𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 & 𝑬𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔: 𝑩𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒔. 𝑷𝒉𝒚𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕

As a parent in Virginia who cares deeply about school safety (and has studied school violence since before Columbine), I’ve noticed something concerning. When kids come home with bruises, black eyes, injuries from being tripped, pushed into walls, hit, or worse, too often it gets labeled simply as “bullying.” While bullying is a serious issue that schools must address, physical assault is something different--and it’s a crime. Virginia law defines bullying as aggressive, unwanted behavior intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate, usually involving a power imbalance and repeated over time (or causing severe emotional trauma). It does not include ordinary teasing or conflict. But when it crosses into punching, stabbing, tripping to cause injury, or other harmful physical contact? That’s assault and battery under Virginia law.

Calling clear physical violence “bullying” downplays the harm to our children and can let schools treat it as a minor discipline issue instead of what it is: a criminal act. Media and schools sometimes blur this line too, which leaves many parents unaware of their rights and options.

Why does this matter? Bullying policies focus on school interventions (counseling, suspensions, etc.).

Physical assault gives parents stronger tools: involving law enforcement, pressing charges if appropriate, and holding everyone accountable for student safety.

READ MORE HERE ON FACEBOOK: How long are we going to play dumb about school safety?

Studies on various aspects of school shootings and school violence PART FIVE

I  often hear "The government has done no studies on school shootings in over 2 decades!!!" Why wait for the government? "The government has funded studies through various universities and colleges. But when "the government" funds studies, a number of people do not like the findings, or find fault with the authors of the studies based on real or perceived political biases. 

Below are a few studies, articles, etc. in no particular order. I added them as I located them from my files. Be sure to check the dates on the studies; some are indeed older than 2 decades. That doesn't make them worthless; it is helpful to see that research has been done, added to, corrected over the years, and so on.

The link is under the title of each study; copy and paste the link into your browser. As I have time, I will make the hyperlinks clickable. 

I will add more over time.

LINK TO PART ONE

LINK TO PART TWO

LINK TO PART THREE

LINK TO PART FOUR

An evaluation of completed and averted school shootings

https://www.academia.edu/123208508/An_evaluation_of_completed_and_averted_school_shootings

Shootings in American Schools

https://www.academia.edu/14144461/Shootings_in_American_Schools

Characteristics and Obtainment Methods of Firearms Used in Adolescent School Shootings

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2812306

Toward a Theory of Legitimated Adolescent Violence

https://www.academia.edu/873091/Toward_a_Theory_of_Legitimated_Adolescent_Violence

Gun Violence and Democratic Education in America

https://www.academia.edu/40950219/Gun_Violence_and_Democratic_Education_in_America

Social Structure and Deviance

https://www.academia.edu/85615962/Social_Structure_and_Deviance

Beyond First-Person Shooter Video Games: Using Computational Modeling and Simulation of Mass Violence for Threat Assessment and Management Journal of Threat Assessment and Management

https://www.academia.edu/42786059/Beyond_First_Person_Shooter_Video_Games_Using_Computational_Modeling_and_Simulation_of_Mass_Violence_for_Threat_Assessment_and_Management_Journal_of_Threat_Assessment_and_Management

Studying Rare Events Through Qualitative Case Studies Lessons From a Study of Rampage School Shootings

https://www.academia.edu/28377131/Studying_Rare_Events_Through_Qualitative_Case_Studies_Lessons_From_a_Study_of_Rampage_School_Shootings

The Role of Teachers and School Leaders in Mass Shootings and Multiple Victim Violence

https://www.academia.edu/101751982/The_Role_of_Teachers_and_School_Leaders_in_Mass_Shootings_and_Multiple_Victim_Violence

Research in School Shootings

https://www.academia.edu/103378345/Research_in_School_Shootings

Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings

https://www.academia.edu/9460684/Rampage_The_Social_Roots_of_School_Shootings

Public Health Analysis: The Strength of State School Safety Laws in Relation to the Number of Injuries/Deaths from School Shootings

https://www.academia.edu/37035662/Public_Health_Analysis_The_Strength_of_State_School_Safety_Laws_in_Relation_to_the_Number_of_Injuries_Deaths_from_School_Shootings

Responding to School Violence

https://www.academia.edu/19267505/Responding_to_School_Violence

More studies will be posted as time allows. I do this on my own with no compensation.

© Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Studies on various aspects of school shootings and school violence PART FOUR

I often hear "The government has done no studies on school shootings in over 2 decades!!!" Why wait for the government? "The government has funded studies through various universities and colleges. But when "the government" funds studies, a number of people do not like the findings, or find fault with the authors of the studies based on real or perceived political biases. 

Below are a few studies, articles, etc., in no particular order. I added them as I located them from my files. Be sure to check the dates on the studies; some are indeed older than 2 decades. That doesn't make them worthless; it is helpful to see that research has been done, added to, corrected over the years, and so on.

The link is under the title of each study; copy and paste the link into your browser. As I have time, I will make the hyperlinks clickable. 

Six studies are listed below; I will add more over time.

LINK TO PART ONE

LINK TO PART TWO

LINK TO PART THREE

LINK TO PART FIVE

Animal Abuse as a Warning Sign of School Massacres: A Critique and Refinement

https://www.academia.edu/25467836/Animal_Abuse_as_a_Warning_Sign_of_School_Massacres_A_Critique_and_Refinement

Glamorizing Rampage Online: School Shooting Fan Communities on YouTube

https://www.academia.edu/8526533/Glamorizing_Rampage_Online_School_Shooting_Fan_Communities_on_YouTube

Expecting the Worst: Active-Shooter Scenario Play in American Schools

https://www.academia.edu/38993209/Expecting_the_Worst_Active_Shooter_Scenario_Play_in_American_Schools

Super Columbine Massacre RPG!: The Procedural Rhetoric of Critical (Gun) Play

https://www.academia.edu/26322384/Super_Columbine_Massacre_RPG_The_Procedural_Rhetoric_of_Critical_Gun_Play

A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013

https://www.academia.edu/96724267/A_Study_of_Active_Shooter_Incidents_in_the_United_States_Between_2000_and_2013

Introduction to the Special Issue on School Safety: Increasing Understanding/Decreasing Misunderstandings in the Realm of School Safety

https://www.academia.edu/55041448/Introduction_to_the_Special_Issue_on_School_Safety_Increasing_Understanding_Decreasing_Misunderstandings_in_the_Realm_of_School_Safety

Suicide by mass murder: Masculinity, aggrieved entitlement, and rampage school shootings

https://www.academia.edu/3431765/Suicide_by_mass_murder_Masculinity_aggrieved_entitlement_and_rampage_school_shootings

Consequences of Violence for Communities

https://www.academia.edu/33948024/Consequences_of_Violence_for_Communities

Making Prevention a Reality: Identifying, Assessing, and Managing the Threat of Targeted Attacks — FBI

https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/making-prevention-a-reality.pdf/view 

Female Involvement in School Rampage Plots

https://www.academia.edu/36238648/Female_Involvement_in_School_Rampage_Plots

Etiology of School Shootings

https://www.academia.edu/3796402/Etiology_of_School_Shootings

Violence and Society

https://www.academia.edu/586613/Violence_and_Society

The bullying-school shooting nexus: Bridging master narratives of mass violence with personal narratives of social exclusion

https://www.academia.edu/35435583/The_bullying_school_shooting_nexus_Bridging_master_narratives_of_mass_violence_with_personal_narratives_of_social_exclusion

