WHAT IS THE CAUSE AND WHAT MEASURE OF SAFETY IS NECESSARY TO SECURE OUR SCHOOLS AND ASSURE SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS? WHAT DOES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND CONGRESS NEED TO WAKE UP TO? THESE QUESTIONS AND OTHER ISSUES ARE ADDRESSED HERE IN THIS SECOND INSTALLMENT OF A MULTI-PART EDUCATIONAL SERIES ON SCHOOL SAFETY.
- Understanding the root causes of anti-social, violent behavior is a necessity.
- Engaging strategies to improve school environments is necessary at the individual; relationship; community; and societal levels.
- Preventative measures must be realistically planned and acted upon.
- Diligent review, training, and cooperative measures must be a continuing routine to assure planning is vital and is at the best level to protect.
As mentioned in Part One of this series, the history of school violence in the U.S. dates back as far as July, 1764 in Greencastle, PA. (ten were killed and two were injured). Since then, violence has had an obvious and accelerated presence in schools. School shootings alone, account for nearly 480 instances since 1840 with more than 200 of that number having occurred since 2000. – Wikipedia: School Shootings in the U.S.
On Friday, April 20, 2018, students across the country joined in a demonstration of “ENOUGH National School Walkout.” “Though demonstrations differed, from school to school, many focused on supporting initiatives related to reducing gun violence, improving school safety, and expanding access to mental health resources in schools.” TribLive — Friday, April 20, 2018
The quotes in the article from students at various high schools around the region of Southwestern Pennsylvania, resoundingly addressed gun violence and as the Tribune Review article is titled “It’s time to wake up Congress.”
It is crystal clear that action is necessary, especially when 1 in 5 students fears school violence, and, in particular a concern for gun safety. Yet, over 86% of the 20,000 police chiefs and sheriffs in the US do not support gun control. In addition, they do support concealed carry. – Mike Huckabee (Fox News)
So, what is the cause and what measure of safety is necessary to secure our schools and assure safe learning environments? Even better, just what does the federal government and Congress need to wake up to? There is no simple answer to either the cause or the solution. However, a clear view about them is overdue.
Childhood depression, anxiety, and attention deficit are proven contributors. These drivers are often rooted in nutritional imbalances, chemical exposure, problems in the home, and school problems, as well. Treatments most often result in medications to address behaviors, rather than focusing on the causes. Today, almost nine million children, or almost one out of every five American children, take psychoactive drugs for their behavior disorders, many of which are questionable diagnoses. “WHY KIDS KILL? PROZAC AND ALTERNATIVE, “ by Dr. Lawrence Wilson © February 2015, L.D. Wilson Consultants, Inc.
Dr. Wilson provides insights that confirm that mental health and background check improvements are clearly necessary.
Prozac, Luvox, Paxil, and Zoloft belong to a class of drugs that can induce mental and physical agitation that sparks self-destructive, violent behavior, dissociative reactions, and insensitivity to the consequences of their behavior.
The combination of the effects can lead to anti-social behavior of the worst kind. In one study, 6% of the children on Prozac became psychotic and there is clear and significant numbers of individuals who have been proven to be on these drugs who have perpetrated school violence.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
In 2016, the estimated number of children and adolescents ever diagnosed with ADHD, was 6.1 million or 9.4% of children 2- 17 years of age. Two-thirds of those diagnosed, had at least one other mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder. More than 5% of all children ages 2 – 17 years of age are taking ADHD medications.
Dr. Wilson also includes bad diets, vaccines, and mothers in poor health as being contributors to the need for mental health screenings to diagnose the root causes of behaviors. Included among his concerns are schools often receiving money for every child they diagnose with ADHD which is fueling an “epidemic” and, in his estimation, the diagnoses may be suspect.
Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis, a psychiatry professor at the New York University School of Medicine shared that influences of family history of violence, alcoholism, and an array of social, physical and environmental impairments contribute to youth violence.
Indeed, just being a kid is tough. In today’s modern technologically dominated world, there is no escape from a barrage of digital information that can add layers of anxiety, depression, anti-social behaviors, etc. A kid can’t leave bullying at school or at the playground anymore. The media editorializes, fractionalizes, and rarely reports facts without sensationalizing them. There is little room to escape. It finds its way to personal devices; cell phones and computers. Relationships are a balancing act where too much and not enough information gets shared, and everyone is free to comment. Play, particularly video games, adds a stress-induced activity that fuels frustration and distorted reality. Coping can be a challenge.
Defiant behavior is commonplace in schools. There is little opportunity for discipline. As mentioned in the October 17 installment of this “Way of the Warrior Blog” Black Belts Matter, respect, along with the excellence and personal character traits necessary to achieve personal growth and civil improvement matter greatly.
From our March 14 Makowski’s Martial Arts and Fitness Facebook post:
Walking Up means taking on a responsible role for change in our schools.
- Say “hello”; learn names – you might become popular.
- Acknowledge others; smile – you are likely to get a smile back.
- Show respect for teachers – saying “yes sir” and “yes ma’am” has a positive effect and it can only add to your reputation.
- Be aware of your surroundings and who is in them.
- Report problems to trusted adults.
- Be nice and take on a leadership role and responsibility.
- Make positive changes.
DON’T WALK OUT. . . Do not rely on someone else to make changes that you might not like.
WALK UP . . . Make a difference by demonstrating your leadership and strength of character.
WAKE UP . . . It is OUR problem; whatever the causes. Contribute to the solution. Don’t give it away to the media or to Congress to take sides.
The owners at Makowski’s Martial Arts and Fitness are actively engaged in providing specialized training and continually advancing their own. They are highly qualified, experienced, and certified instructors for law enforcement; public safety; and schools. For detailed information, regarding our programs and training, check out our expanding list of self defense credentials on our Instructors Page
NEXT UP: Strategies, prevention, and diligence.
