Teen Violence
Forty years ago, teachers said that the worst problems in their schools were students chewing gum and talking during class. Wouldn't it be wonderful if those were still our biggest problems. Unfortunately, however, teachers are struggling "Recently, a group of juveniles invaded a Meadowview home and shot to death Patty Harris, a mother of five, in a misguided attempt to settle a gang score. In the utopian enclave of Davis, a 14-year old, Andrew Mockus, was beaten, robbed, and pushed into the side of a moving freight. A 17-year old is accused in his death... These killings are the most extreme manifestation of the troubles of the generation that may be to far gone to reclaim" (Streets Getting Crueler-Criminals Younger, Dan McGrath). Murder and suicide are the second and third leading causes of death among teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19; among 10-to-14 year olds, they are the third and fourth. In an average month, there are more than 525,000 violent acts in schools. Nearly eight percent of urban junior and senior high school students are too afraid to go to school at least once a month (DetNews). Not only is teen violence consuming the growing generation, i
Guns are a very powerful weapon. On any given school day, students carry 160,000 guns into American classrooms. Every day, handguns kill 15 youths and an American adolescent commits suicide with a gun every six hours. Firearm murders of youths 19 and under rose 125 % in a recent 6-year period. A teen or child who can get hold of a gun, can in turn feel powerful. Take the Columbine Shooting for instance, nothing was wrong with the shooter's family life, his grades were always good. So what made him do it? It could have been the way he was feeling, the depression that so many teens have and sometimes hide from others. Teenagers tend to bottle up their emotions and never let anyone in. When the anger, hurt, and pain gets to be too much, when that bottle is filled, it breaks and emotions run wild. Rationality doesn't phase them, all the feelings come running at them and not just one at a time, rather all together. By the time they pull the trigger, it's too late. Some parents lack love, discipline, and commitment to their children. Many neglected teens seek refuge in the structure of gangs. Here, teens feel recognition and power. There is status and acceptance, phy
Some common words found in the essay are:
McGrath Murder, Columbine Shooting, , Andrew Mockus, Patty Harris, gun violence, drugs gang,
Approximate Word count = 795
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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