After Columbine ...

"On April 20, 1999, in the small, suburban town of Littleton, Colorado, two high-school seniors, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, enacted an all-out assault on Columbine High School during the middle of the school day. The boys' plan was to kill hundreds of their peers. With guns, knives, and a multitude of bombs, the two boys walked the hallways and killed. When the day was done, twelve students, one teacher, and the two murderers were dead." (Rosenberg, About.com) 

The tragedy at Columbine made it necessary for the American school system to reanalyze safety precautions for their students.


According to a survey done in 2003 by the National Center for Education Statistics, several measures for ensuring a safe school environment have been steadily taking place since 1999.  (See Chart)

According to an article on msnbc.com, "Metal detectors, threat-evaluation software, police officers -- hundreds of American schools have added tighter security since 1999’s attack at Colorado’s Columbine High School.  But these solutions 'are not likely to be effective,' and are potentially harmful, according to federal researchers who conducted the most thorough study of school shootings across the nation.  Of what value is a metal detector, the researchers asked, when an attacker is willing to kill others and take his or her life?" 

So what can schools do in order to ensure a safe environment for their students?  According to a study done by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education, the most effective way to keep students safe is to educate the students, themselves.  Their suggestions? 

Encourage students to report what they hear, and to have an adult they can confide in, because attackers often disclose their plans to other students, but rarely to adults.

Watch for behavior such as gathering weapons or making plans, because attackers rarely “just snap” in a spur-of-the-moment attack. (msnbc.com)

"Though school shootings are tragic and memorable, they also occur relatively infrequently and account for just 1 percent of the homicides of school-age youth, according to the Secret Service and the Department of Education research." (usnews.com) 

While this may be true, school violence is still a large issue facing the American education system today.  School violence also hits close to home.  In response to an increase number of fights breaking out in my children's own high school, the school board voted to employ a full-time police officer to patrol the building during school hours.  Just a few short years ago, a teenage girl was shot at East High School in Erie during a basketball game.  When attending sporting events at Central High School, all attendees must submit purses and other bags to an officer for a search and are wanded down by a metal detector before being granted access to the event. 

Bullying has also become a huge problem in schools today with reports of teenagers committing suicide after as a result of this growing epidemic.  A national PSA campaign called "It Gets Better," specifically aimed at the LGBT community encourages teenagers to seek help if they are victims of bullying.

 As future educators, it is important for us to be proactive in raising awareness to school violence and bullying with our students.  I believe teachers and administrators should have an "open door" policy for all students.  Students should feel safe to share their thoughts, feelings, fears and opinions without judgment or criticisms.  If all educators would adopt this policy, I feel we could save a life ... or maybe a lot of lives so no one has to experience another Columbine. 

Works Cited: 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15111439/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/does-every-school-need-metal-detector/

http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/a/columbine_2.htm

http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2009/04/17/school-safety-10-years-after-columbine?page=2