School culture and community agencies

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The culture of a school can have a strong effect upon the mental health of its staff and students (Fuller, 1998). Schools strive to develop a culture that holds, contains and supports students through the "ups-and-downs" of adolescence (Fuller). They do this while being asked to take on more and more tasks, cope with large class sizes and stretch resources (O'Leary & Pratt, 2001). Schools that succeed in providing a supportive environment meet, and often exceed, their duty of care requirements, and might also reduce the systemic violence, which can be found in an alarming number of school settings.

By promoting a non-aggressive, non-violent learning environment, schools foster positive relationships between students and teachers. Reducing the "crowd control aspect of teaching, leads to a reduction in stress among teaching staff, resulting in higher job satisfaction and better health and wellbeing" (DEET, 1995). To achieve this, schools might, from time to time, call on the wider community, through outside agencies, to provide specialists who can contribute their expertise to this process. The involvement of these agencies and their presence as a resource is crucial to schools achieving the desired results (Sullivan, 2000). Outside agency involvement introduces students to a range of positive, informed and helpful influences and allows staff and students to approach agencies that deal with specific issues, and to utilise the agencies' existing expertise and networks.

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