student to behave violently. Insensitivity to cultural 12..................................., crowding, and a
lack of appropriate discipline and attention to at-risk students can also lead to violence.

6. State your views on the following topic. Write a paragraph (80-100 words).
“Teen violence is a growing problem in today's schools”
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KEY
EX 1
1. Having access to guns or other weapons can lead to violence. T
(Access to weapons is one of the main causes of school violence. Many family homes contain at least
one firearm. An illegal sale of handguns to teenagers increases the accessibility to weapons)
2. Most of the serious violent crimes take place in the middle and high schools DNS
3. The breakdown of family isn’t the real root cause of school violence F
(the disintegration of the family unit might be another cause of school violence)
4. There is a genetic disposition towards violence and delinquent behavior DNS
5. Young people use cyber violence to taunt, insult, or even threaten their peers. T
(Some online gaming contains extreme levels of violence depicted in real-life situations. Constant
contact with these types of games increases the chance of violent attitudes.)
6. School violence is a many-faceted problem T
(It wears many faces and includes gang activity, locker thefts, bullying and intimidation, gun use,
assault—just about anything that produces a victim)

EX 2
(suggested answers)
1. When teens assimilate violence in the form of entertainment, they are unable to feel the pain
and suffering and become insensitive to the consequences of their rage
2. The causes of school violence are complex and varied
3. Many teens witness violence in their own homes when they are exposed to negative behavior
such as alcoholism, gun violence or physical abuse
4. When teens are rewarded for positive behaviour they can learn the difference between
appropriate and inappropriate behaviour

EX 3
1. Bystanders 2. accomplishment 3. patterns 4. consequences 5. lack
EX 4
1. School violence is a serious problem, especially in public schools
2. Being bullied by others can often lead to violence.
3. Teens can also acquire handguns in illegal sales
4. Many popular video games feature high levels of realistic violence
5. Teen anger is a popular theme in contemporary media.
6. Most schools have difficulty playing roles as educators.
EX 5
1. Victimization
2. Communication
3. Attention Deficit or Learning Disorder
4. Hyperactivity
5. Hanging Out with the Wrong Crowd
6. Lead
7. Low Academic Achievement
8. Turn
9. Social Rejection
10. Withdrawal
11. Other Factors
12. Differences