This study analyzes the recurring phenomenon of a government policy response to school violence when that violence occurs, followed by the disappearance of the issue of school violence from the policy agenda after a certain amount of time, based on Ki...
This study analyzes the recurring phenomenon of a government policy response to school violence when that violence occurs, followed by the disappearance of the issue of school violence from the policy agenda after a certain amount of time, based on Kingdon’s Policy Stream Model. The framework of Kingdon’s model is that the policy window opens when it comes to the coupling of the problem stream, the political stream, and the policy stream at a certain moment and, at this moment, policy entrepreneurs play important roles in the process of policy making. As for the 2012 school violence policy, a problem window has been opened by serious incidents of school violence that occurred beginning in late 2011. A political window has also opened because of political issues such as the parliamentary and presidential elections of 2012. Finally, the policy window has also opened. In terms of the coupling of streams, policy entrepreneur roles such as the president, government officials, journalists, and private agencies and professionals are effective.
Based on the analysis, this study suggests the followings: The government needs to manage policy streams associated with school violence effectively, to support the roles of policy entrepreneurs positively in order to make the right policy decisions when the policy window is open, to improve school violence prevention policy as a precaution against the policy window for school violence opening again, and to assist school-based autonomous efforts to make schools safe while a policy window is open by redefining schools’ and teachers’ authorities and responsibilities.