School Violence: A Community Challenge

Every eight seconds an assault takes place in school, every day 200,000 students bring guns to school, and 15 percent of all reported crimes in the United States occur in schools. The epidemic of violence in American schools has created a national crisis which, for the young people involved, lasts long after the carnage stops. In Jonesboro, Arkansas and Springfield, Oregon; in Paducah, Kentucky and Littleton, Colorado, thousands of students are suffering the debilitating aftereffects of their violent experiences: intense fear, flashbacks, nightmares, withdrawal, listlessness, preoccupation with the disaster, and academic regression are some of the trauma reactions these students experience.

My heart aches for these young people who have learned all too soon that life can be horrifying and whose lives have been forever altered by violence. I also feel concerned for the students in our community, because all have been affected by the violence. A recent poll of 1195 American students found that only 40 percent claimed to feel safe at school. Emotional responses from all of us range from denial that any such violence could happen to a pervasive fear that it will. Denial of the possibility may provide a sense of security, but we have learned all too well that urban or rural, wealthy or poor, no demographic or socioeconomic factors have provided immunity from violence in American schools. And fear is only as constructive as the plans of action it inspires. Somewhere in the middle, between denial and terror, we can find a place of healthy acknowledgment, watchfulness, and action for positive change.
    What can we do to make our schools safer? Nothing will eliminate all possibility of violence in our schools, but many steps can be taken to provide emotionally and physically safer school environments. In April I attended the Ohio State Board of Education's School Violence Symposium. The following are the six measures most strongly recommended by state and national experts:
  •  Systematic, long-term violence prevention programs. Prevention curricula that teach conflict resolution, social competency, and life skill foster respect, self-esteem and alternatives to high-risk behaviors.
  • Collaboration between county schools and law enforcement agencies to develop crisis response plans that feature uniformity in reporting and response policies. Some Washington County law enforcement agencies have expressed frustration in the way county schools widely vary in what they report and how they expect law enforcement to respond. Countywide uniformity allows everyone to be on the "same page."
  • An anonymous mechanism for reporting school safety concerns. This is a growing trend in American schools. Schools can subscribe to national hotline services or develop local ones, using 911 as the access point.
    • Adult mentorship programs or others that provide support and role models to youth. In most cases, children who exhibit aggressive behavior early in life will, without effective intervention, continue a progressive pattern toward more severe aggression or violence. However, research also shows that the potential for violence is most significantly reduced when these children have a positive, meaningful connection to an adult.
    • School safety audits. Professional security assessment services and/or law enforcement officials conduct an evaluation of the level of school safety and security and make recommendations for changes.

    Our community has much work to do to create safer schools and some of that work
    has already begun. In brief:

    • The School Violence Task Force - meets the first Wednesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. Call 374-6990 for more information. Has worked with the Washington County Educational Service Center and the Washington County Sheriff's Department to hold a work day for schools and law enforcement to develop or refine their crisis response plans. The Washington County Sheriff's Department has also conducted security assessments in many county schools. Marietta City Schools has subscribed to a safe schools hotline and the Task Force is working to develop a similar hotline for all county schools, pending completion of the 911 system.
    • Parents and Community Together (P.A.C.T.) - is a recently formed group dedicated to exploring ways in which community and parents can promote safer schools. The community is invited to attend the group's first public meeting on June 8th at 7:00 p.m. at Gilman United Methodist Church, 312 Gilman Avenue, Marietta.

    Back / Home