Strengthening Schools and Students Against Historically Fueled Violence, Bias, and Unkindness, With a Focus on School Psychologists Among the Pupil Services Professions

Schools have not been sheltered from the history of extremist and race-based violence in the United States, regardless of efforts to prevent this history from being taught to students. Although the focus of this commentary has been on school psychologists, ensuring that positive school culture and climate norms are implemented without exception or exemption is a shared responsibility among school counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, nurses, and the rest of the school community. As students attend these kinds of school environments over multiple years, they have the opportunity to develop the skills and dispositions that would deter their expressions of violence.