"It’s Better to Overreact": School Officials’ Fear and Perceived Risk of Rampage Attacks and the Criminalization of American Public Schools - Madfis 2016

https://www.academia.edu/15426911/_It_s_Better_to_Overreact_School_Officials_Fear_and_Perceived_Risk_of_Rampage_Attacks_and_the_Criminalization_of_American_Public_Schools_Madfis_2016

Parricides, School Shootings and Child Soldiers: Constructing criminological phenomena in the context of children who kill

https://www.academia.edu/34690680/Parricides_School_Shootings_and_Child_Soldiers_Constructing_criminological_phenomena_in_the_context_of_children_who_kill

An Examination of the Individual and Contextual Characteristics Associated with Active Shooter Events

https://www.academia.edu/12230361/An_Examination_of_the_Individual_and_Contextual_Characteristics_Associated_with_Active_Shooter_Events

Beyond First-Person Shooter Video Games: Using Computational Modeling and Simulation of Mass Violence for Threat Assessment and Management Journal of Threat Assessment and Management

https://www.academia.edu/42786059/Beyond_First_Person_Shooter_Video_Games_Using_Computational_Modeling_and_Simulation_of_Mass_Violence_for_Threat_Assessment_and_Management_Journal_of_Threat_Assessment_and_Management

‘The age of school shootings’: A sociological interpretation on masculinity 

https://www.academia.edu/27017539/_The_age_of_school_shootings_A_sociological_interpretation_on_masculinity_La_era_de_las_masacres_en_las_escuelas_Una_interpretaci%C3%B3n_sociol%C3%B3gica_sobre_la_masculinidad

Media Coverage of Mass Killers: Content, Consequences, and Solutions

https://www.academia.edu/36222194/Media_Coverage_of_Mass_Killers_Content_Consequences_and_Solutions

Violent Conditioning: Teaching Children the Mechanics of Killing?

https://www.academia.edu/14751033/Violent_Conditioning_Teaching_Children_the_Mechanics_of_Killing

Exploring College Leaders' Critical Incident Experiences Pursuant to Improving Campus Safety Policies during the Mass-shooting Era

https://www.academia.edu/35543050/Exploring_College_Leaders_Critical_Incident_Experiences_Pursuant_to_Improving_Campus_Safety_Policies_during_the_Mass_shooting_Era

Don't Name Them, Don't Show Them, But Report Everything Else: A Pragmatic Proposal for Denying Mass Killers the Attention They Seek and Deterring Future Offenders

https://www.academia.edu/34493731/Dont_Name_Them_Dont_Show_Them_But_Report_Everything_Else_A_Pragmatic_Proposal_for_Denying_Mass_Killers_the_Attention_They_Seek_and_Deterring_Future_Offenders

"This can't happen here!" Community Reactions to School Shootings in Finland

https://www.academia.edu/1130440/_This_cant_happen_here_Community_Reactions_to_School_Shootings_in_Finland

The monsters next door: Media constructions of boys and masculinity

https://www.academia.edu/654432/The_monsters_next_door_Media_constructions_of_boys_and_masculinity

More studies will be posted as time allows. I do this on my own with no compensation.

© Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Studies on various aspects of school shootings and school violence PART THREE

I often hear "The government has done no studies on school shootings in over 2 decades!!!" Why wait for the government? "The government has funded studies through various universities and colleges. But when "the government" funds studies, a number of people do not like the findings, or find fault with the authors of the studies based on real or perceived political biases. 

Below are a few studies, articles, etc., in no particular order. I added them as I located them from my files. Be sure to check the dates on the studies; some are indeed older than 2 decades. That doesn't make them worthless; it is helpful to see that research has been done, added to, corrected over the years, and so on.

The link is under the title of each study; copy and paste the link into your browser. As I have time, I will make the hyperlinks clickable. 

LINK TO PART ONE

LINK TO PART TWO

LINK TO PART FOUR

LINK TO PART FIVE

PART THREE, 25 studies:

A Practical Ideal Model for Responding to Active Shooter Incidents in Schools

https://www.academia.edu/7516714/A_Practical_Ideal_Model_for_Responding_to_Active_Shooter_Incidents_in_Schools

School Shootings and Gun Culture in the United States: Promoting Awareness and Theories for Change

https://www.academia.edu/19810196/School_Shootings_and_Gun_Culture_in_the_United_States_Promoting_Awareness_and_Theories_for_Change

School Shootings: Creating Safer Schools

https://www.academia.edu/66702571/School_Shootings_Creating_Safer_Schools

Multi-victim school shootings in the United States: A fifty-year review

https://www.academia.edu/43392351/Multi_victim_school_shootings_in_the_United_States_A_fifty_year_review

Fatal school shootings and the epidemiological context of firearm mortality in the United States

https://www.academia.edu/103378351/Fatal_school_shootings_and_the_epidemiological_context_of_firearm_mortality_in_the_United_States

When Prevention Isn’t Enough: Managing School Mass Shootings Along The Risk Continuum

https://www.academia.edu/79779167/When_Prevention_Isn_t_Enough_Managing_School_Mass_Shootings_Along_The_Risk_Continuum

Public Health Analysis: The Strength of State School Safety Laws in Relation to the Number of Injuries/Deaths from School Shootings

https://www.academia.edu/37035662/Public_Health_Analysis_The_Strength_of_State_School_Safety_Laws_in_Relation_to_the_Number_of_Injuries_Deaths_from_School_Shootings

Mass-Casualty Events at Schools: A National Preparedness Survey

https://www.academia.edu/19430202/Mass_Casualty_Events_at_Schools_A_National_Preparedness_Survey

Being Prepared: The School Emergency Response Plan Handbook

https://www.academia.edu/48161406/Being_Prepared_The_School_Emergency_Response_Plan_Handbook

Seven school-related disasters: Lessons for policymakers and school personnel

https://www.academia.edu/54567210/Seven_school_related_disasters_Lessons_for_policymakers_and_school_personnel

Knowledge and behaviors of parents in planning for and dealing with disasters and emergencies at schools

https://www.academia.edu/21899095/Knowledge_and_behaviors_of_parents_in_planning_for_and_dealing_with_disasters_and_emergencies_at_schools

Evaluating risk for targeted violence in schools: Comparing risk assessment, threat assessment, and other approaches

https://www.academia.edu/2623752/Evaluating_risk_for_targeted_violence_in_schools_Comparing_risk_assessment_threat_assessment_and_other_approaches

Premeditated Mass Shootings in Schools: Threat Assessment

https://www.academia.edu/18778/414Premeditated_Mass_Shootings_in_Schools_Threat_Assessment

School shootings: Making sense of the senseless

https://www.academia.edu/7797784/School_shootings_Making_sense_of_the_senseless

What can be done about school shootings? A review of the evidence

https://www.academia.edu/2623748/What_can_be_done_about_school_shootings_A_review_of_the_evidence

School violence: Prevalence, fears, and prevention

https://www.academia.edu/85559605/School_violence_Prevalence_fears_and_prevention

An introductory packet on Violence Prevention and Safe Schools

https://www.academia.edu/5140473/An_introductory_packet_on_Violence_Prevention_and_Safe_Schools

Exploring school rampage shootings: Research, theory, and policy

https://www.academia.edu/2525708/Exploring_school_rampage_shootings_Research_theory_and_policy

