Violence in public schools

School Violence

Violence in schools has been a subject at the center of debate for several years. School violence is a problem throughout the world, but in recent years a great deal of attention has been given to violence in American schools (Austin, 2003; Smith, 2003). The purpose of this discussion is to examine school violence as it relates to the causes and prevention measures. The research will explore the impact of social hierarchy, bullying, and mental illness on school violence. In addition the research will discuss social isolation and the ways in which school violence can be prevented. Let us begin our discussion by explain school violence and why it has become an issue of serious concern in recent years.

School Violence

According to Austin (2003) school violence presents a serious safety concern for students and staff alike. The school shootings that took place in Paducah, Kentucky, Columbine, Colorado and Blacksburg, Virginia killed and maimed several students. Over the years school violence has claimed many lives and left many unanswered questions (Fishbaugh et al. 2003).

According to Bon et al. (2006)

Violence in schools is a matter of international concern, and while the United States does not have the highest levels of school violence among countries, recent studies show that there are many kinds of violence (e.g., physical assault, sexual assault, death threats) that students and teachers deal with in schools (Akiba, LeTendre, Baker, & Goesling, 2002)."

The violence occurring in schools has left many students and staff with psychological and emotional scars that may take a lifetime to heal. As a result of these shootings and other shootings within the United States and the world, there have been several efforts geared towards understanding why school violence exist and how to reduce or eliminate the likelihood that it will occur.

Although discussions concerning violence in schools often concentrate on school shootings, school violence also refers to several other types of actions. These actions are inclusive of pushing and shoving, littering, theft, tardiness, breaking rules, foul language, and disruptiveness (Moeller, 2001). Each of these actions is viewed as types of school violence. In fact in some cases they serve as clear warning signs that a student may eventually act in a manner that is more aggressive (Moeller, 2001).

There are several theories as to why school violence has become so prevalent. For the most part it is evident that many perpetrators of school violence have been victims of bullying by their peers. It is also clear in some cases that perpetrators suffered from mental illness. The next section of this discussion will focus on the impact social hierarchy, bullying and mental illness on school violence.

The impact of social hierarchy, bullying and mental illness on school violence

In the case of Columbine High School, the two gunmen (Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold) may have been bullied and seen as outcasts by other students at the school. In addition, after the shooting occurred, a great deal of information concerning the schools social hierarchy was uncovered. Social hierarchy is defined as According to Moffatt (2000) one of the major issues in the Columbine shootings was social hierarchy. The author explains that most of students that attended the school were well to do and came from identical or nearly identical socioeconomic backgrounds. However, at Columbine High School and many high schools throughout the nation the social hierarchy was not based on socioeconomic status. In the case of Columbine it appears the social hierarchy placed student athletes and the athletic program at the top of the social order at the school (Moffatt 2000).

This social hierarchy was made evident through the manner in which parents, teachers and school administrators favored student athletes by presenting them with special privileges that other students did not have (Moffatt 2000). In the months following the shootings students and people in the community revealed some of the privileges and special treatment shown towards the athletes or jocks at the school. According to these accounts one athlete was reportedly allowed to park his $100,000 Hummer all day in a fifteen-minute parking space. Other athletes were accused of bullying and sexually harassing students and were allegedly left undisciplined or minimally disciplined. In one case, a female student pressed charges against an athlete for sexual harassment, and an administrator from Columbine tried to talk the mother out of the charges because it would "ruin [the athlete's] possibilities of playing on the football team (Moffatt, 2000, 139)."

In addition some students reported that teachers and school administrators showed biased toward athletes while being harsh with students that were not athletes (Moffatt 2000). Teachers were particularly harsh toward members of Harris and Klebold's group, known as the trench coat mafia.

The disdain that some students had for athletes was evident throughout the school with graffiti that stated "Columbine will explode one day. Kill all athletes. All jocks must die (Moffatt, 2000, 139)."

The author also points out that both students and parents were aware of the bias towards athletes. In addition, parents and students reported that physical and sexual abuse, and racial discrimination were permitted to go on without any consequences as it related to student athletes (Moffatt 2000). In fact there were reported attacks against Jewish students including physical and verbal harassment. The student athlete responsible for the offense was not punished by school administrators.

Ultimately the parents of the Jewish student reported the athlete to the school board and police became involved in the situation and the student was charge with harassment and given probation. However the student athlete was still permitted to play football. Even individuals outside of the school were aware of the biased treatment of student athletes and warned the Board of Commissioners that violence amongst students was increasing in the Columbine area and needed to be addressed (Moffatt 2000). However, the school did not take this warning seriously and the shooting at Columbine occurred soon after the warnings were issued.

In the case of Columbine the author explains that the perpetrators were viewed as undesirables because they were not student athletes. It is believed that overtime Klebold and Harris began to despise the favoritism shown to athletes by school administrators and teachers (Moffatt 2000). The author points out that the athletes bullied Klebold and Harris and other students that befriended Klebold and Harris. This type of bullying led to a formation of a group that was referred to by athletes as the trench coat mafia. The trench coat mafia preferred dark gothic clothing and often wore trench coats. On the other hand the athletes often wore white clothing and sportswear. Ultimately the trench coat mafia became the polar opposite of the jocks in both physical dress and in terms of the social hierarchy at the school. The author asserts that "Living at the bottom of the social hierarchy did not cause Klebold and Harris to commit their atrocities, but it probably acted as a catalyst for their rage as well as providing confirmation that they would always be outsiders (Moffatt, 2000,140)."

With all this being understood, it is interesting to note that many of their victims were not the individuals that were jocks. It seems the gunmen were indiscriminate concerning the students that they killed or injured. The anger that these gunmen felt was directed towards students that never teased or taunted the gunmen for being outsiders. It may be safe to assume that the gunmen may have been angry at the entire situation and as such this anger was taken out on everyone at the school. It is also evident that the conflicts that can occur as a result of social hierarchy is real and can be dangerous if it is not properly addressed.

In other school shooting cases bullying of the perpetrator by other students have brought provocation. Such was the case in Minnesota, when 16-year-old gunman Jeff Weis killed seven people and himself at a school on Red Lake Indian reservation. This young man had a difficult upbringing living in poverty, having a father that committed suicide and a mother that was disabled.

In addition, after the shooting occurred, classmates described the young man as a loner who was repeatedly bullied by classmates. Indeed, the theme of bullying is often present when school violence occurs. After a couple of shootings in the 1990's, particularly columbine, school administrators and law enforcement agencies began to take a closer look at bullying in schools.

According to a book entitled Handbook of Pediatric Psychology in School Settings children who have been exposed to long-term events such as bullying can develop very intractable problems that place them at further risk for later adolescent and adult pathology (Brown, 2004 pg55)." This is an indication that bullying can have long lasting affects on children and young adults and in some cases it results in aggression. In the cases mentioned above bullying was a factor but it does not appear to be the only factor. It was also reported that the Columbine killers and Jeff Weis studied neo-Nazi literature and were exposed to other violent imagery through video games and movies. It appears that the combination of bullying, treatment as an outcast and a propensity or obsession with violent images resulted in school violence.

In addition to such factors and social hierarchy and bullying, mental illness is often one of the issues that perpetrators suffer with. In the most recent and severe case of school violence, the Virginia Tech Shootings, it appears that the gunman (Seung-Hui Cho) suffered from mental illness and it has also been reported that he was bullied prior to entering college (Jenson 2007). There were many warning signs that this particular student was troubled and there were even efforts to get him help.

Since the Tech shooting it has been revealed that students and professors alike believed that the gunmen was disturbed and could commit a violent act on campus. These concerns led one professor to remove Cho from her class because he disturbed the other students and they feared that he would become violent. The shooter was even given a mental health evaluation and others at the school and in the neighboring community attempted to help this young man. However, there attempts proved to be futile when he opened fire in two buildings on the Virginia tech campus killing 32 students and staff (Jenson 2007).

