With School Violence a Genuine Concern, Awareness is Essential

As recently as 10 years ago, high schoolers faced many of the same problems their parents faced generations earlier. Fitting in with peers, doing well in school, and dealing with a host of extracurricular activities were the traditional problems associated with adolescence and high school.

However, today's teens face a very different pressure -- one their parents never had to encounter. Since 1999, when two Colorado high school students entered their school and killed 12 fellow students and one teacher, high schools students across the nation are on alert, wondering if such an attack will happen on their campuses. Recently, two incidents occurred within a week of each other which illustrated the very realistic danger of school violence, dispelling any notion that certain schools are safe or immune from such incidents. In mid April of 2008, a South Carolina high school student was arrested for planning to bomb his school. Less than a week later, an Indiana high schooler was accused of planning an attack on his school.

In the former case, the teen was actually turned in by his own parents, who were fearful of what might happen if they ignored what was a very dangerous situation. The parents likely saved many lives by turning their son in to authorities.

Recognizing the signs of a potentially violent teen isn't easy, but the American Psychological Association (APA) offers these warning signs.

Immediate Signs

The following signs indicate that the threat of violence is a serious and immediate possibility:

• daily loss of temper

• frequent physical confrontations

• announcing threats or plans for

hurting others

• taking enjoyment in the hurting of

animals

• increased risk-taking behavior

• increased consumption of drugs or

alcohol

• significant vandalism or property

damage

• carrying a weapon

Signs That Continue Over Time

Some prolonged behaviors in teens could indicate a potential for violence. Those signs include:

• history of violent or aggressive

behavior

• serious drug or alcohol use

• difficulty controlling anger

• lack of empathy

• constant feelings of being disrespected

• feelings of rejection or loneliness

• poor performance in school

• history of disciplinary problems or

run-ins with authority figures

• threatening others regularly

• access to or fascination with

weapons, especially guns

• withdrawal from friends and usual

activities

• gang membership or strong desire

to be in a gang

While no parent, sibling, or friend wants to think of a person in their life as capable of something as horrifying as the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School or the 2007 tragedy on the campus of Virginia Tech University, these instances do occur. If any of the above-mentioned warning signs are observed, APA offers the following advice for how to deal with the situation:

• Be safe. Do not spend any time alone with someone exhibiting warning signs of violence. If possible, remove the person from the situation that's causing this behavior.

• Tell someone you trust, such as a family member, teacher, coach, etc.

• Don't go it alone. Stopping a potentially violent person from acting out their anger is difficult even for trained professionals, let alone someone not trained. Do not try and go it alone if you suspect someone of acting out their aggression toward others.

To learn more, visit the APA Help Center online at www.apahelpcenter.org.