The Active Shooter

https://www.academia.edu/36695386/The_Active_Shooter

A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013

https://www.academia.edu/96724267/A_Study_of_Active_Shooter_Incidents_in_the_United_States_Between_2000_and_2013

The final report and findings of the Safe School Initiative

https://www.academia.edu/2623805/The_final_report_and_findings_of_the_Safe_School_Initiative

Making Our Schools Safe

https://www.academia.edu/43712172/Making_Our_Schools_Safe

Introduction to the Special Issue on School Safety: Increasing Understanding/Decreasing Misunderstandings in the Realm of School Safety

https://www.academia.edu/55041448/Introduction_to_the_Special_Issue_on_School_Safety_Increasing_Understanding_Decreasing_Misunderstandings_in_the_Realm_of_School_Safety

Preventing school violence: A practical guide to comprehensive planning

https://www.academia.edu/734973/Preventing_school_violence_A_practical_guide_to_comprehensive_planning

Reducing School Violence: Building a Framework for School Safety. Third Edition

https://www.academia.edu/29588593/Reducing_School_Violence_Building_a_Framework_for_School_Safety_Third_Edition

More studies will be posted as time allows. I do this on my own with no compensation.

© Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Studies on various aspects of school shootings and school violence PART TWO

I often hear "The government has done no studies on school shootings in over 2 decades!!!" Why wait for the government? "The government has funded studies through various universities and colleges. But when "the government" funds studies, a number of people do not like the findings, or find fault with the authors of the studies based on real or perceived political biases. 

Below are a few studies, articles, etc., in no particular order. I added them as I located them from my files. Be sure to check the dates on the studies; some are indeed older than 2 decades. That doesn't make them worthless; it is helpful to see that research has been done, added to, corrected over the years, and so on.

The link is under the title of each study; copy and paste the link into your browser. As I have time, I will make the hyperlinks clickable. 

LINK TO PART ONE

LINK TO PART THREE

LINK TO PART FOUR

LINK TO PART FIVE

PART TWO, 25 studies:

Shootings in American Schools

https://www.academia.edu/14144461/Shootings_in_American_Schools

From ‘‘I Don’t Like Mondays’’ to ‘‘Pumped Up Kicks’’: Rampage School Shootings in Young Adult Fiction and Young Adult Lives

https://www.academia.edu/37978241/From_I_Don_t_Like_Mondays_to_Pumped_Up_Kicks_Rampage_School_Shootings_in_Young_Adult_Fiction_and_Young_Adult_Lives

Fashion of Fear for Kids

https://www.academia.edu/32929383/Fashion_of_Fear_for_Kids

Architectures of Risk and Resiliency: "Embedded Security" in the Redesign of Sandy Hook Elementary School

https://www.academia.edu/38993208/Architectures_of_Risk_and_Resiliency_Embedded_Security_in_the_Redesign_of_Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School

Mass Murder at School and Cumulative Strain - Levin and Madfis 2009

https://www.academia.edu/4059087/Mass_Murder_at_School_and_Cumulative_Strain_Levin_and_Madfis_2009

Research in School Shootings

https://www.academia.edu/103378345/Research_in_School_Shootings

Gooble, Gobble, We Accept Her, We Accept Her, One Of Us, One Of Us: An Examination of the Views of Self for Incarcerated School Violence Perpetrators

https://www.academia.edu/90754376/Gooble_Gobble_We_Accept_Her_We_Accept_Her_One_Of_Us_One_Of_Us_An_Examination_of_the_Views_of_Self_for_Incarcerated_School_Violence_Perpetrators

The Columbine Legacy Rampage Shootings as Political Acts

https://www.academia.edu/2768787/The_Columbine_LegacyRampage_Shootings_as_Political_Acts

School Violence Beyond Columbine: A Complex Problem in Need of an Interdisciplinary Analysis

https://www.academia.edu/19258651/School_Violence_Beyond_Columbine_A_Complex_Problem_in_Need_of_an_Interdisciplinary_Analysis

EXPERIENCES OF COLUMBINE PARENTS: FINDING A WAY TO TOMORROW

https://www.academia.edu/6604501/EXPERIENCES_OF_COLUMBINE_PARENTS_FINDING_A_WAY_TO_TOMORROW

Responding toSchool Violence: Confronting theColumbine Effect

https://www.academia.edu/19267505/Responding_to_School_Violence?

Threat Assessment in the Post-Columbine Public School System: The Use of Crisis Management Plans in the Public School Sector as a Means to Address and Mitigate School Gun Violence

https://www.academia.edu/1539550/Threat_Assessment_in_the_Post_Columbine_Public_School_System_The_Use_of_Crisis_Management_Plans_in_the_Public_School_Sector_as_a_Means_to_Address_and_Mitigate_School_Gun_Violence

America's Armed Teachers: An Ethical Analysis

https://www.academia.edu/31564961/Americas_Armed_Teachers_An_Ethical_Analysis

Armed and Dangerous - Teachers? A Policy Response to Security in our Public Schools

https://www.academia.edu/87170587/Armed_and_Dangerous_Teachers_A_Policy_Response_to_Security_in_our_Public_Schools

Safety at Schools: Identifying the Costs Associated with the Necessary Safeguards for Arming Educators

https://www.academia.edu/57171884/Safety_at_Schools_Identifying_the_Costs_Associated_with_the_Necessary_Safeguards_for_Arming_Educators

Rural Schools and Safety Issues

https://www.academia.edu/51431669/Rural_Schools_and_Safety_Issues

GUN VIOLENCE AND SCHOOL SAFETY IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS

https://www.academia.edu/42060294/GUN_VIOLENCE_AND_SCHOOL_SAFETY_IN_AMERICAN_SCHOOLS

An Examination of Public School Safety Measures Across Geographic Settings

https://www.academia.edu/4412198/An_Examination_of_Public_School_Safety_Measures_Across_Geographic_Settings

Guide for Preventing and Responding to School Violence 2nd Edition

https://www.academia.edu/13909468/Guide_for_Preventing_and_Responding_to_School_Violence_2_n_d_E_d_i_t_i_o_n

An Original Theory on Averting School Rampage Violence

https://www.academia.edu/39038032/An_Original_Theory_on_Averting_School_Rampage_Violence

School Violence and Disruption: Rhetoric, Reality, and Reasonable Balance

https://www.academia.edu/22246801/School_Violence_and_Disruption_Rhetoric_Reality_and_Reasonable_Balance

Youth Violence Prevention Comes of Age: Research, Training and Future Directions

https://www.academia.edu/21884533/Youth_Violence_Prevention_Comes_of_Age_Research_Training_and_Future_Directions

Critical issues in the prevention of violence-related behavior in youth

https://www.academia.edu/19156969/Critical_issues_in_the_prevention_of_violence_related_behavior_in_youth

Youth Violence: What We Know and What We Need to Know

https://www.academia.edu/55727789/Youth_Violence_What_We_Know_and_What_We_Need_to_Know

Causes and prevention of youth violence

https://www.academia.edu/92241103/Causes_and_prevention_of_youth_violence

More studies will be posted as time allows. I do this on my own with no compensation.

© Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Studies on various aspects of school shootings and school violence PART ONE

I often hear "The government has done no studies on school shootings in over 2 decades!!!" Why wait for the government? "The government has funded studies through various universities and colleges. But when "the government" funds studies, a number of people do not like the findings, or find fault with the authors of the studies based on real or perceived political biases. 

