In-School Violence Outbreaks
November 24, 2009
One of the more disturbing trends in today’s society is the rise in school violence. Incidents such as Columbine and the Virginia Tech shooting have hindered the reputation of school as a sanctuary for learning. In nearby schools, Waubonsie Valley and Naperville Central have both been on lockdown in the past year for separate things.
Just in the past month a girl in California, who was attending a homecoming dance, was sexually assaulted for two hours while twenty or more bystanders looked on in awe. Police have confirmed that some of the bystanders even participated in the mass assault. These are kids who are still considered minors and aren’t even allowed to go to jail.
The whole country seems to be fixated on things such as the economy and the war on terror while school violence is merely slipped under the rug to hopefully solve itself. Is it bad parenting or is it excessive television watching. Is it because of drugs and alcohol or does it stem from sheer boredom.
In the past seven years, 116 students have been killed in 109 separate incidents at school – an average of 16.5 student homicides each year. And if that doesn’t raise eyebrows, school violence has been steadily increasing for the past decade. The teen aura is attached to its cell phones, iPods, and facebook accounts, yet they are also consumed by violence. As much of a problem that school violence is, there seems to be no attempt in trying to stop it.
Yes, police are called in to schools for various reasons, yet there is only so much that they can do. They might arrest someone dealing drugs or break up a fight, but in reality, they can’t solve the problem that has affected the entire nation. Even in middle schools there have been reported crude acts and violence. The teenage revolution has taken a drastic turn from sneaking out at midnight to attacking a fellow classmate.
Schools have tried to solve this problem by hiring policemen to work at schools, yet they can’t avoid the inevitable. One or several policeman isn’t enough to protect thousands of students’ well being. As long as no stand is taken, school violence will continue to expand at a rapid rate.
John Bauernfeind, Staff Writer
