| Tips for Developing School Policy | Tips for Enforcing School Policy | Summary Sheet for Florida Violence Prevention Curriculum

Enforcement does not have to be synonymous with punishment. Enforcing school policies is about making sure that certain policies are implemented consistently throughout the school environment. Enforcement means that school administrators, staff, and parents all convey messages that certain kinds of behavior (e.g., name calling, substance use, fighting, carrying weapons) are wrong and will not be tolerated at school. In this way, enforcement is closely linked to schoolwide campaigns to influence norms about substance use and violence. In general, effective enforcement should do the following:

• Promote and consistently enforce specific rules or policies, including those regarding discipline, smoking, alcohol, and weapons. For example, do students know and understand what will happen when they violate a specific policy? Are teachers and other staff aware of school policies regarding substance use, violence, weapons, and so on? Do teachers and staff consistently enforce these policies?

• Be paired with communication strategies that emphasize changing norms or beliefs that support substance use, violence, disruptive behavior, and weapons in school. For example, what beliefs do students hold about substance use, fighting, carrying weapons, and so on that might affect their inclination to disobey or obey school rules? How can schools challenge beliefs that are inconsistent with school policy, and translate these challenges into messages that might help enforce certain school policies?

• Include rewards and recognition for those who behave appropriately. For example, what mechanisms exist to ensure that students are recognized for positive behavior? Are rewards publicized at school?

References

Drug Strategies (1998). Safe schools, safe students: A guide to violence prevention strategies. Washington, DC: Drug Strategies.

Gottfredson, D. (1997). School-based crime prevention. In Preventing crime: What works, what doesn't, what's promising. A report to the United States Congress. Prepared for the National Institute of Justice by L.W. Sherman, D. Gottfredson, D. MacKenzie, J. Eck, P. Reuter, and S. Bushway. College Park, MD: Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland.

Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R., and Associates (1992). Communities that care: Action for drug abuse prevention. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.