Below are a few studies, articles, etc., in no particular order. I added them as I located them from my files. Be sure to check the dates on the studies; some are indeed older than 2 decades. That doesn't make them worthless; it is helpful to see that research has been done, added to, corrected over the years, and so on.

The link is under the title of each study; copy and paste the link into your browser. As I have time, I will make the hyperlinks clickable. 

LINK TO PART TWO

LINK TO PART THREE

LINK TO PART FOUR

LINK TO PART FIVE

PART ONE, 25 studies:

Averting School Rampage: Student Intervention Amid a Persistent Code of Silence

https://www.academia.edu/25568776/Averting_School_Rampage_Student_Intervention_Amid_a_Persistent_Code_of_Silence

Gun Culture in the USA. The Initial Print News Coverage of the Parkland High School Shooting and Further Frames

https://www.academia.edu/40154768/Gun_Culture_in_the_USA_The_Initial_Print_News_Coverage_of_the_Parkland_High_School_Shooting_and_Further_Frames

When Prevention Isn’t Enough: Managing School Mass Shootings Along The Risk Continuum

https://www.academia.edu/79779167/When_Prevention_Isn_t_Enough_Managing_School_Mass_Shootings_Along_The_Risk_Continuum

Offender and Offence Characteristics of School Shooting Incidents

https://www.academia.edu/61004481/Offender_and_Offence_Characteristics_of_School_Shooting_Incidents

The School Rampage in International Perspective: The Salience of Cumulative Strain Theory

https://www.academia.edu/39212734/The_School_Rampage_in_International_Perspective_The_Salience_of_Cumulative_Strain_Theory

Fatal school shootings and the epidemiological context of firearm mortality in the United States

https://www.academia.edu/103378351/Fatal_school_shootings_and_the_epidemiological_context_of_firearm_mortality_in_the_United_States

The costs of gun violence against children

https://www.academia.edu/13819666/The_costs_of_gun_violence_against_children

Effect of Gun Culture and Firearm Laws on Gun Violence and Mass Shootings in the United States: A Multi-Level Quantitative Analysis

https://www.academia.edu/83578647/Effect_of_Gun_Culture_and_Firearm_Laws_on_Gun_Violence_and_Mass_Shootings_in_the_United_States_A_Multi_Level_Quantitative_Analysis

Exploring school rampage shootings: Research, theory, and policy

https://www.academia.edu/2525708/Exploring_school_rampage_shootings_Research_theory_and_policy

The Effects of Witnessing a School Shooting on a Teacher's Career: A Narrative Study

https://www.academia.edu/5777897/The_Effects_of_Witnessing_a_School_Shooting_on_a_Teachers_Career_A_Narrative_Study

Should Teachers Carry Guns? An Emergency Room Survey of Parents of Two New York Communities

https://www.academia.edu/98912075/Should_Teachers_Carry_Guns_An_Emergency_Room_Survey_of_Parents_of_Two_New_York_Communities

Teacher Experience, Learning, and Change: An Investigation of the Effects of Long-Term Professional Development

https://www.academia.edu/1540192/Teacher_Experience_Learning_and_Change_An_Investigation_of_the_Effects_of_Long_Term_Professional_Development

What can be done about school shootings? A review of the evidence

https://www.academia.edu/2623748/What_can_be_done_about_school_shootings_A_review_of_the_evidence

Gun Violence and the Meaning of American Schools

https://www.academia.edu/90364999/Gun_Violence_and_the_Meaning_of_American_Schools

An Examination of Public School Safety Measures Across Geographic Settings

https://www.academia.edu/4412198/An_Examination_of_Public_School_Safety_Measures_Across_Geographic_Settings

The American Gun Culture: Potential Impact on K-12 School Violence

https://www.academia.edu/33341902/The_American_Gun_Culture_Potential_Impact_on_K_12_School_Violence

Mental Illness, the Media, and the Moral Politics of Mass Violence: The Role of Race in Mass Shootings Coverage

https://www.academia.edu/37032312/Mental_Illness_the_Media_and_the_Moral_Politics_of_Mass_Violence_The_Role_of_Race_in_Mass_Shootings_Coverage

School House Hype: School Shootings and the Real Risks Kids Face in America. Policy Report

https://www.academia.edu/23136456/School_House_Hype_School_Shootings_and_the_Real_Risks_Kids_Face_in_America_Policy_Report

The norm of solidarity: Experiencing negative aspects of community life after a school shooting tragedy

https://www.academia.edu/1130439/The_norm_of_solidarity_Experiencing_negative_aspects_of_community_life_after_a_school_shooting_tragedy

How to Improve Early Warning Systems at US Institutions of Higher Education

https://www.academia.edu/75848070/How_to_Improve_Early_Warning_Systems_at_US_Institutions_of_Higher_Education

Commentary on: "For Safety's Sake: A Case Study of School Security Efforts and Their Impact on Education Reform

https://www.academia.edu/68535809/Commentary_on_For_Safetys_Sake_A_Case_Study_of_School_Security_Effor_ts_and_Their_I_mpact_on_Education_Reform

Presence of Armed School Officials and Fatal and Nonfatal Gunshot Injuries During Mass School Shootings, United States, 1980-2019

https://www.academia.edu/69508148/Presence_of_Armed_School_Officials_and_Fatal_and_Nonfatal_Gunshot_Injuries_During_Mass_School_Shootings_United_States_1980_2019

School Violence and Disruption: Rhetoric, Reality, and Reasonable Balance

https://www.academia.edu/22246801/School_Violence_and_Disruption_Rhetoric_Reality_and_Reasonable_Balance

Psychological Profiles of School Shooters: Positive Directions and One Big Wrong Turn

https://www.academia.edu/7321771/Psychological_Profiles_of_School_Shooters_Positive_Directions_and_One_Big_Wrong_Turn

13: In the Eye of the Storm: Students' Perceptions of Helpful Faculty Actions Following a Collective Tragedy

https://www.academia.edu/103528670/13_In_the_Eye_of_the_Storm_Students_Perceptions_of_Helpful_Faculty_Actions_Following_a_Collective_Tragedy

More studies will be posted as time allows. I do this on my own with no compensation.

© Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Westside Middle School shooting 25th anniversary

Twenty-five years ago, March 24, 1998, two of the youngest mass shooters--11 and 13 years old-- committed a sniper-style rampage on their school, Westside Middle School, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. They served juvenile life; each getting out at age twenty-one. Both were able to legally purchase weapons--which they did. The older boy served a prison sentence as an adult for weapons charges.

The night before their rampage, the two boys amassed an arsenal of 13 weapons and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition. They loaded the weapons and ammunition into a van belonging to a mother of one of the boys. They also packed food, drinks, snacks, and camping gear. All of this activity went unnoticed by all the adults around them. 

The next morning, one of the boys took his mother's keys and drove her van to pick up his accomplice. He was 13 and didn't know how to drive very well. It was later reported by a neighbor that he saw the van almost take out a stop sign and land in a ditch. No one reported the near mishap. 

After picking up the younger boy, they needed to get gas. Neither of the boys knew how to pump gas and asked for help at two different gas stations but people declined to help. At the third gas station, someone did help the boy to pump gas into the van. But not one person called police to report two little boys driving around by themselves without an adult. No one asked the boys why they were out driving, or asked where their parents were. 

