School Safety
School SafetyBy: Andrea
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In recent years, tragedies have been visited upon schools across the country. From Kentucky to Oregon to Colorado, the notion of schools as safe havens has been shattered by the sound of gunfire. These acts are not limited to any geographic regions or family backgrounds, nor do they have a single catalyst. Those who have committed such heinous acts have done so for different reasons, at different times, in different schools. But these acts of school violence have at least one thing in common- they have spurred all of us to take a look at what can be done to better protect children and teachers at school. Protecting our children is not simply a matter of public policy. It is a matter of strengthening basic values, of teaching children right from wrong, of instilling in them respect for others. We each have a responsibility to work to end youth violence and to keep schools safe for children and for those who teach them. Youth violence in many schools has reached universal proportions. It is not only happening in our high schools, it has also made its way into our elementary and middle schools. Everyone seems to have a different perspective on why there is such a problem with school safety. Some say it is the parents� fault, some say it is the media, and others blame the schools. Yet, the question still remains. What can be done to make schools safer for the children and staff? One thing we need to do is learn to listen to our children and observe their behavior. According to Dr. Ronald D. Stephens, Executive Director of the National School Safety Center, there are some common characteristics among youth who have caused school- associated violent deaths. Accounts of these tragic incidents repeatedly indicate that in most cases, a troubled youth has demonstrated or has talked about problems with bullying and feelings of isolation, anger, depression, and frustration. Some of the characteristics that Dr. Stephens provides on his checklist are: history of tantrums and uncontrollable outbursts, habitually makes violent threats when angry, has a background of serious disciplinary problems at school and in the community, is on the fringe of his/her peer group with few or no close friends, is preoccupied with weapons, displays cruelty to animals, and the list goes on. These characteristics should serve to alert school administrators, teachers, and parents that something is wrong. For as long as we can remember there have been crimes at school, whether they were stealing or starting fights in the cafeteria. What is especially frightening these days is the increased availability of weapons, guns in particular. The fact that more and more weapons are showing up in schools underscores how readily accessible they are. In 1996, 5 percent of all 12th graders reported that they had been injured on purpose with a weapon such as...
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