CHRISTOPHER JONES
Maharishi International University

MAWIYAH CLAYBORNE
Maharishi International University

JAMES D. GRANT
Maharishi International University

GEORGE RUTHERFORD
Baltimore, Maryland, Public Schools

This paper presents the thesis that Consciousness-Based education, including the practice of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, can be a highly effective tool for reducing or eliminating violent behavior in schools. After reviewing current approaches to preventing violence in schools, the authors review the factors contributing to the unique effectiveness of the Transcendental Meditation program. Central to this effectiveness is the program’s ability to simultaneously deal with multiple causes of crime and violence. The paper reviews research demonstrating that practice of the technique reduces 23 identified risk factors for crime in four broad categories–physiological, psychological, and sociological circumstances and substance abuse. The paper concludes with a review of prior implementation of this program in educational and other settings as well as a discussion of the steps for implementation in new educational settings.

KEYWORDS School violence, meditation, rehabilitation, crime prevention, Transcendental Meditation (TM)