It is the goal of the St. Charles Parish Public School System to provide a safe educational environment that is conducive to learning. Fighting is disruptive to the school’s educational environment and causes students to feel physically and psychologically threatened. Electing to take a proactive approach to curb the rise of school violence in local public schools, St. Charles Parish has developed a Violence Prevention Program that has yielded as much as 83 percent reduction in violent incidents at middle and high schools.

What makes this program unique is that it addresses most causes of violence and offers training to prevent future incidents. Students are given the opportunity of participating in a diversionary program that addresses the need for conflict resolution training and teaches better communication and problem solving skills. Parents of these students are encouraged to participate in a Parent Support Group to assist their adolescents with anger issues.

In conjunction with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and judges of the 29th Judicial District, the school system maintains a school violence prevention program to address fighting in schools.