School violence is unfortunately a very real fear that most students, families, and educators hold throughout the United States. From an early age, I and many other Americans have practiced lockdown drills, had lectures on school safety, and have become accustomed to security and metal detectors being present in schools. The documentary for this week’s topic and the readings, though they bring up surprising facts and statistics, do not act toward bringing a new topic to light. They highlight a topic that is deeply embedded in our society, perhaps even more so than others. Again, as mentioned, while some information I learned this week was startling and surprising, other aspects, such as the topic of gun violence as a whole, did not shock me.

Surprising Revelations

Starting with what surprised me this week, it truly shocked me how the documentary displays the ease of obtaining a gun. Though I have always seen movies and TV shows that had gun usage, the real-life counterpart of this problem was something I had not considered. This may stem from my limited experiences, living in a big city where guns are controlled and not promoted as much as perhaps the small towns displayed in the film (Moore, 2002). Throughout my life, I have never known of anyone who owns a gun, and because of this in many ways, my perspective on this issue comes from a very sheltered place. It was only when I began to watch the documentary that I came to realize how deeply ingrained guns and violence are in our society, and how many people think of guns in a positive light (Moore, 2002). A recent report on gun ownership claims that nearly a third of U.S. adults own a gun, which I believe helps to solidify my previous stance (Schaeffer, 2023). 

Unfortunate Reality

As I mentioned in my opening thoughts, much of what was presented in the documents did not surprise me when it comes to school violence. One of the articles mentions that around 57% of teens worry about a school shooting happening to them, which is a fear I once shared (Graf, 2018). Teens often do not understand the gravity or weight of their words, so when I was in high school, I would often overhear other peers making ‘jokes’ regarding school shootings. While many can become desensitized to it, I was always fearful when I would overhear these remarks. In my school, these claims became so extreme that they began to implement metal detectors at all the entrances. Luckily, the administration in my school acted quickly and efficiently to address and combat these threats, and I believe that all schools should do their part in preventing school violence.

Schools must work to address the ‘lower levels’ of violence, preventing them from escalating to the point where we have school shootings. This involves battling bullying and cyberbullying, stopping physical or verbal fights, and even speaking on sexual violence, regardless of whether these types of violence occur on or off school grounds (Preventing School Violence, 2019). As a society, we owe it to the kids and teens to provide them the resources to confront their inner struggles and the anger they may hold, in a healthy way, stopping these personal turmoils from manifesting into violence towards others. This same idea was echoed in the film, as it highlights that we need to help students work through these issues, and perhaps then we can truly tackle the issue of school violence.

In closing, my experiences as a student in America have made me confront the realities of school violence, and yet, the documents have made me aware of the true magnitude of this critical issue. As a future educator, this fear will continue to follow me, but now, it is for my future students rather than the personal fear I once held. I hope that in my future classroom, I can foster an environment that helps students feel protected, provide the resources needed alongside the administration in my school, and continuously fight to create a safe school environment for all. 

References

Graf, N. (2018, April). A majority of U.S. teens fear a shooting could happen at their school, and most parents share their concern. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/18/a-majority-of-u-s-teens-fear-a-shooting-could-happen-at-their-school-and-most-parents-share-their-concern/

Moore, M. (Producer & Director) (2002). Bowling for Columbine [Film]. United States: Dog Eat Dog Productions/ YouTube https://watchdocumentaries.com/bowling-for-columbine/

Preventing school violence. (2019). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/schoolviolence/fastfact.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Fyouthviolence%2Fschoolviolence%2Findex.html

Schaeffer, K. (2023, September 13). Key facts about Americans and guns. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/13/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/