Skip to main content

Character Education Update: Building a Buffer Against School Violence

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
School Violence and Primary Prevention
  • 712 Accesses

Abstract

Character development is the foundation for the expected values and standards of behavior that enable an individual to be a healthy part of the society in which he lives. When coupled with moral standards and practice, it refers to what societies sanction as correct and acceptable for those inhabitants to adopt as meaningful and appropriate guidelines of behavior. This chapter examines character as it serves to provide a foundation in the school setting for appropriate and acceptable behavior. Guidance for teachers and instructors at all levels of education is provided along with information and resources on school-based prevention models aimed at character and moral education. Future directions in character education encourage healthy social communication, attitudes, and values consistent with self-respect and respect for others through the character growth and development of students.

Parts of this chapter published previously in: Miller (2019). Used with permission.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Althof, W., & Berkowitz, M. W. (2006). Moral education and character education: Their relationship and roles in citizenship education. Journal of Moral Education, 35(4), 495–518. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240601012204

  • American Psychiatric Association (Ed.). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baehr, J. (2017). The varieties of character and some implications for character education. Journal of Youth Adolescence, 46, 1153–1161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0654-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartkowski, J., Xiaohe, X., & Bartkowski, S. (2019). Mixed blessing: The beneficial and detrimental effects of religion on child development among third-graders. Religions, 10(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel10010037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bates, A. (2019). Character education and the ‘priority of recognition’. Cambridge Journal of Education, 49(6), 695–710. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2019.1590529

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, W. (1991). Moral literacy and the formation of character. Teachers College.

    Google Scholar 

  • Center for Character and Social Responsibility. (2014). Professional development materials. Available at https://www.bu.edu/ccsr/resources/pd-materials/

  • DeVoe, J. F., Peter, K., Kaurfam, P., Ruddy, S. A., Miller, A. K., Planty, M., Synder, T. D., Duhart, D. T., & Rand, M. R. (2002). Indicators of school crime and safety: 2002. U.S. Department of Education and Justice. NCES 2003-009/NCJ 196753.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, D., & Mullis, F. (2003). Classroom meeting: Encouraging a climate of cooperation. Professional School Counseling, 7, 20–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frey, K., Hirschstein, M., & Guzzo, B. (2000). Preventing aggression by promoting social competence. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 8, 102–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, J. D., & Catalano, R. F. (1992). Communities that care. Jossey-Bass Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herbert, M. A. (2018). Impact of social stratification and learning on child development and social learning. International Journal of Pregnancy and Childbirth, 4(6), 232–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L. (1987). Child psychology and childhood education: A cognitive-developmental view. Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonard, H. S. (1997). The many faces of character. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 49(4), 235–245. https://doi.org/10.1037/1061-4087.49.4.235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lickona, T. (1993). The return of character education. Educational Leadership, 51(3), 6–11. Available at https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-return-of-character-education

  • Matera, D. (2001). A cry for character. Prentice Hall Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGrath, R. E., Han, H., Brown, M., & Meindl, P. (2021). What does character education mean to character education experts? A prototype analysis of expert opinions. Journal of Moral Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2020.1862073

  • McMahon, S., Washburn, J., Felix, E., Yakin, J., & Children, G. (2000). Violence prevention: Program effects on urban preschool and kindergarten children. Applied and Preventive Psychology, 9, 271–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, T. W. (1998). Children of trauma. International Universities Press Incorporated.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, T. W. (2019). Moral development is a learning experience. Health & Wellness Magazine. http://healthandwellnessmagazine.net/moral-development-is-a-learning-experience.html

  • Miller, T. W., & Beane, A. (2010). Loss of the safety signal in childhood and adolescent trauma. In T. Miller (Ed.), Handbook of stressful transitions across the lifespan. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0748-6_19

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, T. W., & Veltkamp, L. J. (1996). Clinical handbook of child abuse and neglect. International Universities Press Incorporated. ISSN Number 2035-4983.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, T. W., Veltkamp, L. J., Lane, T., Bilyeu, J., & Elzie, N. (2002). Care pathway guidelines for assessment and counseling for domestic violence. The Family Journal, 10(1), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480702101007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, T. W., Kraus, R. F., & Veltkamp, L. J. (2005). Character education as a prevention strategy in school-related violence. Journal of Primary Prevention, 26, 455–466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-005-0004-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, T. W., Williams, D., Nisenbaum, S., & Folman, R. (2014). Trauma resilience and psychological well-being in the 21st century. American Psychologist, 18(1), 31–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, M. (1998). Character education in America’s blue ribbon schools. Scarecrow Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pattaro, C. (2016). Character education: Themes and research. An academic literature review. Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 8(1), 6–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, A. (2017). Character education: A bibliography of recent research, reports and resources. NFER. Available at https://nfer.ac.uk/character-education-a-bibliography-of-recent-research-reports-and-resources

  • The Ray Center at Drake University. (2019). CHARACTER COUNTS! Available at: https://charactercounts.org/

  • U.S. Department of Education. (2002). Exemplary and promising safe, disciplined, and drug-free schools. U.S. Department of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker, H. M., Horner, R. H., Sugai, G., Bullis, M., Sprague, J. R., Bricker, D., & Kaufman, M. J. (1996). Integrated approaches to preventing antisocial behavior patterns among school-age children and youth. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 4, 194–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, D. I., Roberts, M. P., & Kristjánsson, K. (2015). Towards a new era of character education in theory and in practice. Educational Review, 67(1), 79–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2013.827631

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Acknowledged is the guidance and support of our colleagues at the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention and Policy at the University of Connecticut, along with Thomas Holcomb, EdD; Peter McKeown, PhD; Jeanine M. Adams, EdD; Fred Danner, EdD; Janet Saier, M.S.; Jill Livingstone, M.L.S.; Tag Heister, M.L.S.; Kathleen Banner, M.L.S.; and Cathy Martin, M.D., and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Kentucky, for their contributions to the completion of this chapter.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas W. Miller .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Miller, T.W. (2023). Character Education Update: Building a Buffer Against School Violence. In: Miller, T.W. (eds) School Violence and Primary Prevention. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13134-9_24

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13134-9_24

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-13133-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-13134-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics