We Must Work to Prevent Mass School Shootings

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Recommended: Violence in schools causes and solutions

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. Although no one can be entirely sure what motivates teens to commit mass shootings, there are theories that must be examined to develop solutions. One theory states that there are ten factors that contribute to the likelihood of a teen committing murder. These factors include an unstable home life, being bullied at school, obsession with violent entertainment, being suicidal, involvement with drugs or alcohol, involvement with gangs or cults, and mental illness. Usually at least four of these qualities are present in homicidal teens (Khadaroo). While many of these causes stem from home lif... ... middle of paper ... ... Works Sited "Arkansas District Arming More than 20 Teachers, Staff." Herald (Everett, WA): n.p. Jul 31, 2013. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 4 Oct. 2015. Khadaroo, Stacy Teicher. “Why Do Kids Kill? School Murders in Sparks, Danvers Revive Questions.” Christian Science Monitor. 25 Oct 2013: n.p. SIRS Issue Researcher. Web. 6 Oct. 2015. Ring, Ray. “Guns R Us.” High Country News (Paonia, Co) Vol. 39, No. 14 Aug. 6 2007:10-17. Sirs Issues Researcher. Web. 6 Oct. 2015. “School safety Timeline.” Leading Issues timelines, 2013. SIRS Issues researcher. Web. 4 Oct. 2015. “What Happened in Newtown, Connecticut? Eyewitness Accounts of Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting.” WXYZ. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2015. Zarembo, Alan. “Teens Plotting Attacks Tend to Tip Their hand.” Los Angeles Times. 24 Dec 2012: A.1. Sirs Issues Researcher. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.

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