Problems With Violence In Schools example essay topic

On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold entered Columbine High School in Littleton Colorado, firing sawed-off shotguns and tossing homemade pipe bombs at their fellow students. Twelve classmates and one teacher were killed and twenty-three students were wounded before Harris and Klebold turned their guns on themselves. (Grapes 9) This was soon to be remembered as the biggest high school shooting in America. Columbine is among many schools with violence problems. These problems concerning violence in schools are caused from a number of problems within schools such as gangs, social factors, psychiatric drugs and even the influence of the media. Although violence is committed everyday in schools certain measures can be taken to prevent the violence from prevailing.

One of the largest problems with violence in schools is gangs. Gangs in schools have potential to do more damage than imaginable. They are recognizable by their clothing. Gangs are sometimes recognized by the colors that they wear such as red, blue and black. In the famous Columbine shooting the gang named the Trench Coat Mafia was distinguished by their black trench coats and their gothic appearance. Appearance is important since different gangs have different images.

Appearance is important and that is why president Clinton has worked with school districts such as long beach located in California to support school uniforms as a method for reducing teen violence. There are two ways that school uniforms can reduce violence in schools. One is that students will be better able to avoid the kind of trouble caused by showing gangs colors and styles (weather on purpose or accidentally) when they pass through gangs territories on the way to and from school. (Goodwin 97) The other wa is that uniforms allow for easy and immediate identification of outsiders (like older gang members who do not belong on campus) (Goodwin 98). Another problem with with violence in schools is Psychiatric drugs.

According to a study done by president Clinton after the Columbine shooting, six million children in the us between the ages of six and eight-teen are on mind altering drugs prescribed for mental illness (Grapes 91). The most popular of these types of psychiatric drugs are Ritalin, Luvox and Prozac. At the time of the Columbine shooting Eric Harris eight-teen had been under the influence of Luvox along with and antidepressant to control obsessive-compulsive disorder. Oddly enough four days prior to that shooting Shawn Cooper, a fifth-teen year old sophomore at Not rus Junior High in Idaho was taking Rit ilan for a bipolar disorder when opening two shotgun rounds nearly killings students and staff. Within the past year five other school shootings have been caused due to psychiatric and prescription drugs. There is little evidence to support a scientific basis for classifying ADHD as a mental illness.

On the Other hand, there is an abundance of evidence that stimulants such as Ritalin can produce symptoms such as mania, insomnia, hallucinations, hyperactivity, impulsively and inattention. And the DEA's list of potentially adverse effects of Ritalin includes psychosis, depression, dizziness, insomnia, nervousness, irritability and attacks of tourette's or other tic syndromes. While Ritalin is the drug of choice for treating ADHD, other mental illnesses such as depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. (Grapes 55) A horrible moment happened at the time of this famous Columbine shooting American life was questioned on such issues as schools, parenting, guns and the entertainment industry. Most Americans already know that too many of movies, television shows, music songs, and video games are filled with trash: grisly murder sciences, dismemberment and disembowelment, nonstop profanity, rape and torture scenarios. The revenant questions are: Does it really matter and if it does how much and what can we do about it (Grapes 60) Almost know one can deny the truth which is that children today are being influenced by the media.

As of right now there are a small percentage of movies, music, television, and Internet usage that can control what children are aloud to see or hear. Unfortunately for most kids their situation is not so great they are being exposed to this type of violence everyday. More research should be done on this topic that is why parents should be extremely careful in monitoring what their children are being exposed to. By now, it's over. If you are reading this, my mission is complete... Your children who have ridiculed me, who have chosen not to accept me, who have treated me like I am not worth their time are dead.

They are F cking dead... Surely you will try not to blame it on the clothes I wear, the music I listen to, or the way I choose to present myself, but no. Do not hide behind my choices. You need to face the fact that this comes as a result of your choices. Parents and teachers, you f c ked up.

You have taught these kids not to accept what is different. You are in the wrong. I have taken their lives and my own- but it was your donning. Teachers, Parents let this massacre be on your shoulders until the day you die. - Eric Harris (Grapes 63) Above is a letter written by Eric Harris one of the two Columbine killers. Social factors are a big part of life in high school, and being an outsider is one of the hardest things to be in high school.

Hollywood is a perfect example of what creates this all the cheerleaders and football players are the "cool kids" who just happen to be better looking characters. High school is the same way. Some feel that they simply can not be excepted because of how they look while others feel just the opposite, they can't except others for the way that they look. For kids who feel that they are outcasts there are Groups such as the boys and Girls group who help teens feel more accepted. There are plenty of other groups that also help with this and can give these teens a sense of belonging. There are 192 million privately owned firearms in the United States and seven and half million guns being added to that list every year (Grapes 71).

In 1996, handguns were used to murder two people in New Zealand, fifth-teen in Japan, thirty in Great Britian 106 in Canada, 213 in Germany and 9,390 in the united states (Grapes 71). According to the centers for disease control more children are killed each year by handguns than all natural diseases combines (Grapes 71). Virtually every man, woman and child has access, day or night to combat weapons and hand guns. It is human nature to occasionally snap in chaotic ways such and the united states along with the untied industrial region allows it's population to have access to guns. The answer to all this is simple there needs to be tighter gun control laws and access to guns needs to be tougher. The United States needs to sit down with the leaders from countries such as New Zealand and Japan to talk about how they handle their gun control situations and figure out what needs to be done across seas.

There are many problems to violence in schools but there are also many solutions. One Solution is peer mediation. Peer Mediation is where students learn. to talk out their anger. Peer Mediation can also Help with social factors such as being an outsider.

Maybe If Eric Harris would have gone to peer mediation the acts that he committed would not have been done. Another Positive thought about peer mediation is that it may even help students from different gangs or even just social groups that they are all teens experiencing the same problems. The Boys and Girls Group is a group based primarily in urban areas helps different gangs who would normally be in rivalry fights and blood battles become friends and work together. Each new member is welcomed by an adult staff member who helps in making them feel more accepted. Although in some schools it is all right for the teachers to be armed this makes kid feel threatened in a positive way so that they know what their limits are and not to open fire in school.

And yet there is still one more solution. Designers and architects are trying to make school a more welcoming place. They want to lower to locker to waist level in some cases eliminate them completely so students can't hide behind them or use them as place to hide their guns. Some say that there should be glass walls so officials can see what is going on in the classrooms. And finally using lighter colors to soften the atmosphere with in the schools to make kids feel more relaxed. Preventing school violence is a tough task.

Schools need Zero Tolerance to establish firm rules and tough guidelines. Teachers and other administrators need to start early off by teaching kids reasoning with their problems. There are lots of problems with violence in schools such as easy access to guns, social issues, the media, Gangs and how psychiatric drugs can cause children to flip out and cause problems at school. On the flip side to each problem there is something positive that can be done to prevent or help eliminate it. Violence in schools is a problem and in needs time be fixed..