ABSTRACT

When children enter the United States public school system they experience a significant curtailment of their constitutional rights. A number of important court rulings are presented in this article that trace the development of children's rights within and outside the public school system. Recent cases of school violence have resulted in even greater erosion of student rights. It is argued in this article that the curtailment of student's rights is not necessarily an effective strategy for dealing with the perceived threat of school violence. A better solution is to inform the public including school teachers that school violence within the United States is relatively rare and that the real causes of violence which are largely found outside the school system is what needs to be treated through policy and program activities.