School Shootings

Bullying is also a huge cause of school violence and school shootings. School faculty and personnel accept bullying as a “normal part of teenage life”, because of the depiction of bullying in movies and in television shows about high school or any school in general. Bullying is not a “normal part of teenage life” and should be dealt with very seriously. Sixty-four percent of school shootings were a result of merciless bullying of one of the shooters (Morris 2).

Physical bullying is not the only way that can be harassed. The Internet has created a platform for which bullying can take place even outside of school, and most of the time it is anonymous. Although it is anonymous, more than one half of cyber bullies know their victim personally.

Studies show that the average math test score dropped more than 20% after a shooting occurred at the school (Poutvoara 1). That is the difference between an A+ and a B-! Enrollment also decreases by 12% the following year of the shooting, studies have shown (Ropponen 2). This is due to the fact that the students often dwell on the idea that a shooting could happen again. In comparison to suicidal shootings, where the shooter ends his life before taken into custody, homicidal shootings have the biggest impact on test scores and enrollment. Homicidal shootings also occur more frequently than suicidal shootings. These shootings have the greatest effects on the male population of the high schools at which these tragedies occur. This is shown by the test scores and expulsion rate of the males. “If students attending schools that have experienced a shooting have lower test scores, they might be accepted into less selective colleges, which could lead to to lower earnings later in life” (qtd. in Hoekstra,

All schools should have anti-bullying programs and more strict disciplinary code towards those reported for bullying. In many cases of bullying, the bully is given what is called a “slap on the hand”, meaning that it is not taken that seriously. A principal may just warn the bully not to repeat the action. A teacher can prevent it from happening, too. A first sign of murderous behavior is if the student talks about killing. This does not have to be specifically about the killing of people, just the act of killing in general. Many do not take this chatter seriously and think that it is a “phase”, but killing is not a “phase”! Schools should also have strategically placed telephones that connect straight to the police department Many have had more police officers on duty at the school. Entry points should also be controlled by an adult trained to determine if potential visitors belong there or not. Teachers also need to be more situationally aware and report any suspicious behavior that they observe from students. Stereotypically, a school shooter’s profile would include ideas and signs such as students who wear all black and are always alone. It would also include students who do little talking, fail their classes, come from dysfunctional homes, and were abused when they were younger. However, the facts on profiling however, point to something else entirely different. Many of the school shooters studied came