Apparently no one in these boys lives or in their community paid any attention to what they were doing. Tragically. 

Links to more info:

A shooting in Jonesboro, Arkansas kills 5

Westside School Shooting

There are many lessons in this tragic shooting. Parents need to be more involved in the lives of their children--these parents didn't even know that their van was being stocked with weapons, ammunition, camping supplies, etc.! The guns were stolen from the grandfather of one of the boys; the weapons were only minimally secured. Apparently no one noticed the weapons were missing. Same with 2,000 rounds of ammunition--no one noticed it was missing.

The driver of the van nearly wrecked. A neighbor saw it happen but didn't report the incident. A handful of people saw the boys trying to get gas. No one asked them anything, or reported them. 

And that's for starters. Each school shooting incident teaches what went wrong and what could be done better in the future. Twenty-five years have passed. It seems we have not learned anything. And there seems to be no interest in learning. And these tragedies will keep occurring until people get serious. And I don't mean screeching at politicians--on all sides--on social media. That's easy. Anyone can do that. 

While people screech for "commonsense gun laws," they think that's all they need to do. There were more than 40 laws broken for the Columbine shooting to take place (to be included in a future post). Were those laws not commonsense laws? If a warrant for Eric Harris on other matters had been served in a timely manner, Columbine may not have happened. We already have laws against killing others. But as we often see on the news, laws are sometimes not enforced. Unenforced laws are no laws at all. The 5 year enhancement for gun charges is seldom applied now. Every law, "commonsense" or not, can be broken. All laws can be broken.

And, as we have seen, human error contributes to school shootings--parents with felony records who pass background checks because no one took the time to do the research. Some school officials fail to have threat assessments in place, or to use them properly, and sometimes don't take it seriously when told of threats by students. Sometimes doors are left unlocked. Law enforcement who didn't serve timely warrants, or act on tips.

The shooting on March 23, 2023 in Colorado at East High School shows that the shooter was attending school while on probation for previous gun charges. He'd been kicked out of one school and to enroll in another school, he had to agree to a "safety plan" that included daily pat-downs for weapons. So much for that "safety plan."

Why do I study school shootings and share what I learn? Hopefully to get others to learn these things, too. Parents, community, schools, law enforcement all play a part. One thing people better be aware of, especially school officials--school shooters study previous shooters. They find out the mistakes made, what went went right, what to do better, what not to do, best times to act. They often hope to out-do previous shooters. It would serve school officials well to study these tragedies--because potential school shooters do study them. The Columbine shooters planned for 13 months...

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Content copyright © Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Remembering Todd Brown

The boy in this photo is Todd Brown. On February 5th, 2010, 14-year-old Hammad Memon shot 14-year-old Todd, who was walking down a hallway during class change, in the back of the head. Brown died soon after he was shot. No clear motive was ever established.

In 2012, while out on bond, Memon and his mother were arrested at an airport while trying to leave the country for their native Pakistan. Memon's bond was revoked and he was sent to jail. Both of his parents were found guilty of hindering prosecution; they each had suspended jail time and a fine. They then left the country for their native Pakistan.

Memon took a plea deal for 30 years i prison and will be eligible for parole in 2026. If he is released on parole, he will be deported to Pakistan.

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Content copyright © Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Aftermath of what school shooting victims have to live with

On January 14, 2014, two students were injured by a shotgun blast in the gymnasium of their middle school by a 12-year-old shooter. The photo to the left is of X-rays of the 12-year-old male victim. Sometimes we need visual reminders that after shootings happen, it isn't over for the victims. In addition to the mental scars that are invisible to the rest of us, there are physical scars. And there is often long term internal damage that will be with victims for the rest of their lives. In the X-ray, you can see over 1000 pellets left in his body. They are too numerous, and too deep, to be removed. Lead poisoning will be a lifelong threat. His blood is tested every six months to check his lead levels. 

In addition to the pellets that remain in his body, he was immediately blinded in his left eye, and needs yearly Lasik surgery on his right eye to try to keep the little vision that he does have.

Nathanial Tavares tells a bit about his experience here: Nathaniel Tavarez

The shooter planned the shooting and brought the modified shotgun to school in a duffle bag. It was reported that the shooter developed scoliosis and possibly some other health concerns and that his parents were suing CYFD because they felt their son had been rehabilitated after 4 years and wanted him released...yet his victims will never be released from their on-going mental and physical pain and medical treatments that their son caused,

The shooter was sentenced to juvenile detention until age 21.

School shooting victims are left paralyzed, scarred, blind, with the possibility of long term lead poisoning, PTSD, and numerous other effects that keep them from enjoying a healthier, more productive life. If this doesn't wake gun owners up to their responsibility to secure their firearms, I don't know what will. More unenforced laws don't seem to be working--an unenforced law is no law at all. All the laws can do is add extra charges after an incident--gun owners must do better! 

And schools must do better at keeping guns out of their schools...the shooter in this post brought in a "modified shotgun" in a duffle bag--just like the Parkland shooter and several other school shooters have done.

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Content copyright © Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Remembering Preston Cope and Bailey Holt

On January 23, 2018, Preston Cope and Bailey Holt, both 15-years-old, were shot at Marshall County High school in Benton, Kentucky. Bailey died at the scene; Preston died later at the hospital. Eighteen others were injured in the shooting or the ensuing chaos.

The shooter was also 15-years-old. He used his step-father’s Ruger handgun, which had been stored in a closet.

People always want to know the motive, the “why.” The shooter’s response was he was interested in science and considered it a science experiment—he wanted to see how students, police, and society would respond.

After the shooting, he called his mother on his cell phone to tell her that there had been a school shooting.

The shooter was sentenced to two life terms plus 70 years and will be eligible for parole after serving 20 years.

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Content copyright © Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Remembering Kayla Rolland

 

The girl in this photo was 6-year-old Kayla Rolland.

Kayla was shot and killed in her elementary school in February 2000--almost 23 years ago. I keep hearing and seeing that what happened at Richneck Elementary school in Newport News is "unprecedented." And hearing it from those who should know better. 6-year-old used mother's gun to shoot 'hero' Newport News teacher, police say

Some are saying the world is traumatized right now because of what happened at Richneck Elementary school. But they'll forget. Just like everyone has forgotten Kayla. The 6-year-old who shot Kayla had told her the day before that he would shoot her if she didn't kiss him. He made good on that promise (known as "leakage") the very next day when he came to school armed with a knife and gun. 

Were the parents charged? The boy was living in a crack house with his 8-year-old brother and crack-dealing 19-year-old uncle because the mom was a homeless drug addict and the father was in jail. The uncle was charged and served a small amount of jail time; it was his gun the boy used to murder Kayla. Kids like Kayla are why I do this. I don't forget.

While I can understand the world forgetting, since it is soon off of the news cycle, those tasked with keeping our children safe in school should know these things. We learn from past shootings--or, we should be learning from them. Law enforcement and school officials should know what has gone on before and what is happening to this day. There are too many resources out there to not know. 

Setting up a Google Alert for "student took gun to school" will show how, almost every day, and sometimes multiple times a day, loaded guns are found in many schools. And many of those times are in elementary schools. Second graders seem especially enamored with guns and take them to school. There have been instances this school year of 4-year-olds taking loaded guns to school. We should be paying attention. Elementary schools are not immune to gun violence as we have seen, and they are not immune from kids taking loaded guns to school. The boy in the news article above shot his teacher around 2 o'clock in the afternoon--meaning he had that loaded gun with him all day long. In a press conference, Police Chief Drew stated that there were more bullets in the gun. It could've been a lot worse. 

