MADISON TOWNSHIP – Madison High School is addressing a rise in fighting with a new disciplinary policy.
Administrators announced the changes during an assembly with students last week. A letter to parents was also posted on the district’s Facebook page.
High school Principal Sean Conway said the change in policy is meant to protect students’ safety and educational experience. He noted that since classes resumed after winter break, there has been an uptick in violence among students.
“We’ve seen a rise in confrontations and I think that’s standard across the country,” he said.
“It’s very sporadic, but I felt that since we returned from winter break, we saw an uptick. Students were a little bit more on edge.”
Conway said the new approach is not a zero-tolerance policy, but it does take a firmer stance on fighting in school.
“(Under the old policy) an average first offense for a fight might have been three days,” Conway said. “Based on what we’ve seen since Christmas break, we feel we need to take a more firm stance to send a message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
A letter from Conway addressed to district parents stated that students who engage in a fight will receive a minimum consequence of a five-day suspension. The more likely consequence will be a 10-day suspension and a recommendation of expulsion from school.
The letter also stated that “students who engage in physical aggression may be subject to additional consequences through the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and our school resource officer.”
Conway clarified Wednesday the administration will take into account the unique circumstances behind each incident. Students who played no role in provoking or escalating a conflict won’t be punished.
“We have a lot of discussions on how we can be as consistent as possible, but take each individual factor into account,” Conway said. “We care about the kids here at Madison and we want to make them feel that they’re always protected.”
Administrators said the policy will not take away a student’s right to defend themselves. Rather, it clarifies that students who had a role in provoking the conflict will be punished whether or not they threw the first punch.
“There are a lot of factors that lead to an altercation. There could be a verbal back-and-forth, social media,” Conway said. “If they play a role in the escalation or the provoking of an incident, then they’re certainly at fault as well.”
Students have also been encouraged to report concerns to a teacher or administrator before conflicts become physical.
“What we are trying to do in all things is protect our kids. That is the most important thing to us at Madison,” Conway said. “Our goal is to never discipline kids.
“We want to help mediate any potential problems and provide the support that students need to address their differences.”
Right now, the change in policy is only in effect at the high school. However, Supt. Rob Peterson said administrators at the middle school are also discussing how to address “similar concerning behaviors.”
Herb Ross of Family Life Counseling has seen first-hand the mental and emotional impact of the pandemic on students. As the director of Restorative Practices & Case Management Services at Family Life Services, he works with multiple schools in the Richland County area.
“It’s not really specific to Madison, it’s across the board,” he said. “The pandemic, the isolation, especially with remote-learning when kids were out of school – it’s kind of handicapped them in terms of their coping and social skills.
“Some of them don’t even know how to resolve conflicts.”
Ross and other Family Life employees provide life coaching services for students within the Madison Local School District. They meet with students one-on-one to discuss career planning and job readiness skills, but also work with students who are struggling academically, behaviorally or emotionally.
He believes the lack of face-to-face interaction has also exacerbated issues of cyberbullying with youth-at-large.
“The social media, being behind a keyboard makes kids more emboldened. They can say things and they can threaten because they’re not facing anyone.”
In addition to talking with students individually, Ross also carries out restorative practices to help mediate conflicts. By bringing conflicting parties together, restorative practices use a neutral third party and guided conversation to build empathy, self-reflection and a sense of community responsibility.
“I hear a lot of kids say it’s my business,” Ross said. “But (conflict) affects other people.”
Restorative practices used to be used only after a fight, but Ross and his team are now using it to mediate conflicts before they turn physical.
“That’s something we strive to do is to be proactive instead of reactive,” he said.
Ross said he supports Madison’s decision to change its policy. He believes the school’s intent is not to punish students, but to curb violence and make students and staff feel safe.
“I think sometimes consequences can sometimes serve as a great deterrent,” he said. “Sometimes if they don’t have consequences, they feel like it’s OK.”
He also encouraged parents to check-in with their children, especially if they notice changes in temperament or behavior.
“A lot of the time, the school or the parent doesn’t find out until an incident happens. But there’s things going on before that,” Ross said. “It’s the little things that don’t have to just mushroom. We can catch them on the front end.
“Parents gotta own it too. They really do. They can’t just fault the school for what’s going on with their children.”
