| In 2006 the news contained 22 incidents of school | | | | (CSMHA - Dr. Weist, University of Maryland)). |
| violence and reports show that violence in some major | | | | 2) Early screening of children with behavior problems |
| US cities was higher last year than it has been in | | | | to determine the services that are needed |
| decades. Violence among females and pre-teens is | | | | 3) Major reform and coordination of the Educational, |
| also rising, and the US has a greater violence rate than | | | | Mental Health, Juvenile Justice, Criminal Justice, and |
| any other Western Nation. As a country, we need to | | | | Social Services systems. |
| act now to stop this epidemic. | | | | Youth at risk for violence have problems in multiple |
| Most Americans put their faith in the penal system. We | | | | areas of life, such as school failure, behavior, mental |
| think that by investing money in jails and rehabilitation | | | | health, and social skills. Helping them in one area and |
| centers, we will be able to cut down on violence and | | | | ignoring other problems is not sufficient to solve the |
| deter future criminals. It is necessary to place these | | | | problem. |
| offenders in jails and prisons to protect society; | | | | Patricia Crowther, a pioneer in school-based mental |
| however, in order to substantially cut down on future | | | | health, believes that there are an astounding number of |
| violence, we must shift our focus and invest time and | | | | children who need mental health services, but never |
| money into more resources for prevention and | | | | receive them. "One of the most pressing and plaguing |
| intervention. | | | | problems presented to educators," she says, "is the |
| USA Today reported that cities, such as Cincinnati, | | | | ever increasing number of children, who despite an |
| Houston, New York, Chicago, Oakland, Philadelphia, and | | | | inherent ability to learn are not benefiting from a regular |
| New Haven, had higher murder rates in 2006 than in | | | | classroom teaching experience as shown by their |
| prior years ("Murders are up in New York, several | | | | continuing academic underachievement." She believes |
| other U.S. cities for 2006," USA Today, December 28, | | | | that the student's lack of improvement is often due to |
| 2006). | | | | unaddressed mental health, stress, family, and trauma |
| Authorities blame this violence on issues surrounding | | | | issues that could also lead to future delinquent and |
| respect, revenge, reputation, and romance. Others say | | | | violent acts. |
| it is the availability of firearms. While either explanation | | | | Studies have shown that only 16 percent of all children |
| may be true, we need to look deeper at societal | | | | receive any mental health services. Of that same 16 |
| issues, such as violence in American families and | | | | percent, 70-80 percent receive that care in a school |
| schools. For example: Shortly after ringing in the New | | | | setting (Health In School Organization). |
| Year, the news carried reports of 2007's first school | | | | "The burden of suffering experienced by children with |
| shooting. Douglas Chanthabouly, 18, was taken into | | | | mental health needs and their families has created a |
| custody for the shooting of Samnang Kok, 17, at Henry | | | | health crisis in this country," writes David Satcher, MD, |
| Foss High School. Now there are reports of two teens | | | | PhD in his "Report of the Surgeon General's |
| cooking a puppy in an oven, one teen stabbing and | | | | Conference on Children's Mental Health: A National |
| killing another, and a group of teens beating three teen | | | | Action Agenda." Clearly our violence problem is a |
| girls severely last Halloween. | | | | public health crisis, as well, and it must be fixed. |
| Children should feel safe school, and yet far too many | | | | As a solution, we can continue to spend more money |
| do not. While most schools have emergency and | | | | on trials and jails. However, we must also put more |
| evacuation plans for what to do during and after the | | | | money into prevention, identification, and therapy for |
| crisis of a school shooting, how many have prevention | | | | troubled youth and their families. Money spent in |
| plans? | | | | pre-school programs with family involvement, home |
| School prevention plans should include three elements: | | | | visiting programs, and school based mental health |
| 1) Immediate and easy access to mental health | | | | programs is well spent and has demonstrated great |
| services for all troubled youth and their families (Only | | | | results. It's time to take a stand and do more to |
| 10% of all school districts in the US currently have an | | | | prevent violence in this country. |
| established School Based Mental Health Programs. | | | | |