Tactics to deal with growing violence in schools have usually relied on removal of the offender by suspension or placement outside of the mainstream classroom. However, educators and psychologists are considering the prevention of violent behavior as both a more humane and cost-effective response to the problem. The relationship between school climate and school violence, the principal's role in the reduction of violence, strategies for teaching nonviolence to students, and preventative approaches for helping students with serious problems are described. Research has shown that violent student behavior can be alleviated through the development of a caring, inclusive school culture; programs that teach prosocial behavior and foster self-esteem; and collaboration with community social-service agencies. A highly visible principal can create school norms of nonviolence and community by cultivating relationships with students, encouraging a sense of ownership, and comprehensively addressing the roots of violent behavior, such as poverty, racism, and inadequate or abusive parenting. (LMI)