Deadliest School Shootings

Recall two of the deadliest school shootings in the United State history involved horrific tragic deaths. The first happened in 2007, at Virginia Tech in Virginia. Seung Cho, a twenty three year old young man, shot and killed a total of thirty two students and teachers before he killed himself (History.com, 2011). The second, and latest deadliest school shooting of December, 2012, occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. Gunman, Adam Lanza, was a young man at the age of twenty. First he killed his own mother at home, drove to the school where she taught, shot and killed innocent children and staff, before turning the gun on himself. The total death poll was twenty eight, including the shooter himself (Fahrenthold, Horwitz, Vogel, 2012).
What went wrong here? What can America do prevent such tragedies? Violence on school campus has raised concern on the best solutions to protect schools from gun violence. Many believe an increase in security at schools may help, such as Executive Vice President, Wayne LaPierre. He wrote, “About a third of our schools have armed security already – because it works (LaPierre, 2013, p. 501). Although this may be a possible solution, the root of the problem may begin with mental health issues. Both Cho and Lanza were said have been mentally disturbed individuals. A problem relating to school violence may stems from mental health issues; therefore, parents should focus more on mental health treatment among children to reduce violence.
Responsibility
Violence in schools have been going on for centuries according to a time line indicating a summary of school violence dating back to the 1900’s (Kammcc, 2017). Surely there has been in dramatic increase in the twentieth century. The growth may be a result from a shift in parental responsibility. In an article on the difference in parenting styles, Morman writes, “In years past, parents were more concerned with raising non-self-centered, obedient children – whereas today, there’s a stronger emphasis on building a child’s autonomy, self-esteem and individuality (Morman, 2015). Parents should take responsible for the behavior of their children. When a child becomes overly disobedient, it may be related to mental issues. It may be time to seek professional help. Today’s wrongdoing are much more troubled.
It involves children who abuse drugs and use verbal and physical violence upon others. When children behave this way, it may begin from the environments they are exposed to. According to The United States Department of Justice Archives, “Children exposed to violence are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol; suffer from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic disorders; fail or have difficulty in school; and become delinquent and engage in criminal behavior” (U.S. Department of Justice, 2017). With this in mind, it is important for parents to provide a non-violent environment for their children. Moreover, parents have legal responsibilities for the well-being of their child until the age of eighteen. Attorney, Kristina Otterstrom confirms this by writing, “A parent must serve a child’s emotional and physical needs and protect the child from abuse from the other parent or another household member (Otterstrom, 2017). In the event a child is abusing drugs, parents should take the responsibility to talk, listen, and help their child make better
choices.
Morality
Moral influence should not only begin at home but should also be encouraged at schools. Why is it important for children to have morals? It is important because values such as integrity, trust, honesty and taking responsibility are life-long lessons. According to Clay Tucker-Ladd, Phd, he shares why we need values and morals, writing, “they could guide your life minute by minute towards noble goals, rather than your life being controlled by self-serving motives, customs, accidental occurrences, bad habits, impulses, or emotions. It is important for every child to establish morals and values to guide them on the right path. Establishing these habits may reduce mental issues leading to violence.
It is also important to realize many kids grow up in broken homes, not having the opportunities to learn basic morals. According to Fagan, some of the root causes of crime involve children living in single-parent homes and children rejected at an early age. On the contrary, neighborhoods with religious practices and children from stable homes have lower crime (Fagan, 1995). Are these under privileged, emotionally disturbed kids, screaming out for attention? Parents and schools are doing less to help, rather, label these kids as “bullies”. According to Susan Porter, she writes, “We must admit that our approach to childhood aggression is flawed. Our children are not worse than they used to be, nor are they less resilient” (Porter, 2013). Children may be likely to be more aggressive when they lack the moral values needed to behavior around others. Parents should evaluate their moral values and make the effort to teach their children right from wrong.
Taking a Chance Parents should take a chance to seek help for their children at the sign of mentally disturbed behaviors. No parent wants to admit their child is emotionally disturbed; however, recognizing the problem and seeking professional help may be a resolution to violence. According to King, signs of an emotionally disturbed child involve depression, aggressive behavior, changes in appetite, having low test scores, loss of energy and interest in activities (King, 2017). A child possessing such behaviors stand out and should not be avoided. Parents and school officials should observe for early detection and seeking treatment before it is too late. Robert Ross approves of this and writes, “Early detection and treatment is the key. We need to reach troubled children when problems first emerge, while there’s still time to guide them back on tract” (Ross, 2013, p. 507). Children are the future. Parents and teachers should take the necessary risks to prepare our youth to become strong leaders. For this reason, if concerns about mental, behavioral or emotional symptoms arise, it is imperative to seeks professional help. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “Talk to your child's doctor or health care provider. Ask questions and learn everything you can about the behavior or symptoms that worry you. If your child is in school ask the teacher if your child has been showing worrisome changes in behavior. Share this with your child's doctor or health care provider” (National Institute of Mental Health, 2017). Various treatment options are available once a child is diagnosed.
Change
America may expect to see more changes with gun laws as a result of numerous school violence happening recently in the country. Effective January 1, 2017, a new firearm legislation went into effect, requiring gun owners of assault weapon to electronically register these guns, and have a fixed magazine (State of California Department of Justice, 2017). Will these gun laws help reduce crime and violence in schools? It most certainly can; however, mental health treatment should be at the forefront to end violence in schools. In an article on mental health and gun violence, Jaslow writes, “Mental health care spending has been dramatically cut in recent years. A 2011 report from the National Alliance on Mental Health that looked at state-by-state mental health budgets reported $1.6 billion in state funding cuts from 2009 through 2012 (Jaslow, 2013). Executive action needs to take place and parents should advocate for change. More and more states are allowing teachers to carry guns on school campus for protection.
According to Florida, Nine states—Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Kansas, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Texas (starting in 2016)—allow for campus carry (Florida, 2015). Will this help resolve gun violence in schools or will it cause problems? Only time will tell if teachers will be able to reduce violence in school with a loaded gun in their desk. The fear is the possibility of a teacher’s gun, in the hands of an individual with mental issues. There is no real solution until parents and schools focus on the underlying cause of violence, and that is mental
illness.
Conclusion
Many lives were lost and many more lives continue to be affected from the shootings that happened at Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook Elementary School. Both of these incidences could have been prevented if parents and school authorities took the necessary steps to properly treat both mentally disturbed young men. Cho and Lanza were victims too. Victims of a dark place in their minds and souls. Victims of neglect and public ridicules. Their cries and uncontrolled behaviors did not bring justice; therefore, their message became loud and horrifically clear. There is a message behind school violence, and mental illness should be at the forefront of this problem.