20th Century American Drama
Eugene O'Neill's play, "The Emperor Jones (1921)," is the horrifying story of Rufus Jones, the monarch of a West Indian island, presented in a single act of eight scenes of violence and disturbing images.
Education Literature Review Whenever the Disturbing News
According to Betsy Gunzelmann's research on the role of hidden dangers within schools, in which she "defines school climate as a unique combination of intellectual, behavioral, social, ethical, and physical characteristics within a setting … (that) not only affect learning outcomes, but also impact the essential safety needs of our children" (2004), the rising rate of school violence is directly linked to the increase in diagnoses of learning disabilities within student populations. Researcher James Noonan echoes this sentiment in his own study, observing that "the climate of a school has always been … essential to a school's success in educating its children and preparing them for a life beyond its corridors … (and) a school that acknowledges the complexity inherent in its climate, and takes clear steps toward creating one conducive to learning, is a school that will inevitably become a safer school" (2005). The concept of proactive safeguarding of a school climate, rather than the typical pattern of response and reaction to crises, is relatively novel within the field of educational research, but Noonan's theory has gained traction during recent years. By fostering an environment in which students are encouraged to engage with the educational process, as well as with one another in an effort to reduce bullying and school violence, teachers and administrators can improve the safety climate of their campus before student performance can be adversely affected (Jones, 2012). Confirmation of this fact comes on an annual basis, in the form of student achievement scores and standardized test results gathered from schools across the nation, as the gap between urban and suburban academic performance continues to grow. Multiple studies have shown that "increasing academic performance, enhancing social and emotional skills, and even retaining quality teachers are all related to positive school climate," (Keiser & Schulte, 2009) and schools located in urban settings consistently return lower scores on surveys designed to assess school climate.