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SOCIAL PROBLEMS

OF STUDENTS IN

SCHOOL

Micahella C. Balinas

Don Felix Serra National High School

2018
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BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Social problems in the world impact the operation and effectiveness of public education.

In fact, a major portion of the school’s work devotes itself to responding, directly or indirectly,

to students whose lives are challenged by social ills, such as poverty or violence. Such

problems, including homelessness, teen parenting, substance abuse, child abuse, and youth

suicide, complicate students’ efforts to learn. Other social problems, such as vandalism, school

violence, and the dropout rate, are exacerbated when students feel alienated from the school

structure. The chapter briefly discusses each of these topics and the ways in which public

education is responding as an introduction for prospective teachers, not as a detailed analysis.

In this chapter the text also looks at family structure in the United States, which has

undergone considerable modification in recent years. The traditional family, made up of a

working father, a homemaker mother, and two children in school, represents only a small

percentage of U.S. households today. Family structures today include single-parent families,

blended families, older parents, and working parents. Family structure can play a significant

role in a child’s school experiences and can affect his or her learning.

Finally, the issue of sex education in the schools is explored in light of the growing

concern over the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and the problem of teen pregnancies.

The goals of sex education 47 programs are described. The appropriateness of sex education in

schools is debated, as are various approaches to sex education.

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The purpose in this chapter is not to overwhelm prospective teachers with all the

problems affecting schools but to sensitize them to the connections between teaching and social

issues of national concern. Although teachers spend a good deal of time absorbed in meeting the

challenges of their own classrooms, they must be aware of the conditions outside the classroom

that impact their student’s lives, in order to participate fully in the advancement of the

democratic process.

PRELIMINARY LITERARTURE REVIEW

Societal problems affect more than just the adult population. From racism to a topsy-turvy

economy, students and schools often feel the effects that trickle down from other sources or

social systems. As prominently noted in the ecological theory of child development, students,

schools, communities and even more abstract societal concepts are all linked together,

connecting to and influencing every level of a child's growth and learning.

Racism

Racism, or denying someone their individual rights or acting in negative ways toward them, is a

major problem in American society. The effects that the societal view of race has on students

and schools are hardly new. While legal actions such as Brown v. Board of Education have

sought to bring racial equality to schools, these issues go much deeper than simply outlawing

segregation, according to the America Civil Liberties Union.

Economy
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When the economy takes a downward turn, everyone can quickly suffer. With less money

making it's way through society, schools may feel a funding crunch and go into a budget crisis.

For example, during a slow economy, the costs of fuel for school buses and food for school

lunches may increase. These costs are often passed on to the schools, the parents and the

students. When the costs to the schools begin to outweigh the money coming in through taxes

and other funding sources, programs that are deemed unessential -- such as non-academic or

arts concentrations -- are cut and teachers may lose their jobs

Drugs and Alcohol

A 2011 survey of American high school students by the CDC notes that 39 percent of teens

reported drinking alcohol within the past 30 days and 22 percent engaged in binge drinking.

Teens who regularly engage in substance use often have scholastic problems that include lower

grades, memory issues and a higher likelihood of school absences.

Unplanned Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy isn't just a societal issue or a statistic to shake one's head at. With more than

329,000 births to teen moms in 2011 alone, according to the CDC, unplanned pregnancies have

a drastic impact on many students and their schooling. Teen pregnancy is a societal problem

that costs taxpayers roughly $11 billion per year in health care, foster care and other related

expenses. Teen moms have a higher likelihood of getting lower grades or dropping out of

school completely. According to the CDC, only half of all teen mothers graduate from high

school or get their diploma.

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

 Identify the impact of poverty, homelessness, and child abuse on children’s classroom

behavior and learning.

 Describe the structures of U.S. families today, identifying the difficulties t

 hat single parents and working parents face in raising children.

 Identify the goals of sex education in schools and the types of sex education programs

offered.

 Describe the impact that alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and suicide have had on students in

recent years.

 Describe the problems of school violence and vandalism, and summarize some of the

aspects that contribute to student aggression.

 Discuss some of the ways that schools, principals, and teachers can reduce the incidence

of school violence.

ABRIDGE METHODOLOGY
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In this Chapter, provides the context and participants of the study, the instruments to be

used, the data collection procedure and data analysis scheme to be used.

I did a survey to identify what is the problems or issues that students facing in school.

Just for example:

 Bullying (this is very relevant),

 Discrimination,

 Teenage Pregnancy,

 Financial Problem; and

 Poverty

Timeline
Fewer teachers and principals say drug and alcohol use is a seri- ous problem in 1991. With the

completion of the second SASS survey of teachers in 1991, NCES can now report changes in

teachers' and principals' perceptions of the seriousness of school problems such as alcohol and

drug abuse and school violence.

In 1991, fewer secondary school teachers viewed alcohol and drug abuse by students as serious

problems in their schools than in 1988. Teachers' reports of the seriousness of alcohol and drug

abuse declined in both public and private secondary schools.

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Despite recent increasing attention to the presence of guns and other weapons on school

grounds, more teachers did not report that student possession of weapons was a serious problem

in 1991 than they did in 1988.

Very few public or private school principals reported that student possession of weapons was a

serious problem in their schools. While only about .5 percent of public secondary school

principals said that this was a serious problem in 1988 and 1991, virtually none of the private

school principals said that weapons possession was a serious problem.

References

 http://vimeo.com/19882327

 https://app.box.com/s/db324ecfe913f2721b3

 http://youtu.be/n-EdL0fA8PE

 http://youtu.be/Rb_M1X326a8

 https://www.box.com/shared/beb246a81318536d503

 https://www.socialproblemofstudents
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