Back to the school violence page....

April 22, 1999:
Candidates for the teacher of the year award speak out on school violence.

April 22, 1999:
President Clinton discusses school violence with high school students.

April 22, 1999:
A background report on the shooting in Littleton, Colorado

April 21, 1999:
Experts discuss clues to teen violence.

October 15, 1998:
The White House hosts a forum to discuss ways to reduce school violence.

March 26,1998:
A panel discussion on the growth of youth violence.

Online NewsHour coverage of youth, the law and education.

From Melissa, a student in Coquille, Oregon

The subject of school violence is one that is coming up more and more often today, for obvious reasons.

However, it is one that sickens me.

I am a senior, graduating this coming June, and throughout my 12 years of public and private schooling, there has not been a day when I have felt unsafe or a day when I feared that any harm, of any kind, was going to come my way while I was at school.

Now, due to the shootings that are taking place at schools across our country, my school is taking the precautions that it feels are necessary in order to ensure our safety while at school. They are also planning on having armed police officers at our high school graduation. Now I don't feel safe.

I don't feel insecure because I feel like something of this sort could ever happen in a school like mine. I feel unsafe because by giving these wackos the attention that they so obviously desire, and trying to keep them out of our schools, we are inviting them to try harder...to make it bigger.

This is what makes me scared.

"I am a senior, graduating this coming June, and throughout my 12 years of public and private schooling, there has not been a day when I have felt unsafe or a day when I feared that any harm, of any kind, was going to come my way while I was at school."

From Courtney, a student in Gloversville, NY

I would just like to say that the shooting in Colorado is effecting schools all over the nation.

Last night in my high school, someone called in a bomb threat. The whole school was searched as well as all the lockers. This morning, the road entering the high school was blocked by two police officers who searched cars. We were only allowed to come in through one door. Through that door, mostly everyone was searched with some type of metal detector. We had school assemblies all day long and we learned what to do in case of a lockdown.

Many people talked about the unfairness of people being searched; it was very stereotypical. Next year, there is a possibility of a dress code and the wearing of identification cards. I feel that I am now going to school in a prison. I feel even more unsafe because they only frisked certain people; not everyone. Although my school is trying to make it safe for everyone, a lot of students don't feel comfortable.

One of the students attending my high school also attended Columbine High School. He said that that high school was better than ours. I have never felt such a feeling of paranoia. I just want to let everyone know that if there students in their schools are being treated like people at my school, you are not alone and that I can't believe that we had to wait for the Littleton shooting before having some sense of security in our schools.

"I just want to let everyone know that if there students in their schools are being treated like people at my school, you are not alone and that I can't believe that we had to wait for the Littleton shooting before having some sense of security in our schools."

From Shannon, a student in Fairfield, Ohio

No I don't feel safe at my school after what happen in Colorado. At Fairfield Middle School, Fairfield,Ohio there have been threats. As there has been at many other local schools. At Fairfield City schools there have been rumors of students having knives and guns in lockers. Here again these are just {rumors}. Teacher are trying to keep this low-key.

Kids at the middle school have been scared to go to school the next day. There have been kids crying because thay are so scared.

I think they should change the gun policy to 25 years or older to own or to purchase a gun. The reason why I think that is because there are still some 21 year olds that are very immature. The responsibility is to much for them to handle. However if a student whats to get hold of a gun there are still ways, but it will be harder. This way they will at least think about what they are doing.

From Jay, a parent

Journalists and their invited experts can't say enough about the boys who did the shooting and bombing. And they're tripping over their feet in their rush to condemn the boys' parents.

But what about the clean cut all-American boys who fed the anger? And what about their parents - the upstanding citizens who stood by while their sons antagonized their athletically less gifted classmates?

It is truly unfortunate that people should find violence to be their only means to resolve their conflicts. But it would be wrong for us to focus only on these boys and their anger without looking at the behavior of the "good" people without whose taunting and parental indulgence there wouldn't have been the motivation to lash out and kill.

From Karen, a parent in Horse Shoe Run, WV

I hate to give Clinton credit but he is the only leader I have heard verbalize my belief that the cause of school shootings in general is the disrespect that students show to each other. This is a magnified expression of our culture's extreme version of individual rights. We have always had a gun culture. The difference between then and now, us and the rest of the world, is that now "I" is more important than "we" or "they". Therefore anything goes, regardless of anyone else's feelings or rights.

Two Morgantown, WV students said this, "It's our responsibility. It's us who don't respect other kids." 'Modeling civility and tolerance could help.' Parents cause this problem but the schools and the students must fix it.

From Brigette, a parent in Ann Arbor MI

News continues to bring in experts to talk about how we can make our schools safer. However, no one is talking about how we can help all young people feel valued and how we can make our schools more inclusive environments.

All the students who have gone on these violent shooting sprees in their schools have been considered "outcasts" and been treated poorly by other students. Of course, not all outcasts react this way. Many suffer silently. However, for the students who do react violently, their maltreatment seems to be a huge motivator.

It seems that messages such as "Stop the Hate" that are currently displayed in Littleton not only go to the gunmen, but also to the jocks and others who called the students names, shoved them in lockers, and even threw rocks at them.

I wish that news would help schools learn how they can create an environment where there is respect and understanding between different students. I strongly believe that would make our schools much safer.