Violence in Schools

We all are terrified by the violence we see in schools across the country. As adults it is difficult to comprehend how these acts of violence come to be. What do our children think when they hear of these events?

We would like to believe that we can isolate our children from the reality of these unthinkable crimes, but they happen in our backyards and our communities. For every Columbine, Bailey, CO, Jacksboro, TN, and now Nickel Mines in bucolic Amish country, there are dozens more examples where violence in school has paralyzed a community.

Some of the issues you may want to discuss with your students about Violence in Our Schools are:

• The principal and all the teachers have procedures in place to make sure that the students are safe.
• Explain some of the procedures in language relevant to the age group.
• Discuss the news event with your students so you can address stories as they unfold.
• Share your own feelings. It will help students legitimize their own.

Here are some questions you may want to ask your students:

• If you know they heard or saw something on TV you might ask "Was there something you heard or saw on TV that bothered you?"
• Is there something you would like to talk about regarding the incident?
• What do you think about the incident?