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