Page 59

Adolescent violence is a real widespread public health problem in the United States. It is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 24.  Though school shootings ( such as the recent school shooting in Ohio) appear to be the most tragic display of youth violence, youth violence also includes harmful behaviors such as bullying, slapping, or hitting.  It's sad that lives are loss and people are endangered because someone didn't feel love and accepted.

Youth violence can be prevented.  Truth is most teens who commit these acts of violence don't just wake up one morning and say "I'm going to be a bully or shoot up my school."   Rarely were incidents of school violence sudden, impulsive acts.  Just like with sin, there is slow and steady progression.  A youth progresses from forming an idea, to planning an attack, to gathering weapons.  For a variety of reasons peers or friends of perpetrators and victims of violence fail to communicate to an adult what they see.   Pastors, teachers, family members, and parents often  miss or ignore the behaviors of a teen crying out for help.  We fail to do our part to stop the violence before it starts, or halt is escalation.  


Simple acts of compassion and care can help to prevent youth violence.  Many perpetrators at one point felt bullied, persecuted or injured by others prior to the attack.  Some were coping with significant losses or personal failures and just needed strong support.   


Even though school shootings are not as rampant as the media may make it seem, the truth is youth violence in various forms is. School safety goes beyond prevent violence and into creating a safe zone where all students feel welcomed.  School safety includes physical and social changes to the environment to address the social and economic causes of violence.


While there is no single answer as to why adolescents resort to violence, there are clear contributing factors to address.  Everyone needs to be educated on the warning signs, stop and prevent bullying, promote diversity acceptance, bring awareness to the reality of mental health issues, and most importantly, just show people we care.