There's been no real reduction in the number of U.S. school shootings
despite increased security put in place after the rampage at
Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012.
Last August, for example, a gun
discharged in a 5-year-old's backpack while students were waiting for
the opening bell in the cafeteria at Westside Elementary School in
Memphis. No one was hurt.
Finding factors to blame,
rightfully or not, is almost the easy part: bad parenting, easy access
to guns, less value for the sanctity of life, violent video games, a
broken mental health system.
The recent budget deal in Congress
provides $140 million to support safe school environments, and is a $29
million increase, according to the office of Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa,
chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Many schools now have elaborate
school safety plans and more metal detectors, surveillance cameras and
fences. They've taken other steps, too, such as requiring ID badges and
dress codes. Similar to fire drills, some schools practice locking down
classrooms, among their responses to potential violence. Tonight I will be attending ASAP presentation Active Shooter Action program for parents and educators in the San Fernando Valley area. .
School Shootings: How Do We Keep Our Kids Safe?
Who wants to help me get LAUSD on board? contact me
Resource
Not-the-Targets Executive Director, Jon Pease talking about bullying – 22 minutes