This starts in the home, of course. Too many parents are negligent with their firearms. Some say they have to keep the guns handy "in case of emergency" and for their safety. Domestic violence is reason given for some to have guns. Owners say it would take too much time to go to a room and unlock a gun, go to another locked case for the ammo, load the gun, etc. They say "By then I'd be dead." These kids don't live in Mayberry. Many live in crime-ridden, violent areas with high drug use. Some of these kids live in homes where drugs and guns are their normal. 

Kids like Kayla are why I do this. I don't forget. We need to keep remembering kids like Kayla, and do better. In the almost 23 years since Kayla was murdered, school violence is getting worse. Who will be the next Kayla? 

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Content copyright © Julie Clark 2023. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

December 14, 2022

I have several drafts of blog posts but haven't felt like finishing them to publish. It all seems so futile. Parents don't listen, those in charge of school safety don't listen. So much has been learned about school safety in the last 2 decades. 

I often think of this quote by Mary Ellen O'Toole (a former FBI agent, she consulted on the Columbine High School shooting as well as the shooting at Red Lake Minnesota and the mass school killings in Finland. Dr. O'Toole was the lead researcher and author of the FBI's seminal work in school violence, The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective).

“On the news, people are saying we should be concerned about this and that," and I thought, ‘We identified that 20 years ago. Did you not read this stuff 20 years ago?’ … It’s fatiguing. I just feel a sense of fatigue.”  

One criminologist recently wrote "I am sitting on mountains of data and evidence-based solutions and I can’t give my help away. I had more interest in my work from the Canadian government (thankfully) after ONE mass casualty event than from the US after hundreds."

I know a good number of school safety experts, and people only contact them after an incident. 

I often hear people say "There are no studies! The government cut funding for studies!" But that isn't true; there are more studies out there than you can shake the proverbial stick at. I'll post a number of them in the next few days. There are tons of books (I probably own nearly every nonfiction book on school shootings and school safety), articles, webinars, newsletters, and so on. People don't want to hear that; it's easier to claim there is nothing out there than to do the heavy lifting and do some real research. There's so much that I can't get to it all. After just over 2 decades, I have to stop and think--to what end do I pursue this research? People already don't read the books that exist, take a free webinar, talk to other parents about school safety, they don't bring up school safety at school board meetings--if they even attend a school board meeting... I've had a Board of Supervisors member tell me "For God's sake, give it a rest" when I cautioned a parents to make sure of something she was passing around as a safety feature was in fact a good idea--it seems that books and studies can't be read but a Facebook meme catches fire!

I haven't made a decision yet on whether to continue my research or not, to write a book or not. I feel like if I write the book I'll get it out of my system and can at least try to share the things I've learned. I hadn't planned on writing this post today until I read this article--maybe this is what it will take to get people interested in learning what each of us can do--as a parent, community member, teacher, every one of us. Teacher injured in Oxford school shooting shares story of trauma, change

Future blog posts will have those ideas and they are things I learned from the best research out there-studying the shootings that already have happened--what did the parents miss, what did the community miss, what did the schools miss. No one needs a study--just study the details of past shootings. It's the same methodology a researcher would use, but then researchers hide all that in highly technical terms that no one will take the time to read and understand. The information is freely available to anyone with a device that connects to the Internet!

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2021/2022 school year school shootings to date

This is a list of school shootings (accidental as well as targeted) that happened inside of a K-12 public school. Shootings that took place outside of school on playgrounds, parking lots, sports events, etc., will be in a future post.

Of the 20 school shootings in this list, 4 happened in September, 2 happened in October, 2 happened in November, 2 happened in January, 3 happened in March, 3 happened in April, 3 happened in May, and 1 happened in August.

2021

Heritage High School Newport News VA

September 20, 2021

https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/newport-news/teen-sentenced-for-heritage-high-school-shooting/

Cesar Chavez High School Phoenix Arizona

November 29, 2021

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2021/11/30/cesar-chavez-high-school-increases-safety-measures-after-student-shot/8809221002/

Oxford High School Oxford Michigan

November 30, 2021

https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/oxford-high-school-shooting-timeline-key-moments-in-the-case

Cummings K-8 Optional School Memphis TN

September 30, 2021

https://tn.chalkbeat.org/2021/11/16/22785967/memphis-school-shooting-cummings-student-pleads-guilty

Newton Elementary School Newton Mississippi

September 30, 2021

7 year old injured by student playing with gun

https://www.wjtv.com/news/local/child-injured-in-shooting-at-newton-elementary-school-released-from-hospital/

YES Prep Southwest Secondary School

October 1, 2021

25 year old (a former student of the school) with "grudge against a staffer" shot through the locked front door of the school injuring the principal

https://abc13.com/yes-prep-southwest-secondary-classes-back-to-school-shooting-dexter-kelsey-bond/11112088/

Mansfield Timberview High School Arlington Texas

October 6, 2021

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/arlington-timberview-accused-school-shooter-timothy-simpkins-indicted-on-7-charges/287-9eac25c6-677e-4541-b584-95cb6f593f9e

Watson Chapel Junior High School Pine Bluff Arkansas

March 1, 2021

https://katv.com/news/local/15-year-old-suspect-in-watson-chapel-school-shooting-faces-capital-murder-charge

Austin-East High School Knoxville TN

April 12, 2021

Student shot by police in bathroom

https://www.wate.com/news/timeline-austin-east-community-suffers-loss-of-students-to-gun-violence/

Plymouth Middle School Plymouth Minnesota

April 26, 2021

Student fires shots in ceiling no injuries

https://www.startribune.com/plymouth-6th-grader-fires-gun-in-school-dad-says-boy-took-gun-from-home/600050309/

Rigby Middle School Rigby Idaho

May 6, 2021

13 year old girl shoots 2 students and a custodian

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/05/heres-where-the-rigby-middle-school-shooter-is-today/

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/03/why-eastidahonews-com-is-suing-for-public-records-about-a-school-shooting/

New Hanover High School Wilmington North Carolina

August 27, 2021

https://www.the-sun.com/news/3568863/new-hanover-high-school-shooting-wilmington-north-carolina-live-updates/

Mount Tabor High School Winston Salem NC

September 1, 2021

https://www.wral.com/shots-fired-we-need-to-go-into-lockdown-how-one-mount-tabor-high-school-student-s-actions-upended-the-year/20270335/

2022

Seminole High School Sanford Florida

January 19, 2022

https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/teen-accused-of-shooting-student-at-seminole-high-school-charged-as-adult

Colonel Zadok Magruder High School

January 21, 2022

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/education/magruder-high-school-shooting-report-offers-further-details/65-bab4f64e-e626-4b60-aebe-d4a6dfbc5155

Olathe East High School Olathe Kansas

March 4, 2022

https://www.kmbc.com/article/olathe-east-high-school-shooting-suspect-released-from-hospital-jail-kansas/39954128

Tanglewood Middle School Greenville SC

March 31, 2022

https://www.wyff4.com/article/south-carolina-school-shooting-suspect-new-information/39979368

Erie High School Erie PA

April 5, 2022

https://www.erienewsnow.com/story/46635552/erie-high-school-shooting-suspect-to-face-charges-as-an-adult

Walt Disney Magnet School Chicago Ill.

