August 25, 2019

SOME of the dozens of books I use in my research...

Well, this isn't the post that I had planned for today, but it is a necessary one...

I have been researching school shootings and related issues for over 20 years. In that time, I have purchased dozens of books, proprietary research studies, paid for newspaper article access for articles behind a paywall. I have bought more ink and computer paper than I want to think about, as well as numerous other supplies.

I have spent countless hours over 20+ years doing this research, talking to experts such as Dr. Dewey Cornell, Lt Col Dave Grossman, Dr. Peter Langman, Dr. Stanton E. Samenow, and many others. If I have a question then I go to someone who would know; in most cases that is a primary source of information rather than second, third, or fourth-hand information. That takes research to know who to ask, and time to write to these experts.

All of these books purchased was self-funded

In other words--I've put in the time and the finances to get the knowledge that I have today. So it royally pisses me straight off when someone uses my identical words to post as their own with no attribution (and I called them out publicly for doing it). I don't do that to others. Yet I have had that happen 3 times this month alone. I work hard and don't mind sharing what I have learned. But to copy someone else's work, word for word, and use it as their own, is disingenuous. It also causes the person who shares their knowledge to no long want to share their work until they have been published and copyright infringement is easier to deal with. That hurts everyone--knowledge that could help is now being protected until some future time. And for those stealing plagiarizing someone else's work--how do you know that what I wrote is correct? What if I got it wrong? Don't you want to know for sure?

SOME of my research files. All of this takes time, and
funds for paper, ink, folders, etc. 

My research is acknowledged in the Rosemond
book Raising a Nonviolent Child.

I know some will say that I am just worried about profit. If that was the case, I wouldn't spend so much of my own money on this research. My son is grown, I don't have to do this. But someone with over 20 years of study is bound to see the big picture and have some insights to offer...which will now be less forthcoming from myself. I have made no money in this endeavor. There are easier and less costly--in terms of funds and time--to make a profit.

It isn't right to steal material property from other people and it is not right to steal intellectual property from other people. I will call it out when I see it. It doesn't matter if it is on social media, it is still stealing to take others' work and use it as your own. Do your own work. Put in the hours and funds yourself. And when you do take and use someone else's work as your own--you run the risk of it being in error.

Do your due diligence, do the heavy lifting, and always ask permission to share someone else's work. It's the right thing to do.

Content copyright © J Clark 2019. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Making school threats in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Making a threat against a school or persons is a crime in the Commonwealth of Virginia; it would be good for parents and school personnel to look up the laws in their states, and make certain that their children and the students in their school know what the consequences could be; again, because school threats are no joke!

A portion of the Virginia law; more info at the link.

"2. Any person who communicates a threat, in a writing, including an electronically transmitted communication producing a visual or electronic message, to kill or do bodily harm, (i) on the grounds or premises of any elementary, middle or secondary school property, (ii) at any elementary, middle or secondary school-sponsored event or (iii) on a school bus to any person or persons, regardless of whether the person who is the object of the threat actually receives the threat, and the threat would place the person who is the object of the threat in reasonable apprehension of death or bodily harm, is guilty of a Class 6 felony."

Code of Virginia


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Content copyright © J Clark 2019. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

School threats are no joke

Below is my Letter-to-the-Editor from September 2018. It first appeared in the Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal.

Letter: School threats are no joke

Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I have been researching school shootings for 20 years. In four out of five cases, according to the FBI, these school shooters told someone what they were going to do—this is called “leakage” and is one of the warning signs of a potential school shooter. Those who heard these shooters thought they were “just joking.” As we have seen far too many times, the shooters were not joking.

So it is no wonder that these “jokes” are now being taken seriously by schools and law enforcement.

Those making threats against schools today are now being suspended or expelled from school and prosecuted.

A few recent examples: An 18-year-old exchange student from Taiwan pleaded guilty to threatening to carry out a shooting at his high school. The teen said it was a joke, but authorities found more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, as well as weapons, in his home. He is now facing federal charges and deportation back to Taiwan.

A 17-year-old Orem, Utah, girl was taken into custody for posting a picture of herself loading a handgun with the caption “Welcome to your first and last day of school.” She was arrested on suspicion of a terrorism threat, possession of a handgun by a minor, and disorderly conduct. She is being held in a juvenile facility.

A 13-year-old Martin County, Florida, teen was arrested and taken to jail after posting a threat on social media, threatening to bring a gun to a specific middle school. He has been charged under FSS 836.10, written threats to kill or do bodily harm or injury.

A 17-year-old Katy, Texas, senior was arrested when he was overheard saying he wanted to blow up his school. He says he was “just being sarcastic and joking.” He was led out of his school in handcuffs.

A 15-year-old Yuma, Arizona, teen was arrested for investigation of making terrorist threats against the school. He was booked into the Yuma Juvenile Justice Center.

Many parents likely think “My child wouldn’t do that.” We don’t like to think our children would make threats. But the fact is, too many children are proving their parents wrong and they are doing that. And they are facing serious consequences that will affect them and their families for years to come, at a high cost to their families emotionally and financially. Not to mention the costs to society in monetary (police response) and emotional upset experienced by those in the affected schools. It disrupts learning when school is dismissed early, put on lock down, or even canceled.

School threats are no joke. They will not be treated as a joke. One comment or “joke” can change the life of the individual for years—it has cost some seniors their graduations and college acceptances. There can be juvenile detention or jail time.

Parents, talk with your children about the seriousness of their words. Make them realize that school threats are no joke.

J Clark

Note: The recent arrest of a 15-year-old Florida teen shows how clueless most parents are, even in this day and age. Notice in the video here from the Volusia County Sheriff's Department Facebook page how the mother only question the police officers and does not say anything to her son...

School threat arrest August 16, 2019

Content copyright © J Clark 2019. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.