Six hundred fifty-seven (657) members of the American School Counseling Association responded to the researcher-developed survey, the School Counselors Perceptions of Family Systems Perspectives Questionnaire (SCP-FSPQ). The instrument assessed school counselors’ perceptions of preparedness, competency, importance and frequency of use of family systems perspectives when working with youth in the school setting. The purposes of this quantitative study were to understand school counselors’ perceptions of their educational preparation in family systems perspectives; whether school counselors are using family systems strategies and, if so, how often; and how important school counselors believe those strategies are when implemented. This study also explores the barriers school counselors may face when working with a family systems perspective. Items from the SCP-FSPQ were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-test, Pearson correlation and principal component analysis. When exploring the relationships between school counselors’ type of degree, methods of learning, frequency of usage, beliefs about preparedness, competence and importance of family systems perspective, significant relationships were identified among all the variables. The results of this study supported the need for required family systems education that prepares school counselors to work with students and their families in the school setting. Findings resulted in training and education recommendations for school counselors, counselor educators, counselor education programs and the school counseling accreditation bodies.

Acts of school violence exist on a continuum of severity, ranging from less severe to anarchy, occur in various locations throughout schools, and affect various stakeholders. School counselors play an integral role in responding to school violence. The purpose of this study was to assess school counselors' perceptions of the occurrence of school violence and their preparedness to respond to violent events. This study provides valuable information about school counselors' perceptions of their personal safety, current programs and services provided to target reducing the impact of school violence, and training needs of professional counselors. A survey was completed by 103 school counselors serving schools in the St. Louis metro area. Results from the survey indicate community setting and years of experience influence school counselors' perceptions of school violence and their preparedness to respond. Implications for school counselor training, school-based violence preparation and school counselors' response to violence conclude the manuscript.