http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/4-0&fd=R&url=http://www.wmal.com/Article.asp%3Fid%3D654281%26spid%3D17874&cid=0&ei=Epz_R_KaPJyKzAT4oImaBw&usg=AFrqEzclJHTN13uzp4tjZn1fz9ZzI4Q8Bg
This is a frightning one. I chose to post on it because of the video it includes. When we read about a student assualting a teacher, the reality of the situation is often lost. This video makes it clear what this assault can be like. This raises more questions than just what causes this violence. Did this teacher have a right to defend herself? Does she (if she so chose) have the right to press charges?
I must admit I am at a loss to think what I would have done in this situation. The most intriging part of this article I think is the question of whether or not the teacher had a right to defend herself. Did she? Do we?
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/9-0&fd=R&url=http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/809207,2_1_AU23_NIUSHOOT_S1.article&cid=0&ei=wWrCR_76FpveqwOI_ry1BA
This is a good one for all the men out there. Apparently, gentlemen, it’s all our fault.
The subject of the article, Jackson Katz, argues that popular culture is responsible for exposing men and boys to violence, and thus associating violence with masculinity. My originial response to this article was anger that the media has decided to blame men. But, after reading the article, it occurs to me that I may have been angry because the article is exposing a hard truth. That truth is that men and boys are exposed to violence, they are encouraged that violence=masculinity.
The question I end up with is how do we ‘un-teach’ this association? The solution to simply eliminate or reduce the exposure to these stimuli seems like a reasonable reaction. But, my thinking is that we must fight the perception of these images, not the images themselves.
First off, to post what I should have already.
As sources for my topic, I have subscribed to the Education section of the New York Times, CNN, and The BBC. My thinking is that these three are the most highly regarded news outlets.
I also subscribe to a general Google search for ‘School Violence”
I have not found a blog to subscribe to on this topic, but any suggestions are most welcome.
To the business at hand, I have come across an article from Tennessee celebrating the implementation of an anonymous web-based ‘early warning system’. The theory is that students will be able to come to school staff with there concerns, whether about themselves or other classmates. This will allow staff to address potential violence.
If used responsibly, this system is a great tool. It may even help to uncover some of the root causes of school violence. However, my concern is that the ‘responsible use’ of this tool is in itself an uncertainty. It could just as easily be used as another form of bullying, name-calling, and ostracizing. Giving anonymity to those who would help means giving it to those who would use it as a form of low grade terror. Anonymous bomb threats, reports about students that are simply not true, and the potential for general fear are just a few problems that may manifest. However, this system is still in its infancy, and only time will tell if it will work.
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/6-0&fd=R&url=http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20080120/OPINION01/801200326/1014/OPINION&cid=1126693546&ei=jheVR6DEPI_sqgPl1PzqCA
The article linked above from New Jersey caught my eye. A cafeteria food fight apparently esscalated to a stabbing. The student in question had a knife on his person at the time, and stabbed another student. Few details were given, but what I found most relevent is the question raised by the author at the end of the article:
Why does any student feel the need to take knives, or any weapon, to school?
This is precisely the question I am out to answer. My personal feeling is that the student brought it for one of two things, either because he was afraid for his safety, or it made him feel more powerful, more in control. Any thoughts anyone has on this article are most welcome.
My focus in this blog is the sudden increase in school violence. My interest specifically is not gang-related violence, but the trend in ‘lone gunman’ activity. The last decade has tought us that no school seems to be immune from these terrible incidents. From Columbine, Colorado to Virginia Tech, it really can happen anywhere.
As future educators, I believe it should be a priority to identify the root causes of this problem, rather than the prevention of it. Metal detectors in schools may keep the guns out, but they are not stopping students from being driven into the state of mind that causes the violence in the first place.
Hopefully we can come to a larger understanding of the root causes of this terrible trend.
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