Teachers lectured on defusing feuds

By Emily Richmond

Friday, Oct. 31, 2003 | 9:26 a.m.

At J.D. Smith Middle School in North Las Vegas, teachers attended workshops Thursday on how to defuse feuds, deal with the kid who always has a wisecrack and reach out to the shy newcomer who rarely speaks up.

It's all part of the school's "big picture" plan to eliminate the bullying and cliques that make schools fertile breeding grounds for gangs, said Principal Karen Stansfield-Paquette.

"We've got a few kids who have been borderline in their behavior right now, and we need to make sure it doesn't go any further," Stansfield-Paquette said. "The cycle can be stopped."

To that end, Stansfield-Paquette used the districtwide staff development day for a video presentation on how to identify hate groups, leadership training and workshops on instructional techniques.

At Smith 80 percent of the students are Hispanic and have limited proficiency in English, making them particularly vulnerable to gang recruitment, Stansfield-Paquette said.

Law enforcement in Clark County have identified more than 400 separate gangs, of which nearly 300 have Hispanic ties.

"We need to do our best job as educators to keep students interested and motivated to be here," Stansfield-Paquette said. "If they're focused on school that's going to help address the outside influences."

When it comes to gangs, Clark County School District Police Chief Elliot Phelps has said "the rubber meets the road" in middle schools.

Middle schoolers often have more freedom than elementary school students and are more likely to be mixing with older children, often for the first time. The key to reducing violence and criminal activity in high schools and beyond is targeting students in the middle grades, Phelps said.

Middle school students -- particularly boys -- are testing the limits, he said. That's why the school district police applied for a federal grant to add more safety officers on middle school campuses, part of a crackdown that Phelps hopes will lead to fewer criminal offenses down the road.

Clark County School Board member Mary Beth Scow lauded efforts by educators like Stansfield-Paquette to tackle the underlying factors that contribute to students joining gangs. But even with the best efforts of schools, parents still play the most vital role, Scow said.

"If the parents aren't involved, it's hard for anything we tell students to be completely effective," Scow said.

What parents can do is encourage their children to develop hobbies and interests at an early age, Scow said.

"By the time they get to middle and high school, they have a niche, something they feel good about, be it sports or music or student government," Scow said. "That's the best antidote to gangs that there is."