U.S. Secret Service Safe School Initiative
Which methodology was used by investigators to examine this problem?
The investigators used file review as the method in analyzing 41 attackers involved in 37 incidents of school shooting. The shooting incidents considered do not include shootings related to drugs or gangs. The investigation looked into the psychological reports, court records, testimonies and witness accounts, police reports, and other documents pertaining to these different school-shooting incidents indicating the perspectives of the shooter as well as third parties. The investors included social science researchers, teamed into groups of two who coded their assessments of the shooter and incident. In addition, the investigation also employed the interview method to obtain information from ten shooters to understand the thoughts and reasons of the shooters before and during the incident. (USSNTAC, 2000)
What were the findings and implications of the report?
The investigation led to a number of important findings. First is the rarity of impulsive violence in schools. This means that perpetrators of school violence are likely to have planned the incident. The attackers have plans regardless of whether they came up with the plan a few weeks or days or on the day of the incident. Revenge is the common motivation of violent actions and the attackers carried a grievance or grudge during the incident. Second is the likelihood that the attacker has revealed the plan to another person prior to the actual incident to friends or siblings and rarely to adults or the target of the violence. Third is the lack of accurate profile for attackers in school violence since the 41 attackers studied varied in socio-demographic profile, which means stereotyping does not help. Fourth is the common experience of the attackers of having access and previously using guns, which means that having access to a means of perpetrating violence supports the actual commission of the act. Fifth is that in most of the shootings, the resolution of the incident were not through the intervention of law enforcement officers. The longest period for the attacks is three hours, which means not sufficient time for police intervention. As such, the attacks stopped on the own accord of the perpetrator or through the intervention of school personnel or other students. Sixth is the involvement of other students in one way or another in school violence since the students receiving information on the plans of the attacker either encouraged the actualization of the plan or observed as the plan unfolded without doing anything to stop it. Seventh is bullying and harassment as catalysts of violence in schools. Often, victimization especially in severe case for long periods leads to violent responses. Eight is the observations of behaviors of attackers prior to the incident that caused concerns towards them such as suicidal actions, responses to drastic changes in relationships, and other manifestations of odd behavior. (USSNTAC, 2000)
These results have a single implication, which is that school violence is preventable (USSNTAC, 2000). However, school administrators and teachers together with parents need to work together in accurately identifying signs of potential violent behavior and implementing the necessary interventions before this leads to actual violence. Bullying and harassment in schools requires serious intervention. Parents also need to strengthen guidance over their children.
Discuss the general characteristics of the acts of school violence included in this report.
Acts of school violence have a number of general characteristics. One is the occurrence of a triggering event resulting to violent actions. Attackers who are victims of bullying could have experienced the worst treatment prior to the shooting or a death of a friend or family member could also trigger school violence. Another is the lack of an intervention prior to the actual school violence. In most instances, the attacker even received support whether active or passive. Last is the hatred or anger as the state of mind during the violent act so that in most instances, the victims are more than one and other people apart from the target become victims. (USSNTAC, 2000)
In your opinion, can violence in the schools be prevented? If not, Why? If so, how can it be prevented?
School violence can be prevented through the awareness and vigilance of school administrators, parents and students. Awareness of the possible causes of school violence would help school administrators and parents implement the necessary interventions even before the situation becomes violent. Bullying and harassment are issues that not only comprise serious problems in themselves, but also lead to more severe consequences such as school shootings. Informing students of the causes of school violence could also support voluntary cooperation in preventing or reporting symptoms of possible school violence and abstaining from triggering acts such as bullying or harassment. Intervention programs should also be individualized or customized according to the needs of students to ensure effective prevention.
Reference
U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (USSNTAC). (2000). Safe School Initiative: An interim report on the prevention of targeted violence in schools. Retrieved November 17, 2008, from http://www.secretservice.gov/ntac/ntac_ssi_report.pdf
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