Violence in Schools

Describing the feelings that were felt by peoplewhen they turned on the news on April 20th, 1999 is difficult. Seeing the horrified expressions on the faces of Columbine High School students, teachers and parents is hard to forget. This day we experiencedthe deadliest high school shooting to date. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold arrived at their Colorado High school and killed 12 students, 1 teacher and wounded 23 others.

It’s difficult to understand senseless tragedies, and it’s even more difficult when children are the victims and the offenders. Parents want their children safe when they send them off to school and that’s a reasonable demand. Children shouldn’t have to worry about a classmate coming to school with a gun and shooting at them.

According to the Youth Violence Project’s National Statistics, violent crimes in school have decreased dramatically. However, they still happen and it still outrages our society when they do. We must look at what is being done to stop these types of events. Many steps have been made in the right direction, but it needs to continue. Many schools have installed metal detectors, put up fences around campus, require all students to wear an ID around their neck, added school resources officers, etc. Some of these may seem extreme in certain schools, but it is necessary when we remember the heartbreaking attack at Columbine High School.

Youth & Gangs

According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, juveniles who are involved with a gang are two to three times more likely to commit a delinquent act then you would expect when considering their representation in the population. They also state that juveniles in a gang are five times more likely to commit a violent crime then non-gang juveniles. It’s evident that gang involvement plays a large role in the likelihood that a juvenile will enter the criminal justice system.

Many children get involved with gangs in order to fill a void left by an absent family structure. Children need to have a sense of support and belonging and if it’s missing in the home, many look elsewhere. Gang members prey on the adolescents who are yearning for affection, self-esteem, and protection. If gangs can provide the type of ambiance the youth is seeking, then they are likely to do whatever it takes to please the gang leaders.

Common criminal acts that gang members engage in are murder, rape, robbery, intimidation, extortion, burglary, prostitution, drug trafficking, assault, drive-by shootings, etc. These aren’t just status offenses; these are serious crimes, many of which are violent. Juveniles involved in gang activity are not only putting themselves in physical danger, but they are much more likely to receive harsher punishments due to gang enhancements when being punished in the criminal justice system. Effort towards finding productive ways to keeping our youth out of gangs needs to remain a priority.

Click on this link to check out some of the anti-gang plans San Diego, San Jose, San Bernidino, and Santa Rosa have enacted:
http://safestate.org/index.cfm?navId=1462