SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION & INTERVENTION
Adult Advisors, School Safety, Sources of Strength
School Violence Prevention & Intervention
Wakefield school counselor Luis Contreras is one of our recently trained Adult Advisors, and we’re thrilled to have his professional expertise behind Sources of Strength in his school community.
Strength in Our Voices recently held a Peer Leader training at Wakefield High School, and his inherent skill at connecting with and inspiring youth shone through.
We’re excited to share Luis’ thoughts on the Sources of Strength Adult Advisor and Peer Leader trainings he participated in and helped facilitate, featured below.
Sources of Strength Peer Leader & Adult Advisor Trainings:
- What was your favorite moment that stood out to you during the trainings?
I really enjoyed all the games and activities, which helped students and staff get comfortable with one another. This was a very important step — it can be extremely difficult to connect with someone you don’t feel like you know at first. The Sources of Strength activities were specifically tailored to ease our initial reservations. I appreciated having the time to form these connections with both students and my fellow staff members.
- How did your experience in the Peer Leader training match up with or differ from the adult advisor training, or your initial expectations?
My experience with the Peer Leaders differed drastically from working with other Adult Advisors — in the best way possible. It was amazing to see how vulnerable the students could be with us and each other. When we included both the Adult Advisors and Peer Leaders, the energy from all the passionate people in the room felt electric, especially with the added student perspectives on the topics we discussed.
"It was amazing to see how vulnerable the students could be with us and each other."
- How do you think the Sources of Strength program can augment the services counseling centers provide in schools?
When I talk with students, it’s become easy to spot the gaps in their foundations of resilience. I think school counselors could benefit from having a visual of the Sources of Strength program to walk through with a student seeking help.
This type of an aid could facilitate deeper conversations, empower students to explore potential new sources of strength they can use every day, and make it easier to connect with the many services we have here at our school.
- Did you observe students making any interesting comments that speak to the efficacy of Sources of Strength?
When we came to specific strengths during my group’s first lap of the Sources of Strength wheel, it was easy to see when students pondering how certain ones applied to their own lives.
For example, when discussing generosity, I heard a student say “whoa, I never thought of it like that.” Hearing students recognize that they can draw strength from places they’d never considered previously was so encouraging to me.
- What is your professional take on how Sources of Strength forwards best practices of mental healthcare?
As a professional in the field, I’ve come to learn that healthy coping skills are the main capability we should encourage teens to develop in counseling. Too many times, I’ve seen students handle overwhelming life circumstances with negative coping strategies, or react with apathy, pain, or confusion.
Sources of Strength gives caregivers new tools to encourage students to take a deeper look into their own lives and recognize the positivity, resources, and strength that already exist within them.
It can be very difficult to get a student to start using a new coping skill, but identifying ones they already have already can open up so many new avenues to utilize their inner strengths. These moments of learning and realization that help students see the coping skills so close within their reach could definitely make counselors’ jobs easier.
Sources of Strength Adult Advisor Luis Contreras’ Bio:
Luis Contreras has extensive counseling experience from serving as a residential counselor in both juvenile detention and psychiatric facilities and as a behavior support specialist at an elementary school in D.C. Luis holds an M.A. degree in Counseling & Development and has been certified by the National Board of Counseling as a Qualified Mental Health Professional specializing in working with children and adolescents.Featured below are a few key takeaways from an article he published for Counselors for Social Justice.
Violence, Bullying, and School Shootings:
Research from Sources of Strength Adult Advisor Luis Contreras
School Violence: Prevention and Intervention published by Counselors for Social Justice takes on the critical topic of violence in schools, including bullying, gang violence, and shootings. Even though this publication came out in 2016, prevention and intervention for the issues it addresses are more relevant than ever.
Along with an overview of frequent causes, risk factors, and consequences, most importantly, the report lays out actionable solutions.
Here are 7 ways it lists for counselors and educators can help create counselors and educators create a safe and respectful school environment:
- Focus on building positive relationships with students.
- Implement anonymous reporting systems for students to voice concerns about violence.
- Post and publicize rules against bullying
- Incorporate multicultural education opportunities in students’ academic curriculum.
- Implement anti-bullying training for school faculty and staff.
- Give students opportunities to role- play and practice positive bystander behavior.
- Implement a school wide conflict resolution program.
The report puts biases, stereotypes, and myths to bed about who commits violent acts, why, and how they can be stopped. An especially important distinction: neither the presence of risk factors nor being part of a vulnerable group means a student will definitely engage in violence or criminal behavior.
At home, there are steps parents can take to help reduce school violence, too:
- Maintain Open Communication with Children About Bullying
- Coach Children on Their Responses to Bullying
- Set an Example of Kindness and Leadership
- Work with the School to Stop Bullying
- Promote the Strengths of Children
“There are a number of variables that can contribute to a student being more apt to violent acts in school. However, the presence of these factors does not guarantee a student will be an offender.”
No student is destined to commit violent or criminal acts, no matter their background or history.Witnesses and survivors of school violence often experience impacts on their mental health, which makes treatment even more important.
As programs like Sources of Strength continue to expand in scale to create safer, more positive and closely connected communities that champion mental wellness, we hope to see a positive trend of teens defying stereotypes and circumstances to become their best selves and thrive in healthy, positive relationships.
Read the report in full here, or check out these additional resources for more information:
Adult Advisors, Sources of Strength
We recently conducted our biggest training yet: 75 Peer Leaders at Robinson High School! Both of our trainings for the staff & faculty members who came on board as adult advisors, as well as our mutual effort training our student peer leaders, were incredibly fulfilling. Read testimonials from the amazing Adult Advisors of Robinson!