Since the increase of violent acts on school grounds, schools have been improving their security in a variety of ways. In order to prevent acts of violence such as school shootings, new tactics have been developed. The lack of proper security in schools put people into harmful situations. Training for staff and students such as lockdown practices are used at many schools. Because of school shootings, security policy, tactics, and prevention methods have been affected.
The system that schools security runs on is a way of protecting people in the building. Schools have been monitored more closely with things like more cameras and increased ID checks (Sutter). The area surrounding the school is watched more intently. Many schools have
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Students are encouraged to report any safety concerns (Stokes).
Preventing school shootings from occurring in the first place is a top priority among schools. Programs have been made to stop and prevent violence from occurring in schools. Anti violence initiatives have also been implemented. Other programs include places where victims can talk about their experiences with bullying and get help. Student privileges have also been limited to create a safer environment. Certain types of bags have been banned and dress codes are enforced (Neuman). “In most schools, doors that had never been locked during school hours are now shut tight”(Neuman).
The constant improvement of protection methods for schools makes for a safer climate where students can learn. Bullying is a main source of violent tendencies among students and can result in shootings to occur. By targeting bullying and attempting to get rid of it, schools have a better chance to foster a climate in which students and faculty are safe. By increasing communication, safety concerns are reported more frequently and may aid in preventing tragic events. Staff are encouraged to observe students behaviors and keep an eye on outcasts. By increasing awareness, schools are more secure and less likely to fall victim to shootings (Stokes). There are zero tolerance policies that are put in place. If rules are broken, punishments may be enforced among the offender regardless of ignorance or accidents. Students who bully may be subject to punishment. Victims of bullying are watched
In the last ten years there have been eighteen school shootings in the United States. Elementary Schools, Middle Schools, High Schools, and Universities are all included. From these eighteen shootings there were one hundred and one students and faculty members killed, the majority being students. In the average classroom, there is at least fifteen students to one teacher. One adult is tasked with insuring the safety of fifteen to thirty students. How are teachers expected to accomplish this in the event of a shooting? There are safety codes and drills practiced such as code red, code blue, and evacuation drills that can help keep students safe. In the event of a code red students are to gather in the corner of the room farthest from the door; teachers turn off the lights and lock the door. Some teachers do what they can and barricade the classroom door with desks or filing cabinets… but hiding in a dark room isn 't enough. A code red is called out when an intruder is in the building. The shooter would hear the code red being announced and know the students are hiding, especially if the shooter is a member of the school, then they know exactly what the procedure is. A barricaded door might deter a shooter, but they will most likely move on to the next class-- or they decide that the barricade isn’t going to stop them. In the high school I attend the vast majority of classroom doors are mostly glass; in theory a school shooter can shoot right through without even having to enter the classroom. The best way to protect students is to have a more effective defense against threats.
There have been many horror stories in the news about mass shootings at schools. The public, and even the president of the United States, is asking if anything can be done to prevent these tragedies. There are many theories on why students kill their peers at schools; these range from increased violence in video games and movies to bullying troubles at school. Almost always, the perpetrator suffers from some form of mental illness (Khadaroo). Because of this, motives for these crimes are extremely difficult to discern. Although the theories for the causes of this dilemma are tenuous at best, the effects are very perceptible. Can anything be done to prevent these massacres? School shootings are a complex problem that cannot always be prevented, but there are a number of actions we can take to reduce the frequency and extent of the damage caused. These actions include placing more restrictions on firearms, creating detection programs for shooters, hiring more counselors for unstable students, and placing guards or police in schools. School shootings are a serious problem, and a solution is needed in order to prevent these calamities.
Ideally schools in the United States are considered by both parents and students alike to be “safe-havens” where parents can trust their children to learn and remain safe during the day and where students can feel safe in a well-maintained learning environment. However within this fully regulated government service, there are often debates over proper classroom environments, teaching tactics, and privacy issues. Today the main privacy issue in public schools is where to draw the line between keeping the school safe and maintaining the privacy of the students (Boomer par. 19). Searches and seizures in schools are not recent issues; however they are becoming more public now than in recent years.
In order to solve the problem of violence in schools, we must first find out who the problem is. Being that not every teenager is prone to participate in such violent acts as what happened at Columbine, there must be specific environment imposed on a particular biology to turn a teenager into an Eric Harris or a Dylan Klebold. These are not normal, healthy teenagers, and they don’t just become killers overnight. They become killers because they are already deeply disturbed individuals who can be sent over the edge by all sorts of innocuous influences. Violent teens often have specific characteristics that put them at high risk for committing these crimes. These high risked students may display some of the following traits. First, violent students often indicate their intentions before acting violently through drawings or writings. (Juhnke et. Al., 1999) They also make threats of violence towards others. Next, students prone to violent behavior tend to have a history of violence or aggression. (Juhnke et. Al., 1999) This may include other students, boyfriends/girlfriends, and animals. Violent students often have hypersensitivity toward criticism. (Juhnke et. Al., 1999) These students report perceptions of being teased, harassed or being picked on by those they were violent toward. This tormenting can also cause a student to isolate him or herself and withdrawal from friends and family, which is another sign that something is wrong. Another fairly obvious characteristic includes those children who are inappropriately given accress to firearms. (Juhnke et. Al., 1999) When students are given a gun, it gives them a sense of power. Some choose to take advantage of that power, as we have seen in numerous high school shoot...
