The U.S. Government has responded with large amounts of hot air and gesturing, including several new gun control proposals. The question to ask is if this is really the answer, or are we answering the wrong questions? The real answers do not lie in gun control, school uniforms, home schooling, or any other legislation that attempts to modify teen behavior. The real questions and answers lie underneath these superficial responses. These recent violent outbreaks are not the problem, but only a symptom of a deeper, stronger one. Here we will explore some of the possible causes.

One of the problems we are seeing is an accelerating change in the social dynamics of high school society. The emotional and social aspects have changed greatly over the last decade, and even more when contrasted with the experiences of the parents of current high school students. The old ideas of acceptance and fitting in have grown into an almost overriding pressure on students to fit in somewhere. Jerry Adler comments in Newsweek that high schools were once divided

Stone, A. (1994, June 3, 1994). Kids, guns: "It's shoot or be shot." USA TODAY, pp.A1, A4.

Also, the actions of the parents when they are home sends a strong, if confusing, message to children. Children often receive mixed messages from their parents as to what is acceptable. Some parents resort to bribery, such as promising expensive gifts, to modify their behavior (Franks, 1993). This adds to the idea that every action should have instant gratification. In addition, some parents can't find the time to actually be a good role model, and would rather ignore behavior than do something about it. This has the effect of telling a teen that there will not be any repercussions for bad behavior, and even good behavior will not be acknowledged. In effect, the child is asking for attention, and when none is received, then he/she tries screaming louder. This can be used as an analogy for the escalating violence we are seeing in schools today- as a twisted sort of louder scream for attention. Franks goes on to say that "Parenting that indulges, neglect, abuses, or ignores children, and that fails to provide strong, positive guidance, discipline, and nurturance [sic.], contributes to the spread of violence in schools" (1993). Even students themselves realize that the lack of parental control is a major factor in school violence. In a 1993 survey by The American Teacher, 36 percent said just that (1993).

Sausjord, I., & Friedman, L. (1994, Winter). The challenge of youth violence: Finding our role, doing our part. Constitutional Rights Foundation Network, 5(1).

U. S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics. (1991, September). School crime: A national crime victimization survey report. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

by the use of intervention tactics. Other strategies include peer counseling, parent classes, expanded teacher support, and even the establishment of crisis centers for teens. If we can implement and use these tools effectively, it will go a long way in pulling the school system out of the downward spiral it is stuck in.

The current school system is not prepared to handle the huge jump in school violence. If it is left to run as it is today, it is almost certain that we will continue to see more of the deadly outbreaks that we witnessed in Littleton, Colorado. The answer to our dilemma seems deceptively simple on the surface, but it will take involvement from parents, students, administrators, and the government. There is not one solution to the problem, such as adding metal detectors to campuses,but a step in the right direction involves the integration of several tactics. Implementing a system of prevention and intervention must start in the home, and carry into the schools. One promising solution is "conflict resolution", which teaches student

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Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)