Articles of the Month

Teen Killings in Schools

Violence occurs whenever anyone harms ~ or threatens to harm ~ a person's body, feelings or possessions. Violence is a major problem in society and although they are safer then society, schools are also social institutions, which are affected by violence.

Incidents during the 2000-2001 school year totaled 7 586 (6.276 acts per 1 000 students). This is up from 7 229 incidents (5.980 acts per 1000 students) from the 1999-2000 school year. Each year school staff work harder to make a better environment for students to work in but there's a lot more to be done and they can't do it alone.

Safety has always been a primary goal for schools. In light of the events of September 11, people are especially concerned about safety and security issues, now more then ever.

What can people do though to prevent the acts of shootings by students at home as well as in school?

There are a few schools in the United States that have a program to ensure troubled kids have a "designated listener" available at all times. The teen can pick whom they feel comfortable with and trusts from the school from another student to the janitor or librarian. The teen talks to this person whenever they feel the need. Having someone you trust or feel comfortable around to listen to you and talk to you about your feelings or problems can help a great deal. The best protection against school violence is to be found in caring hands of teachers and responsible involved parents.

Marvel Creations is a great site with poems, a list of a typical teens behavior compared to a problematic teens behavior, some examples of school shootings, what parents responsibilities are, a mothers story and descriptions of other ways kids can die. Look at it and it'll really open up your eyes to a lot of things I never know before until I looked at it myself.