Violence in schools is a progressing problem that can be understood by examining three things, gun control, lack of awareness, and society. Guns are readily available for children, the signs of a troubled student are not addressed early enough, and the lack of compassion in our society.
The first problem is the ease of access of firearms. In the United States, a survey was done and the findings showed that guns were present in 40% of the homes with children. Even though this is a large number, is it not conceivable that these firearms can be controlled in order to prevent their misuse? When considering the fact that in 25% of these homes, the guns are not locked up and are kept fully loaded, it is not surprising that deadly firearms are frequently ending up in the hands of youths. When considering many of the recent school shootings, in almost all cases the weapons used belonged to the shooters parents and were not stored properly.
If people took the appropriate precautions, this would not occur. But it is impossible to monitor this and make sure people are following the proper rules and regulations. The only sure solution is to outlaw guns period. Many people will argue that this is an infringement on their rights, but I say if it will help prevent the meaningless loss of life, then it is one right that we can do without.
The second problem is the lack of awareness towards troubled youths. When I was in grade 11, I remember a case when a serious threat was made by a student. This student was new that year, and had a somewhat eccentric personality which immediately made him a target for insults. Everyday he had to put up with constant teasing from others, and he...