In light of recent acts of violence in the nation’s schools, school safety and security have become a hot topic. However, the issue of school safety goes beyond student violence. It includes property damage, theft, and anything else that concerns the overall well being of schools. While it is important to create a safe environment in schools it is also necessary to make sure students feel comfortable in this atmosphere. The security can not be so overbearing that it becomes a negative tactic that gets in the way of the students main objective, learning. Barely noticeable cameras, ID cards, and security guards without uniforms can help generate this safe, but comfortable learning environment. On the other hand metal detectors and mini police forces may be a little too reminiscent of George Orwell’s novel, 1984, or even modern prisons. School security should not be overbearing or obtrusive where it gets in the way of a comfortable environment that is conducive to learning in the nation’s schools.
Gun control is both a crime issue, as well as a safety issue. It can range from moderate to extreme. Gun control goes as back as the 17th century where Japan was using guns for war making as to current tragedies occurring in schools. Guns have never disappeared, they have only multiplied in numbers to numerous amount of guns, ranging from small to big. Gun control isn't only a problem but it can also be solution depending on how it is being used and the person using it. Gun control can be controlled with many methods but in the end it matters how the person is going to use the weaponry.
Although most security measures passively make schools safer, it is not nearly enough to prevent an individual who intends on creating mass violence from completing his or her task. State representatives, national organizations, school staff, and parents need to come together to figure out the most reliable ways to prevent an active shooter situation from occurring in their schools. One solution that has been active is many schools have partnered with local law enforcement agencies to provide a police officers to patrol school grounds....
The first group, those who favor the policy, dwell on school improvement due to zero tolerance. One positive change is reinstated safety in schools giving students, parents, teachers, and the community a breath of relief. Advocates of this positive change believe that schools should be a place of learning without safety concerns.
School shootings has become an epidemic in America. It is a contagion with little to no explanation of why they are happening. There are often trends that relate to school shootings, for instance when one occurs and has mass media coverage, it is more likely that more will occur within the following two weeks (Smart). School shootings fit into a pattern and are becoming infectious, terrifying the families and students of the country. The modern phenomenon is becoming increasingly alarming and is an issue that needs immediate attention.
Security helps protect students, teachers and other staff from dangerous interaction with outsiders. Over the years, security has been paid more attention to and has improved in the technology area as well. Overall, more security is being used technology wise and more security is used more for extra men too. Security is being implemented in schools and results show that security is protecting so many students, teachers and other staff from dangerous incidents, therefore security must be increased in schools. Regardless, security in schools make a safe environment for everyone and everyone feels safe.
As school shootings have recently started to emerge as an essential component of American culture, many people have been looking for possible solutions. We thought Columbine would be a rare incident, but school shootings have dramatically spiked in the past 10 years. According to A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013, an average of 6.4 shooting incidents occurred annually. In the last 7 years of the study, that average increased to 16.4 incidents annually. Out of the 160 incidents total, 39 happened in educational environments that yielded 117 individuals killed and 120 wounded (2013).
Many weapons have been brought into school buildings, which end up leading to violence. If on staff member can check one locker one day, problems could be solved, peace could be created, and lives could be saved. In 2000 6 year old Theo Buell and Kayla Rolland got into a fight, and Theo shot Kayla. (Bonilla, 2000) After a teenager in California was expelled, he shot the principal during school.
The issue of school safety has become a controversial topic in the United States, due to tragic acts of violence occurring on a daily basis. American citizens should never have to cope with the negative impact of school violence, no matter how often they hear about the tragedies (Jones, "Parents" 1). In the past, schools were viewed as a safe place for children to get an education. Recently, the concern over violence in schools has taken a toll on many parents, school administrators, and legislatures (Eckland 1). Studies have shown that there are over 3 million acts of violence in American public schools each year. Not all occurrences are serious and deadly, but they occur on a daily basis throughout our country (Jones, “School” 6). This has caused many parents to worry about the well-being of their children while they are in class. This has also led to an increase in questions and concerns by parents and guardians. Many people have asked, “What are you doing about safety and security on my child’s campus” (Schimke 2). School violence is the cause of elevated worry and fear for their children, and school districts should enforce better security.
School shootings are becoming common place in the news as school violence is on the rise. Statistics state that 31.2 percent of parents said the leading cause for choosing homeschool over public school is “concern about the environment of other schools” (Burke, 2014). According to the CDC fact sheet Understanding School Violence, 12 percent of youth in grades 9-12 report being in a physical fight on school property while 5.9 percent reported that they felt unsafe at school and did not attend. Seven percent of teachers also report that they have been threatened or injured by a student (School Violence, 2013). While only 1 percent of all youth homicides occur at schools, violence does not need to result in a fatality in order to be a concern.
Violence in schools is an ongoing problem. Students verbally and mentally abuse each other on a daily basis. Verbal abuse is the most precedent. These students are usually titled as bully’s or having aggressive behavior. Girls have a tendency to indirectly bully, and boys have a tendency to physically bully other students. Bullying is a misbehavior that has to be resolved by looking at what is causing the behavior.