Many parents know that from their child’s first day of school, his or her safety is out of their hands. They disappear into a world of mysterious cliques and rivalries, of grievances rendered in the primary colors of adolescent emotions and animated by comic book fantasies.(Adler 36) Parents try to become familiar with their children’s friends, but are not sure how to keep track of his or her enemies as well. This impotence causes major concern. Even though school related killings have statistically dropped over the past five years, there have been half-a-dozen significant school-shooting incidents in the last sixteen months. (Cloud 38) Sociologists are trying to determine why this frightening rash of school shootings now seems to be a U.S. phenomenon, and how following basic procedures, such as: forming school policies and operations directed at curbing violence, determining early warning signs of distressed students, and discussing safety precautions when danger in evident in school societies, can prevent more of these violent encounters from occurring.
Although most are safe, the violence in neighborhoods and communities has somehow found its way inside the schools. If it is understood what leads to violence, and the types of support shown effective in preventing it, schools can be made safer.(Mulrine 24) Sociological research teams can help school communities, administrators, teachers, families, students, support staff, and community members recognize warning signs early, so children can get needed help before it is too late. (Rosenberg 34) Well-functioning schools foster learning, safety, and socially appropriate behavior. They have a strong academic focus and support students in achieving high standards.
In effective schools, most prevention programs address multiple factors and recognize that safety and order are related to children’s social, emotional, and academic development. (Drummond 29) Effective prevention strategies operate best in school communities that focus on academic achievement, involve families in meaningful ways, develop links to the community, emphasize positive student-staff relationships, and discuss safety issues openly. Treating students with equal respect by creating ways for them to share their concerns and feelings, which may include abuse or neglect, as well as identifying and assessing progress toward solutions, can also be helpful. Sociological research shows that school communities can do a great deal to prevent violence. Having in place a safe, responsive foundation helps all children and it enables school communities to provide more efficient, effective services to students who need more support. (Easterbrook 54)
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The next step is to learn the early warning signs of troubled children so that sufficient interventions can be provided. According to sociological studies there are early warning signs in most cases of violence to self and others. Although teachers, administrators, and other staff are not professionally trained to analyze children, they are on the front line in observing troublesome behavior, making referrals to appropriate professionals, and responding to diagnostic information. (Marcus 26) Thus, effective schools train the entire school community to understand and identify early warning signs. When staff seek help for a troubled child, when friends report worries about a peer or friend, when parents raise concerns about their child’s thoughts or habits, children can get the help they need. By actively sharing information, a school community can provide quick, effectual responses.(Rosenberg 34)
Sociologists say that educators and families can increase their ability to recognize early warning signs by establishing close, caring, supportive relationships with children getting to know their needs, feelings, attitudes, and behavior patterns. (Mulrine 24) Together, educators and parents can review school records for negative patterns or sudden changes in behavior. According to sociologists, some other typical early warning signs of possible destructive behavior can be social withdrawal, excessive feelings of isolation and rejections, being a victim of violence, being picked on, loss of interest in school, uncontrolled anger, prejudicial attitudes, gang affiliation, and serious threats of violence. No single warning sign can predict a dangerous act will occur. (Lantieri 79)
Rather, imminent warning signs usually are presented as a sequence of overt, serious, hostile behaviors or threats directed at peers, staff, or other individuals. These signals are usually visible to people in the child’s school community as well as his or her family. When warning signs indicator danger is threatening, safety must always be the first and foremost consideration. Action must be taken immediately. Intervention by school authorities and possibly law enforcement officers is needed without delay when a student has presented a detailed plan to harm or kill others, especially if the child has a history of violence or aggression, is carrying a weapon, and has threatened to use it. (Devine 109)
After recent fatal shootings in some schools across the country, educators have been taking drastic actions to increase student safety. Schools have been installing spiked fences, metal detectors, and emergency alert systems. They are also employing security guards, searching student property, and training teachers how to tackle violent situations. According to sociologists, however, surrounding young people with the elements of a police state may merely fuel their fascination with guns and increase their resistance to authority. (Adler 38) This is why educators working with sociological teams have turned to the previously discussed alternatives. Security and added law enforcement play a role, (Marcus 26) but metal detectors alone cannot guarantee safety. Schools need to look closer for the troubled, mislead, undisciplined students and guide them through their hard times. Sociologists believe this will help the problem of violence in schools. (Easterbrook 53) Even the best programs will overlook some mislead students, but most schools are at least looking harder. An environment needs to be created that will promote pro-social ways of dealing with this conflict. All jocks and nerds, teachers and parents, even the misunderstood Goths themselves, are in this together. (Marcus 26)
