Just a couple years ago, you couldn't even turn on the TV or
pick up a newspaper without hearing about the shootings at Columbine High School
in Littleton, Colorado. Even if you weren't paying a lot of attention to the
media, all the talk at the family dinner table or at the mall with your friends
could give you the feeling that schools are not safe places to be.
Following an incident as devastating as the one at Columbine, it's a good
idea to step back and take a bigger look at things. When we're caught up in the
emotions of the story and our own fears, it's easy to lose sight of what the
truth really is. It's also easy to feel overwhelmed and forget there are things
you can do in your own school to help.
A Wider View
If we're going to take a look at
school violence, it's important to have a clear sense of what violence actually
means. Even though incidents like the one in Colorado tend to get all the
attention, if you've ever been ruthlessly teased at school, laughed at, shoved
around, or bullied, you know there's more to violence in school than mass
killings.
A good definition of school violence might be this: violence is a person's or
group's behavior or language that causes another person to become hurt,
physically or psychologically. That can include assaults (either physical fights
or attacks with guns or other objects), bullying, extreme teasing, or physical
or emotional intimidation (taunting or name calling, for example). Violence can
be directed against students, staff, or teachers and can occur at any time of
the day or night.
