Perceptions of Secondary Principals and Vice-principals

If art imitates life then life has become drastically more violent. School aged children have been at the forefront in the discussion on School Violence. According to the Federal Communications Commission by the age of eighteen the average American teen will witness or be exposed to over 200,000 acts of violence. Many of these acts of violence are conveyed through images, messages and lyrics. This study sought to capture the perceptions of Secondary Administrators on the effects of negative media on student behavior. The results indicated a strong belief that negative media images and messages are replicated in schools. Administrators serving students from low-socio-economic communities noted that more time is spent on resolving disciplinary issues as opposed to instructional supervision. The implications and recommendations in this work serve as a foundation for comprehensive reform to reverse this trend.