In the United States, the fight against school bullying has largely been fought with paper. Every state has enacted anti-bullying legislation, and school districts are awash in compliance forms, incident reports, and zero-tolerance policy documents. Yet, despite this mountain of bureaucracy, rates of aggression and violence in classrooms are climbing. In a provocative new policy analysis, Celeste Hedequist suggests that we have confused administrative activity with actual safety, and she offers a bold new path forward that prioritizes outcomes over procedure.
The core of Hedequist’s argument is that current school policies suffer from a “form over substance” problem. Administrators and teachers are often required to check boxes to prove they have a policy in place, but these policies are frequently reactive. They kick into gear only after a student has been victimized. By focusing almost exclusively on the “perpetrator-victim dyad”—punishing the bully and comforting the victim—schools miss the broader, toxic dynamics that fuel the aggression. As Hedequist notes, paperwork cannot de-escalate a conflict, and a suspension letter cannot undo the trauma of humiliation.
Celeste Hedequist proposes a paradigm shift that treats classroom safety not as a compliance issue, but as a leadership responsibility. Drawing on the “Routine Activities Theory” of criminology, she argues that violence occurs when a motivated offender meets a suitable target in the absence of a “capable guardian.” In the classroom, the teacher and the administration must be those capable guardians. If violence is occurring, the guardianship has failed.
To rectify this, the proposal outlines a system of accountability that mirrors “strict liability” in tort law. In this model, leadership is responsible for the safety outcomes of the classroom, regardless of fault or intent. If a classroom is rife with stress, bias, or aggression, the leader is held accountable for that environment. This moves the goalposts from “did you file the report?” to “did you prevent the violence?”
This shift requires new tools. Hedequist advocates for a move away from punitive measures toward preventative ones. This includes mandatory de-escalation training for all staff, ensuring that adults know how to diffuse tension rather than contributing to it. It also involves the use of “upward reviews,” giving students a safe, anonymous channel to report on the emotional climate of the room. By listening to the students before a fist is thrown, leadership can identify and correct toxic environments—such as those characterized by shaming or exclusion—before they escalate into physical danger.
Ultimately, Celeste Hedequist is calling for a culture change. She argues that we must stop hiding behind the complexity of liability laws and start taking direct ownership of the school environment. By empowering leaders to take responsibility for outcomes, schools can move beyond the hollow victory of checking boxes and start achieving the real victory of keeping children safe.
To read the full details of this transformative approach, you can view the complete proposal here: A New Policy Proposal for Reducing Violence & Aggression in the Classroom: A Focus on Leadership Responsibility for Outcomes