Since the shooting there has been a great deal of debate concerning the type of mental illness he was dealing with and for how long. It was reported that Cho had suffered with mental illness for many years and that his parents tried desperately to get help for their son (Jenson 2007). It is apparent that their attempts and the attempts of school administrators and outside mental health professionals failed miserably. According to Jenson (2007)

Profiles of the perpetrators of school shootings in the past decade reveal that many shooters experienced mental health problems before their decisions to engage in violence (Vossekuil, Fein, Reddy, Borum, & Modzeleski, 2002). In many cases...the perpetrators had been isolated socially from their peers and had been the recipients of bullying and teasing from other students. Other shooters had been diagnosed with mental health problems such as depression and anxiety that went untreated. Mr. Cho was referred for counseling several times at Virginia Tech following his submission of violence-laced poetry and short stories in English classes. Images in his writings included frequent references to hate and death. Unfortunately, his participation in counseling and therapy was sporadic, and no requirements were available to force Mr. Cho to continue his therapy (Jenson 2007)."

The research provided is evidence that social hierarchies, bullying, and mental illness have all contributed to incidences of school violence. Therefore the manners in which these issues are addressed are vitally important to insuring school safety at every level.

Social Isolation

It is apparent through the evidence presented that social hierarchies, bullying, and mental illness can all create social isolation, which appears to be a major factor in the development of violence in schools. In each of the instances above the students that become perpetrators were socially isolated from their peers. In each of these instances there were events that occurred that were either ignored completely or not taken seriously enough.

According to Hallende et al. (2007) both children and adolescents that have intimate and supportive friendships benefit greatly and are more likely to experience increased levels of peer acceptance, social know-how, increased amounts of motivation and school involvement, and decreased levels of behavioral problems. In addition the author report that the level of peer friendships during childhood and adolescence is a significant indicator of future psychological health (Hallende et al. 2007).

The authors also point out the necessity of close friendships during adolescence. The authors explain that as teenagers find the way through their social world, strong peer relationships provide several protective benefits (Hallende et al. 2007). For instance,

Adolescents formulate group alliances to provide psychological support and a sense of belonging. An increased need emerges for social support and emotional connections with the peer group. They desire confidants with whom to talk about their peers, personal lives, and challenges. The deeper qualities of friendship such as similarities in personality and emotional intimacy become essential components of adolescent relationships (Hallende et al. 2007, pg 265).

The authors also point out that adolescents that are socially isolated tend to be more vulnerable than most other age groups. This is consistent with the prevalence of school violence in middle schools, high schools and even college campuses. According to the authors suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts are most prevalent during adolescence. In fact past research has asserted that suicidal behavior is linked to low levels of friendship and support (Prinstein, Boergers, Spirito, Little, & Grapentine, 2000). Additionally Adolescents who experience the support of school staff, family, or peers tend to have better coping skills and are more optimistic concerning the future.

On the other hand, adolescents who lack support and feel socially isolated may inflict harm upon themselves through self-mutilating behaviors including suicide (Hallende et al. 2007).

The social isolation that these individual perpetrators experienced led them to be labeled as outcast. As such they were stifled in both their ability and desire to make friends and become members of the social group. Social isolation can lead to depression in addition to suicidal and homicidal thoughts. Human beings are social creatures and social isolation can lead to dangerous behaviors that are likely to affect the individual that is suffering from social isolation and the people around the individual.

Prevention of School Violence

In recent years there has been a concerted effort to prevent school violence from occurring. Prevention measures have included zero tolerance policies for bullying and weapons. In addition school districts throughout the country have trained teachers and administrators as it relates to identifying early warning signs and dealing with these signals when they occur (Bender et al., 2001).

Most experts agree that paying attention to early warnings is critical to decreasing the amount of school violence that occurs (Bender et al., 2001, Daniels, 2002). Following violence at several schools in the United States researchers and educators alike inquired of the schools as it related to the signs that were ignored or not taken seriously enough. In many cases, teachers, parents and students alike did not understand the impact that bullying was having on the perpetrator (Burstyn et al., 2001). In light of several shootings educators, parents and students alike have a better understanding of the impact that bullying has on some children. While it is true that most kids that are bullied do not end up harming themselves or anyone else, almost all of the students that have been the perpetrators of school violence were bullied.