School or campus violence in the United States is rising to a level that requires homeland security. In recent years, K-12 schools, such as Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and higher education institutions, such as Virginia Tech were among them. This paper explores the causes for the growing problem of school or campus violence, mitigation measures that prevent or reduce violence and save lives, and the use of risk assessment, impact analysis, and risk management in mitigating school or campus mass shootings and violence.
Causes of Violence in Schools and Campus
There are several causes of violence in schools, including access to weapons, environmental impact, and cyber abuse. When students gain access to firearms, the probability of engaging in violent activities is very high. Some homes with teenagers in the United States legally possess guns which tend to give the young one’s chances of using them illegally (Leavitt et al., 2007). Teenagers can access handguns through illegal sales without adults’ knowledge. Sophistication in cyber technology has resulted in the popularity of violent computerized video games. Studies indicate that high school students exposed to violent games exhibit hostile personalities and are aggressive and pro-violent. Such violent characters become prevalent in the school environment as well. The environment that encompasses the community, school, and families impacts students’ behavior. While at home, teenagers may develop hostile and aggressive behavior when parents fail to direct them accordingly. When the community neglects the youth by lacking supervision initiatives, they are likely to engage in unproductive actions that ensue in violence.
Mitigation Measures
Displinary measures are among the key things which could help to mitigate school violence. Following the Virginia Tech issue, the system needs to ensure criminal and mental patient tracking in line with gun possession for adults and prohibition for those under eighteen years (Leavitt et al., 2007). In conjunction with the FBI, the education department, through investigation of causative aspects of violence on campuses, believes in law enforcement as mitigation (Drysdale et al., 2010). Schools should come with stringent disciplinary measures that violent perpetrators will face. Up-to-date security measures are also essential in the institutions and school-sponsored events to ensure the proper search for weapon possession. The students need psychological counseling classes relating to violence, such as anger-management, trait development, and conflict resolution (Federal Commission on School Safety, 2018). Parents also play an essential role in ensuring that the nurturing environment is free from violence and provides proper communication to eliminate the children acting violently due to perceived pressures. They should also seek advice on the best video games for teenagers which might help to reduce school violence.
Risk Assessment, Impact Analysis, and Risk Management
The first step in mitigating mass shootings in schools and campuses is risk assessment. The school administrators engage relevant experts in the assessment process to identify the risk factors concerning violence in schools and the probable solution. On threat identification, homeland security is critical for the entire school community’s safety as seen in week 2 lecture. The administrators also analyze the threat impacts and cost estimates regarding different solutions to ensure the impending risks’ best mitigation process. During risk management, security measures installation, including cameras and metal detectors, provides potential problem detection and timely response to active shooter scenarios. Week 3 lecture notes embrace taking and sharing response strategies which involve the students and staff knowing their management plan roles could help to reduce violence. The administration should also improve mental health services, encompassing bullying victims, exhibiting distress signs, and antisocial behaviors.
In conclusion, school and campus violence is on the rise and entail adverse outcomes to the school fraternity. The leading causes of violence in schools include environmental impact, cyber abuse, and access to weapons. On the other hand, mitigation approaches involve parental guidance, discipline in school, and legal authority measures on gun possession. The mitigation achievement concerning rising shooting cases in schools encompasses risk assessment, impact analysis, and risk management.
References
Drysdale, D. A., Modzeleski, W., & Simons, A. B. (2010). Campus attacks: Targeted violence affecting institutions of higher education. FBI.gov. Web.
Federal Commission on School Safety. (2018). Final report of the federal commission on school safety.
Leavitt, M. O., Gonzales, A. R., & Spellings, M. (2007). Report to the president on issues raised by the Virginia Tech tragedy.