Causes and prevention of targeted school violence

¶ … School Shootings

Violence in schools is a complex problem whose causes are difficult to pinpoint. Statistics gathered on school violence do not follow the norms of society as a whole. A National Crime Victimization Survey compiled and maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice, shows that overall crime rates in U.S. society have fallen. Simultaneously, school-based studies reveal that many violent behaviors have increased among children and adolescents ("Causes of School Violence").

Public schools reporting violent incidents increased from 71 to 81% over a recent five-year period according to a joint study by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice. Furthermore, that same study found that the percentage of students who reported gang presence at school increased from 21% to 24%. Although no direct connection between gang activity and school violence has been established gang activity in neighborhoods and schools often coincides with increased violence reports.

One of the most extreme cases of school violence is on campus shootings. School shootings are not a simple issue with a single solution. This type of violence is rooted in psychological imbalances within the students themselves, poor parenting and decay in the perception of the significance of traditional institutions along with the power they rely on for effect social compliance and control (Freydis).

Characteristics and Behaviors of Students who become Attackers

There is no accurate or useful profile of students who engage in targeted school violence, too many innocent students will fit any profile you can come up with, and too many attackers will not. Bill Dedman reports the demographic, personality, school history, and social characteristics of the attackers varies substantially, attackers are of all races and family situations, with academic achievement ranging from failing to excellent. Most, but not all, have been male, though that fact alone doesn't help an adult rule in or out someone as dangerous. Rarely are incidents of school violence sudden, impulsive acts. Attackers do not "just snap," but progress from forming an idea, to planning an attack, to gathering weapons. This process can happen quickly, but sometimes the planning or gathering weapons are discoverable. Although there is no type of student who is likely to commit such violence, there are types of behaviors that are common to planning or carrying out attacks. This pattern can be used to intervene before an attack. Before most of the attacks, someone else knew about the idea or the plan. In most cases, those who knew were other kids, friends, schoolmates, siblings and so forth. Nevertheless, this information rarely made its way to an adult. Most attackers engaged in some behavior prior to the incident that caused concern or indicated a need for help. Too much emphasis is placed on threats. Most attackers did not threaten anyone explicitly, and most people who threaten don not ever attack anyone. However, less explicit words can reveal an intention, a child who talks of bringing a gun to school, or being angry at teachers or classmates, can pose a threat, whether or not an explicit threat is made. Many of the students who have perpetuated these behaviors were considered in the mainstream of the student population and were active in sports, school clubs or other activities.

A study by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education of case files and other primary sources for 37 attacks by current or former students found only about one-quarter of these students hung out with a group of students considered to be part of a fringe group. Only one-third of the attackers had ever been seen by a mental health professional, and only one-fifth had been diagnosed with a mental disorder. Substance abuse problems were also not prevalent. However, most attackers showed some history of suicidal attempts or thoughts, or a history of feeling extreme depression or desperation. Most attackers had difficulty coping with significant losses or personal failures. Despite prompt law enforcement responses, most shooting incidents were over well before a SWAT team could have arrived. Metal detectors have not deterred students who were committed to killing themselves and others. Most attackers had access to weapons, and had used them prior to the attack. Most of the attackers acquired their guns from home. Many attackers felt bullied, persecuted or injured by others prior to the attack, and said they had tried without success to get someone to intervene. Administrators and teachers were targeted in more than half the incidents. Finally, school shootings are extremely rare. Even including the more common violence that is gang-related or dispute-related, only 12 to 20 homicides a year occur in the 100,000 schools in the United States.

Effects of School Violence

It is typical of school violence to mainly affect those who are victimized by bullying classmates. The depression that breeds anger and hostility leading to violent tendencies in school bullies can, in turn, lead to victimized students becoming depressed and disinterested in school activities and academia altogether. Witnessing violence also leads to students becoming less inclined to study for tests, and they may fail classes as a result. As students begin to feel uncomfortable at school due to violence, they may avoid class or drop out of school completely just to escape the negativity.

When victimized students are consistently targeted by bullies, the resulting depression and low self-esteem can lead to tragedy. These students may turn to thoughts of suicide if they do not feel they can discuss their feelings with family members or counselors due to shame or fear. They may also decide to take their anger out on the bullying classmates in further displays of school violence. There are no hard and fast solutions to the problem of school violence. School staff and parents need to be aware of the behaviors and characteristics that may indicate a problem and be ready to respond when these behaviors first begin to manifest themselves.