Fighting School Violence

With stricter security in place, Columbine High School students returned to the classroom.

The horrible shootings that took place there last April have started a national discussion on issues of violence and safety in schools. Across the country, students, teachers and principals are trying to make the halls and classrooms more secure.

In April, President Clinton sat down with students at TC Williams school in Alexandria, Virginia to talk about what makes a school safe. The students told the President that hotlines, peer counseling and more open communication are important.

The fact that the boys who brought guns to school were often the targets of bullies has forced everyone to think about how we treat one another. Can the atmosphere in a school can be changed to lessen the chance that someone's feelings might be hurt enough to lash out violently?

Students are also trying to figure out who is responsible for school violence? The teachers, the parents, or the students themselves?