One cause which has been talked about is the influences of children witnessing violent acts on television and in other media, such as video games, music, and movies. Kreiner (1996) details many of the studies and points to television and “certain programs and movies which tell viewers that violence is okay” (p. 26). Kreiner goes on to state that even television cartoons depict violence in a humorous way and that the consequences of such acts are never addressed realisticall

Even though teenagers have to deal with these societal problems and the difficulties associated with adolescence, the majority of students are not inclined to bring guns and weapons into our schools. While it is alarming to know that in every class of thirty students in America, on average, at least one student will be bringing a weapon to school—mainly for protection—many more students survive their high school years without confronting violence (Koch, 1998). If so many students can resist the temptation to act violently at school, maybe it’s the individuals and their unique situations that can be seen as a powerful cause of school violence.

In Jonesboro, Arkansas, at least one of the boys accused in the attack—Mitchell Johnson—was a big fan of the genre of music called “gangsta rap” which depicts violent and deviant acts in the lyrics of the songs, (Kreiner, p. 75.) Often the media provides depictions of violence that blur the line between what is truly violent, and what is entertainment. Media’s depictions of violence have clouded children’s realizations about the true effects of violent acts they witness in the media today. Popyk (1998) states that, “Death is a difficult concept for any youngster, but one made even more complicated by the proliferation of quick and apparently painless deaths depicted on the TV, in the movies and on music videos. No one suffers and no one gets punished.” (p. 38). Signals that killing and violent acts are acceptable forms of expression in our society have then been seen in great numbers by America’s youth. Kopka (1997) cites a 1993 estimate from the American Psychological Association that children watch as many as 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence before finishing elementary school (p. 14). Those numbers would most surely be higher if surveyed today. With so much violence being sold as entertainment, children have come to see violence as having a place in our society.

Egan (1998) found that the acquisition of guns is easier for teens ”than buying beer,” and that just as easy “were videos or cassettes in which murder is a central theme, and often glorified” (p. 75). Guns have come from homes, poorly licensed gun shows, and other untraceable sources in recent shootings at schools. The easy access to guns and other information found on the internet—like bomb-making and ritualistic killings have helped teenage killers plan their executions at their schools. In the Columbine killings thorough planning was obviously involved prior to the rampage. Sheriff John Stone, of the Jefferson County police force, noted the methodical planning of the killers when he said, “This is not something they did overnight. A lot of planning went into this.” (Obmascik, 1999). Evidence was found

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