School Shootings From Our Perspective

    In recent years, the level of in-school violence has risen dramatically. It is not so much the number of incidents, but the severity of them that has increased. In instances such as the Columbine shooting, students brutally slaughtered their classmates in a frustrated attempt to make their problems disappear.

    In all of these horrific events, the media has played a major role in relaying the story to people all over the world. The question raised here is whether or not the amount and or level of coverage that these stories receive incites more of these catastrophes. I asked 50 of my peers what they believed was the cause of these tragedies. As seen in the accompanying chart, 46 percent of the students felt that the way in which the media conveys violent incidents increases the likelihood of their occurrence.

    On the other hand, 15 out of the 50 believed that parents deserved the blame. "Parents don't talk to their kids enough. They don't know what's really going on with us." one student said.

    The students also lay the guilt on bullies. According to 24 percent of the people polled, those who are constantly ostracized and pushed around are more likely to change their views of the world, making guns seem less deadly.

    Surprisingly, no one found music to be a cause of school-related violence. This is significant considering many adults are quick to blame controversial artists such as Marilyn Manson.

    Whatever the reason for these disastrous occurrences, something must be done to prevent future problems. Suggestions from students ranged from anger management classes and peer mediation to therapy and stricter gun control laws. In my opinion, stricter punishment for the perpetrators of these crimes as well as less front-page coverage would decrease the number of these catastrophic events.

-Vanessa Poggioli