This is a broad question to start the discussion.

-- Anonymous, May 26, 1999

Answers

It seems that schools and society have lost the focus on "developmental issues" of children and adolescents. Children and adolescets are pushed and pulled from a number of different directions. Add alienated teens with access to weapons and it is amazing that school violence statistics are not higher. The two safest places to be are still the school or the college campus when it comes to murder. Violence in schools has actually not increased according to research. School shooting incidents and the media circus that follows is a phenomenon that makes it appear that school violence is on the rise. Do we need more security? A few more years of increasing security and we will not be able to tell the prisons from the schools. Such is a sad statement about our society. I would prefer a return to addressing and studying the "developmental" journey of youth as the foundation to a nationwide effort to reduce youth violence both in and out of schools.

Regards

Chris

-- Anonymous, June 03, 1999