The best way to stop school violence is to stop all youth violence. School violence really is a form of youth violence. It is part of the tragic “youth vs. youth” war that exists today throughout the world, in-school or out-of-school. Youth equal half the world’s population.
Adult actions regarding school safety that mostly focuses on adults is like talking to the wrong end of the horse. Students outnumber teachers and school administration more than ten to one is some schools. Students can turn the tide much faster in school and youth safety. Florida’s vocal and energized high school students are a prime and exciting example.
Many youths have gotten the false idea that they are supposed to do violence to other youth. Perhaps that is why a violent youth might go to nightclubs, concerts, markets, malls, and schools, to attack other youth. As adults, we must work together with youth to correct this erroneous belief, and we certainly cannot instill, perpetuate, or take advantage of, youth who harbor this destructive thinking.
Douglas Wain
Research has also shown that all inter-personal violence is intertwined. Singling out “school violence” is like a non-starter to the problem of school violence. Most youth who are victims of violence experience this violence out-of-school. Self-harm is the center of all violence. Any violence, bullying and abuse education must have reducing self-harm at its core. The sad fact is that most kids hurt themselves.
More important than gun legislation is gun education. Youth need to know ALL the information on weapons. Only then can youth make a true voluntary choice. There no law that say you have to have a gun. I trust youth to make the right decisions once they have all the information. What kids don’t know can and does hurt them.
When I talk to kids about during our school program about violence, bullying and abuse in their lives they often say, “it’s worse than you know.” I believe kids when they say that and that’s what keeps me up at night. We don’t fully understand the scope and depths of youth and children’s problems. There are not enough professionals in the world available to handle the situation. It’s going to take all hands, all adults, on deck.
Research and law officials themselves have consistently said that enforcement cannot do it alone. In some cases, a law enforcement only approach can have some unwanted and unintended consequences like a school to prison pipeline for some youth. One cannot lump all the violence prevention programming and training together. The violence prevention programming or training given to law enforcement is different than that given to school personnel that given to students and youth of different ages.
Nations are indebted to youth. Nations wouldn’t exist today if youth did not believe in them. I am not sure any nation, or political campaign, could even operate without youth. And how many nations were created, and are protected, by youth? Quite a few I would imagine.
Nations too need to step up and do their part. Everyone has their role to play, and every little bit does help. But let’s not be afraid to talk directly, honestly and equally to kids. We need to remember that it’s their world too. Unless we are willing to meet youth halfway in terms of this epidemic, we should stop saying youth are the future. For judging, just us adults as the sole caretakers of humanity, it may be a promise we might not be able to keep.
Douglas A. Wain is the C.E.O./E.D. of YouthAlert! – Win The War! Against Violence, a nonprofit organization with Special Consultative Status to the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council.
The United Nations’ World Health Orgainzation says every year billions of dollars are spent worldwide on injuries related to punching incidents. Punching incidents often escalate in to using more deadly weapons – guns, knives, etc. So if you reduce punching incidents, it should reduce gun violence. I’ve made a documentary – One Punch Homicide – to reduce punching incidents, and it’s getting great reviews. It can be seen free online. Convincing young people to not throw punches would also reduce domestic violence.