May 17, 2022

8 year old took gun to school, accidental discharge injured anther student

https://abc7chicago.com/disney-magnet-school-shooting-chicago-crime-student-shot/11864941/

Robb Elementary School Uvalde, Texas

May 24, 2022

https://www.texastribune.org/series/uvalde-texas-school-shooting/

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Compiled by Julie Patrick Clark

Content copyright © J Clark 2022. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

Concealed carry in schools: some considerations

 As with metal detectors in schools, I am not pro arming teachers. I am not against arming teachers. I am for informed decisions, not knee-jerk, emotional reactions. This is a subject that should be thoroughly considered and the decision to arm school staff should have input from the teachers themselves, the parents, and everyone involved in the schools--even the students. It should not be a decision made lightly. 

I often see calls for arming teachers, usually after a school shooting. What I don't see is learning from past instances of guns mishandled in schools, so this post will cover just a few of those instances. The hope is that it will get people to start thinking things through, and for those who are pro arming teachers, to consider potential implications. Would I want my child to attend a school with armed staff? No. I would not want my child to potentially be in the line of friendly fire, and possibly injured or killed. Too many times, guns have discharged accidentally (I prefer negligently) in schools. My son is now grown so thankfully I don't have that worry.

The incident that sticks out most in my mind is that of Vicky Nelson in Ohio. Nelson was allowed to carry a weapon (a 9mm handgun) as part of the district’s concealed-carry plan to arm administrators and select staff members to protect students from potential gun violence. Yet Nelson, a transportation director in her district, left her handgun in an office where two first graders found the weapon. One of the children, the boy, was her grandson. The boy allegedly pointed the gun at the other first grader, a girl, and told her to put her hands behind her back, she was under arrest. Thankfully the boy did not shoot the girl. But it was what happened after the incident--lies and attempted cover up. Nelson is reported to have stated that she went to the restroom briefly and when she returned, the gun was in plain site, out of the case. Later it came out that she had left the gun unattended with the two students in the room while she drove to a nearby high school, being gone for about half an hour.

Rather than recap the entire incident here, I will post links to the story. Reading them all will give a clearer picture of the incident. It can also give interested persons something to think about when considering arming staff in their schools.

Elementary Students Gained Access to a School Administrator's Gun

School district takes heat after first graders accessed gun in unlocked case

Ohio first-grader points loaded gun at student in school office, email says

First-grader pointed gun at student, email that superintendent forgot says

Read the tweets in this piece by Shannon Watts:

Ohio Faculty Member Left Loaded Gun In School. First Grader Finds It & Threatens Another Child

Teachers need to be vetted thoroughly before hiring. Anyone who works with children should be vetted thoroughly. Thankfully no children were injured under this teacher's care:

Georgia teacher, 23, arrested for starting fire and firing gun in school

And then there are guns left in places where students can, and have, found them. Below are links to guns left where left in bathrooms and other places. This negligence can cost lives--is it an acceptable risk?

Some of these reports go back for some years, others more recent--which gives a glimpse into how this is not a one-off, not a rare occasion. And this is not an exhaustive list, by any means.

Somerset Academy Bay Student Finds Security Guard's Loaded Gun in Bathroom

Police: Whitney HS vice principal left gun unattended in bathroom

Texas school chief ousted for handgun get $106K severance

Kindergarten teacher allegedly drunk, carrying loaded pistol at school

Duplin County Sheriff: Teacher accidentally brings gun to class

Teacher charged after students find her loaded gun in bathroom

Teacher arrested for carrying a gun to school

Local janitor charged for bringing gun to school

Report: Loaded gun fell out of substitute teacher’s waistband on Pinellas County playground

Seaside High teacher accidentally fires gun in class, students injured

Whitney Middle School teacher left gun unattended in teacher's workroom

Second incident of unattended gun in Whitney ISD

Louisa teacher charged with possession of a firearm on school property

And then there's this: "A chemistry teacher who said he would be willing to be trained to carry a weapon to protect students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., has been charged for allegedly leaving a loaded pistol in a public restroom." 

Parkland teacher charged with leaving loaded gun in public restroom 

Even trained security/law enforcement has had problems:

Gun discharges during struggle between deputy, high school student

Students find cop's gun in bathroom in middle of school day

Missoula school resource officer on leave, left gun in bathroom

Ringgold student finds security guard's loaded gun in bathroom

5th-grader takes security guard’s gun at school, officials say

Girls Find Cop's Gun in Bathroom at Catherine Cook School in Old Town

School officer suspended after leaving gun in middle school restroom

Video shows aftermath of school resource officer accidentally firing during school 

School security officer accidentally shoots maintenance worker in the face

Dania Beach Middle School Worker Brought Gun to School on First Day: 

"BSOA security specialist at a "Dania Beach middle school was arrested after he brought a gun to the school in his car on the first day of classes, authorities said."

Details Emerge About School-Shooting Suspect

"The alleged gunman in the Kelly Elementary shooting had a license for his .357 Magnum handgun, according to Carlsbad police."

"Brendan O'Rourke, 41, was a licensed security guard. O'Rourke's security patrol license, or guard card, isn't set to expire until January 2011, according to the California State Department of Affairs."

There are many more instances not even listed; it would take a lot of time to catalog them all. With trained law enforcement and security specialists having these issues, how are we to expect that school personnel will do better? Especially considering all of the links above. 

These links don't even go into the possible liabilities should a school employee's weapon cause harm to others, or the myriad other considerations. Humans are fallible. Humans make mistakes. And the idea of arming school employees needs to be thoroughly considered. Some were trained, and were still negligent.

Is arming school employees worth the risk? Why are we not being more proactive before jumping to reactive?

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Content copyright © J Clark 2022. Please seek permission to use material from this blog.

See something, say something

 

Likely we have all heard "If you see something, say something." And likely too many don't know what the "something" is that should be reported, or who to report it to.

The something is out-of-character behavior or words from an individual. One aspect of their behavior may not mean much, but if there are enough changes in someone's behavior or they seem to be increasingly interested in violence, who idolize previous perpetrators of violence, who are amassing weapons, talking about weapons, in a way that seems out of character for that individual, and if their behavior seems to be deteriorating, then saying something would be the best course of action.

If we hear a person detailing what he is thinking or says he is intending to do, that should be reported. If we notice an acquaintance or family member collecting weapons, abusing animals, whose mental health may be collapsing, that should be reported. These mass shooters generally plan their attacks for weeks, months, and, in the case of the Columbine shooters, for over a year. During that time they often leave a trail of clues and actions that should arouse suspicion, and be reported. Paying attention to the people around us can go a long way to helping avert these horrific shootings. "As we go about our daily lives, many have their faces stuck in their phones, tuning out the world around them. And right under our distracted noses, there may be someone planning to commit a crime, right in plain sight. But we don’t pay attention to our surroundings, we don’t practice situational awareness." Paying attention can pay off

"Individuals engage in preparation activities, such as acquiring their weapon(s), ammunition, and other elements (e.g., body armor). It is at this point that they may also craft manifestos or other legacy tokens or give away personal belongings. Since these behaviors are often noticeable, which could lead to the plan being thwarted, individuals may become more isolated during this stage of the process." 

Who to tell? If it is at school, teach your child to tell a teacher or other adult he may feel comfortable reporting to, but to do it in a way that doesn't bring attention to the child.  If it turns out to be nothing, the child could be retaliated against. The child, if he doesn't feel comfortable reporting at school, should be encouraged to tell parents, who can then contact the school and law enforcement. 

