What can be done to ensure our children’s safety while they are obtaining an education? Are our schools unsafe or are our children dangerous? (More than 7 percent of high school students are confronted with or injured by a weapon on school property.) There have been several acts of school violence committed within the past few years, that have taken the lives of innocent people, teachers and students alike. (Figure 1.1 shows a list of past school shootings.) As parents, educators, and students, we must unite in the fight against school violence. Could these acts of violence have been prevented?

School violence is not a new subject of interest for educators. It has existed and been observed for years in a less volatile manner. There have been reports of thefts, acts of vandalism, physical and verbal assaults on students and educators, and drugs of sorts. So why the recent evolution towards weapons? The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), a group of state Attorney Generals from all ov

self-sufficient manner, they usually display those same characteristics throughout their lives. If a child sees their parents being abusive, destructive, and inconsiderate of others, they usually display those same characteristics throughout their lives. Being a parent is similar to being a mentor in laying the foundation for the children and the experience should be rewarding.

We all must do our part in preventing violence, individuals and communities alike. We all must take responsibility for our youth and their actions. We as adults must become positive role models for our children, communicate with them, spend time with them, and learn to listen and identify warning signs. Until this is done, we will be held accountable for the Kipland Kinkels in our lives. Our homes will not be safe, our churches will not be safe, and our schools will not be safe. Our children are screaming for us to hear them, they are afraid and lost, we must break the cycle of youth violence today, tomorrow will be too late.

What could possibly have triggered a teenager from a quiet community in Springfield, Oregon to commit such an act of violence? In order to answer this question, we have to take a look into Kip’s childhood and his relationship with his parents. Bill and Faith Kinkel were nurturing parents and high school teachers. Kristin, Kip’s older sister was an intelligent, outgoing, and athletic child. The Kinkel’s were in their 40’s when Kip was conceived, but were overjoyed with his arrival. There were noticeable differences in their two children right from the start. Kip had a learning disorder and was diagnosed as dyslexic, through temper tantrums when he could not articulately communicate his feelings, and was not athletically inclined. He was also a not- sociable child and had only one close friend, Casey. Bill and Faith were trying to figure out what their son’s interests were, but continually ran out of ideas. At the age of 10, Kip became interested in Karate. Due to his small size, he felt a self-defense class would be useful in defending himself against bullies. Kip also developed an interest in guns and bombs and could discuss in great detail the parts of a gun and the ingredients used to make a successful bomb. This angered his parents at first but his father agreed to purchase Kip a gun and teach him how to shoot it. Kip talked his father into purchasing a computer in which he would spend hours surfing violent and pornographic websites.

er the United States, convened and discussed issues on youth violence and school safety. This committee agreed that children who witness acts of

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