You asked if there were ways you could help. Educating your fellow teachers is key. Teach them that they MUST intervene when there is violence in the halls. Teach them that the MUST intervene when there is teasing and harassment going on. In centuries past, humans were full adults by the time they were 13 and 14. Now, we delay full adulthood until 21 (or whatever your state's legal drinking age may be). Young adults are young, but they are still adults. Daily, they are forced to tolerate conditions which would NEVER be allowed in the workplace. After the abuse at the hands of their peers, they are often derided or simply ignored by teachers.
It was years after college before I could see any of my former gym teachers without flaring with anger. I was often the example of how uncoordinated a person could be, or how to do something wrong. Weekly, I was paraded before the class as an example of how not to do something.
Strangely enough, this 'lack of coordination' and 'general incompetence' (both terms used by my junior high AND senior high gym teachers--almost like they compared notes) never arose when I began studying martial arts. By the time I graduated from college (and lost interest in fighting, and associated skills), I'd progressed through belts at the local Tae Kwon Do dojo with remarkable rapidity, and was often used as the example of how to do something _right_.
I remember in 8th grade, I became so furious with another classmate (again, in gym), that I punched him in the face, and pushed him down. The gym teacher, thoroughly skilled at spotting warning signs, pulled me aside and said 'You've got spirit--you should be on the football team.' Nothing could have been farther from the truth-- I'd just demonstrate violence against a fellow schoolmate. What the teacher should have done was determined WHY the fight started, by interviewing each student separately--and allocated discipline accordingly.
The massive buildings, long hallways and huge student-to-teacher ratio only contribute to overwhelmed teachers, so that they cannot keep an eye on everyone in the class--they can't spot trouble before it happens. (In terms of fewer students per teacher, I'm probably preaching to the choir, eh?)
How can you help? Talk to the other teachers. Protect the weak. When a fight happens, talk to the students SEPARATELY--putting them in one room only helps the stronger to dominate the weaker. In addition, it ensures that the stronger will know who 'ratted him out.' (I was on the losing end of this sort of thing several times). Do NOT assume that the person who threw the first punch is the aggressor--often it is the weaker that is goaded into striking. Make the harassment stop. Suspend aggressors and violent individuals, even if they are the star hockey or football players (they often are).
Make sure that there are Math Leagues, and Knowledge Bowls, and that they are not derided by the 'real' athletes. I was on both Math League and Knowledge Bowl, and despite lettering in Knowledge Bowl, knew better than to actually _wear_ the letter--to have done so would have invited a severe beating.
It ISN'T 'just kids being kids.' It's real--and high school is the biggest thing in these kid's lives. School is all they have known--is it any wonder they take the abuse so seriously?
Thanks,
Jeremy Anderson
jeremy+webspam@angelar.com http://www.angelar.com/~jeremy