Children are often told not to tattle, so teach them the difference between telling and tattling. Telling is reporting a dangerous situation; tattling is generally to get someone in trouble. I even had to explain to my son's teachers throughout his school years that there is a difference between telling and tattling; they would often cut the kids off when someone was attempting to tell about a possibly dangerous situation, or that one child was hurting another. And I taught my son to say to a teacher or other adult "I have something important to report," and to never tattle. 

Likewise, in a workplace situation we may overhear, or be told, that someone is planning on violence, or broadly hinting at violence. This is called "leakage," and should always be reported. It may be nothing, it may be something. Leakage description: "Leakage in the context of threat assessment is the communication to a third party of an intent to do harm to a target. Third parties are usually other people, but the means of communication vary, and include letters, diaries, journals, blogs, videos on the internet, emails, voice mails, and other social media forms of transmission. Leakage is a type of warning behavior that typically infers a preoccupation with the target, and may signal the research, planning, and implementation of an attack."

If the worker feels confident that their boss wouldn't take it seriously, then law enforcement should be informed. Perhaps consider contacting law enforcement anyway to make sure the proper authorities can make an assessment to see if something more is warranted.

Recently someone in the workplace did hear something, and reported it. The suspect was arrested:

"Aceves reportedly told the colleague that it would be a good idea to pull a fire alarm to get people outside to commit a mass shooting, then stating that he would be the one doing the shooting.

The coworker told police Aceves considered the Uvalde school shooter “an idol”.  The television station reported the suspect also told the colleague he knows what school “to go to and shoot up” when he learned where his coworker’s kids attended school."

The RAND Corporation put this warning signs graphic:

When hearing something you may think should be reported, do so safely and discreetly. Don't be loud about it; don't tell the person you will be reporting him; it could provoke him to attack you. Don't try to assess if it is "something" or "not something." That's not our job; that's a job for law enforcement. It's our job to report, not assess. 

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Clear backpacks--safety or security theater?

 

I often hear people--parents, mostly--ask for schools to provide clear backpacks to all of their students. I disagree with this because clear backpacks have not been shown to keep weapons out of schools. More on that in a moment. If parents want their child to have a clear backpack, they are available on Amazon if not in your local stores. No one is stopping you from purchasing a clear backpack. 

Since Uvalde, more schools are requiring clear back packs. Note: The killer did not tote his weapon/s into the school in a clear backpack. People saw the weapon. People heard the weapon. He still gained entry.

In this photo, which I personally took, there are a good number of weapons hidden in the notebook, the lunch bag, and wrapped in the gym clothes--knives, guns, lighters, etc. The water bottle contains vodka. So much for a "clear" backpack, eh? Some students have put black backpacks inside of the clear ones! They know that no one will have the time to look intently over each and every student's backpacks.

The intruder shooter is more rare but you can bet they won't be using a clear backpack... (See: Uvalde.)

Hearing the calls for this purchase or that purchase, I can understand the fear. Columbine, as well as several other rampage shootings, happened when my son was in elementary school. Woods were around one side of the playground, and a subdivision on another side. Teens from the subdivision built treehouses in those woods overlooking the playground--easy for a sniper to hide and shoot at kids, as happened in Jonesboro, Arkansas when 11 and 13-year-old boys shot and killed classmates and teachers. I was worried about my son attending school during that time. But I was also researching school shootings as a researcher for the book Raising a Nonviolent Child, by author John Rosemond. I realized that, while horrible tragedies, they remained relatively rare occurrences. 

I have been researching school shootings for almost 25 years now, and can say that a clear backpack is not likely to stop a school shooter.

In researching school shootings for over two decades, I have studied in detail how the shooter got into the school, time of day, location/s of the shooting, weapons used, how the gun was brought into school, and so on. I notice trends, I notice patterns. I'll list a few of them and list a few of the reasons why I don't think clear backpacks would be a worthy investment for a school to take on. If parents want to speak to their school boards, at least do some research to make informed decisions, rather than knee-jerk emotional decisions. 

One--The backpacks are clear. If a student wanted to shoot up his/her school, they wouldn't put a gun in a clear backpack for all to see. Kid have hidden guns in band instrument cases, lunch boxes, trench coats, waistbands, pockets, strapped to their legs, under blankets, etc. 

"They [students] very typically just hide the weapon inside something in the bookbag. They take a book and hollow it out and put a gun in the book. This is not an anomaly. It’s a repeatedly used method. They buy all of these different containers and put the gun in there, or they put it in a tennis shoe or wrap the gun in their gym shorts. They get a rifle and put it in a musical instrument case."

Clear Backpacks Probably Won’t Prevent School Shootings

"Clear backpacks are security theater. Weapons and other items can still be hidden inside. There are many other proven best practices in school safety that may be less visible, but more meaningful."

National School Safety and Security Services

"A North Carolina school district plans to auction off 46,000 unused clear backpacks as it tries to recover money it spent under a plan for increased security in schools.

The Charlotte Observer reports that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district spent almost $500,000 on the backpacks for high school students. Critics, however, said little to no research has proven that the backpacks can help stop weapons at the door. The backpacks ultimately were not used after school officials were surprised to find many of them had a warning label about cancer-causing chemicals while unpacking them."

School district to auction off unused clear backpacks

Two--More school shootings are happening in parking lots before or after school. They may have had their weapons in their vehicles, or hidden outdoors, which a number of shooters have done. More shootings are happening at recess or outdoor lunch, or just before or after school on the sidewalk. When it is harder to get guns and knives inside of the schools, shooters will still find a way. A clear backpack won't stop a determined shooter.

Three--These items just give a false sense of security. They are just one more expense that can take away from already strained budgets for security. Feeling safe isn't the same as being safe. Which do you want--to feel safe? Or to be safe?

There are a number of books and resources to learn more about school safety. I highly recommend Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS)

This book by school safety expert Dr. Ken Trump is a very good resource:

School Safety and Violence Prevention is also a very good resource.

In the meantime, the best things you yourself can do to help prevent school shootings is to stay alert to your surroundings--numerous school shooters have carried out plans for months, and over a years' time, before carrying out their plans and no one noticed the small arsenals they were accumulating, or their deteriorating mental health, or their numerous other activities related to the planned shootings. 

If you own firearms, know where they are because you can bet your kids know. Don't think that your child is "too smart to touch them." You're wrong. Store them safely and store the ammo separately and safely.

Teach your kids about leakage. Leakage is when a student talks about a school shooting, talks about past school shootings, seems obsessed with school shootings, and may outright try to recruit others to help them commit a school shooting. Teach them how to report what they have heard safely. They should not announce that they are going to tell, but should report as soon as it is safe for them to do so. Some good ideas in this piece:

School shooters often hint at their plans. How to help kids spot threats

Get involved in your child's school. Attend school board meetings. Read up on school safety. Ask if your school regularly conducts safety audits (many, if not most, do not). If not, ask them why not. Form groups of like-minded parents. But educating yourselves on school safety--what's crap, what's worthwhile--first will go a long way to forging good relationships with school districts, rather than adversarial one.

**Update: Since I first posted this piece earlier today, several parents have told me that these plastic backpacks are cheaply made and soon fall apart under the heavy load of books, so schools no longer require the clear backpacks as a replacement!**

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