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SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES SEARCH FOR ANSWERS TO SCHOOL SHOOTINGS by Patrick La Croix Littleton, Colorado is described as an affluent and quiet suburban community that is now known as the location for one of the most horrific acts of violence to take place in recent memory. On April 20, 1999 two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, walked into Columbine High School in Littleton and unloaded gun fire on fellow classmates and teachers. The two gunmen killed 13 people and wounded 28 more before taking their own lives. The incident is just one of 12 shootings to take place at a school in the United States since 1996. It is difficult to pinpoint the reasons for these tragedies and even harder to find the answers. Schools in the 21st Century are no longer simply the whereabouts for learning and growth. Today, parents and teachers across the country must be aware and concerned for their children’s safety while on school grounds. Thomas Duggan understands the issues that surround one’s safety on school grounds. He is the principal of Bedford High School in Bedford, MA. "With the events that have transpired at certain schools in recent years, the prevention of violence has become a very important issue for teachers and administrators," said Duggan. "We cannot ignore what has been happening, nor can we ignore the reasoning and answers behind these events." There have been many theories given as to why kids are bringing weapons to school and inflicting harm upon others. Some blame the violence that is on television, while others blame what they perceive to be a lacking in gun control laws. The most popular theory, however, is that kids are not receiving enough effective and positive guidance from their parets. Mark Bradley, a senior attending Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, MA, believes that many of his peers are oftentimes neglected by their families. "I think that a lot of parents do not know what their kids are doing," said Bradley. "Kids are good at hiding things from their parents, but I really believe that if parents pay close enough attention they can figure out what their children are up to. It is the parent’s responsibility to open their eyes. I know kids who have weapons and do drugs and stuff like that and their parents are clueless because they are too busy to notice." There are no statistics that measure the effectiveness of parenting today, nor are there any statistics to measure whether or not the quality of parenting has declined from the past. Yet, it is true that divorce rates have increased and more parents, particularly mothers, are out in the workforce. Phil Grebinar serves as baseball coach at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden, MA. Grebinar has been working with children and their parents for 32 years and he believes that parents do not nurture and take care of their children like they should. "A lot of kids today are from broken homes and dysfunctional families where they are not receiving proper guidance," said Grebinar. "Parents used to spend quality time with their children and provide a positive example for the kids. Today, a parent will give the child money and tell he or she to ‘go have fun’ and mistake that for love and guidance. Kids are on their own a lot and with no parents around and money in their pockets it is inevitable that they are going to get in trouble. Parents need to understand that they must spend time with their children and be receptive to their kids’ needs and wants." In today’s society, teenagers spend more money at the malls and retail stores than any other demographic. Teenagers have the money and they are spending it. As recent evidence suggests, some in this age bracket are spending their money on guns. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were not old enough to purchase a gun.Yet, Harris’ girlfriend, who was only 18 years old at the time, was old enough to purchase a gun and did so. She proceeded to give the weapons that she purchased to her boyfriend and his friend. Joseph Buckley is the Superintendent of Schools in Bedford, MA and he claims that gun control laws should be tightened and also proposes that guns be outlawed all together. "If we are going to allow the sale of guns then I certainly believe that we must pass laws that are more strict," said Buckley. "But I also question the need for guns in the first place. I do not believe that guns should be sold over the counter. Put guns in the hands of only policemen, the Secret Service, and soldiers fighting in war. There is no other reason for a person to have a gun in my mind…not for hunting or any thing else. How many more useless murders must we witness before we come to our senses?" Over the past couple of decades, measures like the "Brady Bill," which calls for a waiting period after purchase, have been taken to increase gun control, but guns have still found their way into the wrong hands, mainly those of children. In the wake of the recent events, schools across the country have taken their own measures in hopes of preventing on campus violence. Thomas Duggan, principal of Bedford High School, says that his school has implemented a series of programs and steps that are geared toward the prevention of violence. "We are well aware of the situations that have taken place at other schools," said Duggan. "What we have done is set up a series of workshops and assemblies to take place over the course of the school year which talk about anger and violence and how they should be handled. Kids are going to get mad at other kids, teachers, parents and life in general, but it is my hope that we can give kids the proper guidance so that when they do become upset they will not inflict permanent harm on others." In trying to prevent school violence it is important to detect warning signs. In the months leading up to the Columbine tragedy both Harris and Klebold’s actions showed a possibility for violence. Harris was arrested on several occasions and the two friends had assembled a web page describing violent acts and plans to inflict harm and venom prior to the attack on Columbine. Joseph Buckley, Superintendent of Schools in Bedford, MA says that warning signs such as those are vital in hoping to prevent school violence. "In this day and age, if a student is misbehaving or showing a disposition toward violence and criminal behavior it must be dealt with and examined," said Buckley. "Someone should sit down and talk with the student and look to find some answers. It is difficult though because who can say what will work and what will not? I don’t work at Columbine or any of those other schools so it is hard for me to say if they’ve handled their situations correctly or incorrectly." In the end, it is still unclear what the best method or way is to prevent violence in schools. For every child who commits a violent act on school grounds there seems to be a different reason behind it. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, it now appears, were upset that they were considered outcasts and seemed to have a severe disliking of athletes, cheerleaders and minorities. In 1998, Jacob Davis, an 18 year old honor student in Tennessee fatally shot a classmate, who was dating his ex-girlfriend. The reasons for one’s anger can be very different but, sadly, their actions can be fatally similar. The answers to the scary issues of school violence are not clearly identified as of this time, nor are the ways for preventing such violence acts. As it stands today, all teachers and administrators can do is pay attention, look for warning signs and provide positive guidance. According to Phil Grebinar, baseball coach at Wachusett Regional High School, prevention starts at home. "The school can do everything in its’ power to prevent these violent acts but it is the parents’ ultimate responsibility to prevent them," said Grebinar. "If the parents are not providing effective and observant care then it is really difficult for any other person to stop the violence. It is a really scary situation we have on our hands these days and you can only cross your fingers and pray that it does not happen again."