Media Influence On School Shootings

School shootings have become a substantial occurrence in the last twenty years. The reason for this spike is the major influence that the media has in average person’s daily life. Movie and TV show writers hold an obligation to depict violent act properly and less circadian. When potential shooters see spurious violent act, not causing harm, in an unstable mental state, they get a sense of paranoia that can become uncontrollable. This can create more potential shooters causing schools to believe they are unsafe, thus having a need for increased security. My mom’s friend, Kate, had an experience with a school shooter while teaching. She was teaching third grade music class, and as the children walked in a father walked in with one of the students.

He wore a hat and sunglasses and refused to remove them. Seeing as she was six months pregnant, this disturbed Kate. They went through class, then left. Not even five minutes late the school was on lockdown. Kate later found out the father who was in her classroom earlier had pulled a gun and abducted his son at gunpoint. He threatened to shoot the teacher of the third-grade classroom if she did not let him leave. Twenty years ago this man would have just walked into the school and taken his son. This is how the media effects violence.
Using TV shows and movies the media has imprinted violence into the minds of people in an acceptable light.

“85% of all programing shown on three premium cable channel and 44% of programming on broadcast networks includes violent acts, 73% of perpetrators go unpunished in these programs. 47% fail to depict the harm to victims and 58% of victims show no pain” (Bonilla). Kids and adults do not get the full understanding of the amount of harm that violence can cause. Therefore they are more inclined to be a part of violent acts. “73% of Americans believe that TV and movies are partly to blame for juvenile crime” (Violence in the Media 266). Americans conclude the things they do in their daily life can also be to blame but do nothing to stop it. The creation of games like manhunt and laser tag likewise is a display of human savage tendencies. These games are teaching kids how to hurt other people without feeling remorse. That is why more kids could be inclined to play violent video games or join the army. That is is how kids get diagnoses like PTSD and Bi

Polar.
In unstable mental states violence in a playful manner can be unhealthy. This can influence them considered violence as a satisfactory way of solving dilemmas. This anger paired with paranoia, part of schizophrenia, can cause a potential shooter to think they ‘must’ shoot something to feel ‘normal’ by society’s standards. The one thing that researchers say is hard to manage with mental diagnoses like PTSD or schizophrenia is anger. (S.J. 165) “Schizophrenia causes delusions of persecution, distorted perceptions of reality, and auditory hallucinations” (Williams 10-11). These symptoms can cause the mind to postulate that their violent acts are justified in every way. This is why some historians determine that Hitler may have been schizophrenic.
Kids today have taken violence to far and have used their mental illnesses as an excuse to do so.

With this in mind schools have tried to do more about an increase in security. This is not the right actions to take seeing as though school shooting still occur. Schools could be teaching the harm that violence causes and how to protect themselves without using violence. Security guards are support to protect students. Daniel Boone Area High School feels that advocates are more important than weapons when it comes to security. (McKnight) Other schools feel differently, implementing strip searches and metal detectors. (Bonilla) “18% of high school students carry a weapon on a regular basis” (Violence in the Media 266). In most cases, they do not carry weapons, are not trained to be abrasive, and only know how to break up an argument. “ Security guard should not be seen sitting in public, they should only take short breaks behind closed doors, they should not be dividing their attention between duties, and they should conduct shooter drills regularly” (Horse 18-21). Most security guards are seen talking to students and standing in plain sight. It would be a better option for schools to apply technological advances to keep their schools safer. Things like an ID badge maker that is color coded and can be set to change color each day. This can prevent a past visitor from coming onto school grounds with an expired pass. (Silk 21-27) Cameras with build in heat sensors are also a tool

that should be set up in all schools. These are all better than security guards.
School shooters have been influenced by many things in the media. Just like my mom’s friend schools need to find a way to keep their staff and students safe. There are better ways than security guards. American use technology to evolve violence they should use it to stop it. 10,950 crimes that occur in schools are physical attacks that occur with a weapon in schools. By using an active shooter protocol Run: Hide: Fight; schools can avoid physical confrontations with shooters. The schools also need to be sure that they have an administrator in the building at all times. When my mom’s friend was in that situation, the principal was at a different school that day. When the father of the student came in the building came in he made no prior phone call. In this case a support staff made the decision to allow the father to sit in on the son’s classes that day. They had no knowledge of the history and no idea that he had no custody. The support staff also made the decision to let the father leave to protect the students and other staff in the building. The principal was then call after the incident occurred. There was no other authority figure in the building. Having someone there at all times will help avoid these dangerous situations.