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Much of these recommendations are not a surprise, as the NRA has
long said that the answer to gun violence is arming more Americans with
guns. But the report actually admits that there might be other even more
effective ways to prevent the conditions that lead young people to
violent fantasies and acts.
Creating a school climate that discourages bullying is a serious
step, it said. “Establishing a school climate or culture that minimizes
the risk of attack by addressing certain conditions (such as bullying)
that have frequently been associated with attackers’ decisions to embark
on a path of violence."
And as any parent would tell you, there are bound to be other
students who are aware that a peer might be unduly angry, vengeful or
dangerous. The report said, “Ask students to report real threats; don’t
wait for adults to find out:
“The immediate question for many after reading the above findings (noting school attacks) is: ‘If others knew about an attack before it occurred, why wasn’t the attack prevented?’ The basis for that answer is perhaps partially found in another statistic from the Secret Service and Department of Education report: in 93 percent of these cases, the person who knew was a peer, such as a friend, schoolmate, or sibling, while in only two cases did an adult have information about an idea or plan to attack?”
Indeed, why don’t adults and teachers have any idea that
violent acts are imminent? Perhaps because school administrators have
not created trusting environments and relationships with students or
school employees where those in the know can feel free enough to share
their perceptions.But turning schools into mini-prisons is not going to
encourage that trust.
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