A Step Forward?
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.
