An analysis of violence in public schools
An analysis of violence in public schoolsAn Analysis of Violence in Public Schools
Recently, violence in the schools has been a great concern in our society as a whole. The attention is justified by the abundance of media coverage on a number of recent school shootings. With all these news clips and sound bites swirling around our heads, one might conclude that our children are more violent than previous generations. It might seem in fact, that something has made children more violent today than their parents were. With innocent victims dying everyday, researchers and psychologists work franticly to understand this new dark behavioural trend in hopes that solutions can be implemented. What is making children and teenagers so violent?
Some say the television is to blame, as well as the other forms of media responsible for representing and displaying images of a violent nature. The idea is that violent behaviour is learned. Many people suggest that limiting the violent graphic content found on television might lead toward a less violent society. The assumption is that without a catalyst (violent programming), violent behaviour will be less prevelant. I can see how one might think this way; 1. chilren appear to behave more violently than their parents did as children. 2. Today's television has more violent shows, both in abundance and degree. There appears to be a simple causation there. It may be just a corelation. American television networks operate on the supply and demand curve just like any other industry. There has to exist a demand for violent programming first. The demand for violent programming leads to the broadcasting of such programs, but do violent shows lead to violent behaviour? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Some see the violence in the schools as a response to negative social forces. The classic alienation of adolescents who possess certain arbitrarily negative characteristics might lead to internalized anger of the individual. This anger may build up over time and eventually be vented through violent behaviour. One doesn't need to be a social scientist to make the observation that we as a society have become...
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