Some of the shooters said that they were always bullied by other students, or sometimes threatened with or sometimes received a beating. So what is bullying? "Bullying is a general term applied to a pattern of behaviors whereby one person with a lot of internal anger, aggression, and lack of interpersonal skills choose to displace their aggression onto another person, chosen for their vulnerability with respect to the bully, using tactics of constant criticism, nit-picking, teasing, etc" (Bullying in Schools). "Almost 30% of students in the U.S. (or over 5.7 million) are estimated to be involved in bullying as either a bully, a target of bullying, or both" (National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center). Boys are more likely to hit and slap as part of their bullying "technique", girls on the other hand will spread rumors and try to get others to reject them. Bullying causes people to be nervous, anxious, and afraid and it most definitely affects their school performance. In a study conducted by the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, "88% of junior high and high school students have witnessed bullying. Teens who see bullying can feel guilty or helpless for not standing up to a bully on behalf of a classmate or friend." So here are some long-term consequences of bullying, they may lose self-confidence, which may lead to suicide, or they pull away from others. They might also resort to violence themselves, as seen in Columbine. "In the U.K. 16 students commit suicide each year because of bullying" (Bullying in Schools).

But for now lets just focus on school shootings. Littleton, Colorado and Pearl, Mississippi, are just a couple of schools that were torn apart when students opened fire on their fellow classmates. But it doesn't always happen in high schools. The use of a weapon is more common in middle schools. Shootings are the most violent act that anyone can witness, especially students who see their own friends being killed. These shootings are getting more and more deadly, so are they on the rise? And the answer is no. "Overall, while crimes like these still continue they are on the decline since 1992. The truth is that you are more likely to be struck by lightening. Kids have a one in a million chance of being killed in school. But one problem with some people thinking that shootings are on the rise might be explained in "School House Hype: School Shootings and the Real Risk Kids Face in America." "The media should stop portraying these shootings as a trend, it has tended to exacerbate people's fears about the safety of their children." A recent study published by the National Center for Education Statistics showed that 90% of principals reported no incidence of serious, violent crimes" (School House Hype: School Shootings and the Real Risk Kids Face in America). But yet after that in the "1996 Children's Institute International Poll of American Adolescents revealed that 47% of all teens believed their schools were becoming more violent, and 10% feared of being shot or hurt" (School Violence Prevention). So if studies show it is on the decline than how come students feel more and more scared? Not all incidents are reported to police, such as fighting and bullying. So if a student decides that he must kill then how is he getting the weapons and in some cases the explosives? The answer comes from many areas, one might be their parents, who h

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Approximate Word count = 2307
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)