Every day eight American children and teenagers die from gun violence. Which totals up to more than 29,00 American children and teens dying each year just in the United States alone. Handguns and other fire arms carried into schools across the country are just waiting to end in disaster. School shootings increase every decade since the 1960s. According to the U.S. Secret Service and Department of Education, there were four targeted school shootings in the 1970s, five in the 1980s, twenty-eight in the 1990s, and according to the article “Tragedy and the Meaning of School Shootings” as of June 1, 2010 there has been twenty-five so far in the 2000s.
A recent article states that about 77% of students have admitted to being the victim of a bully. The American Justice Department bullying statistics show that one out of every four kids will be bullied at some time by their adolescence (Bullying Statistics, 2013). One of the most unfortunate parts of these school bullying statistics is that in about 85% of bullying cases, no intervention or effort is made by a teacher or faculty member of the school to stop the bullying from taking place (Bullying Statistics, 2013). The consequences of bullying are numerous. Children are facing physical and emotional damage.
That’s more than a fourth of Americans that are over the age of three. Despite the fact that so many Americans are at school everyday we continue to have violence in the schools without making a real attempt to stop it. Most Americans are familiar with infamous school shootings such as the Columbine High School massacre and the Virginia Tech Shootings, but what many don't know about are the countless other shootings that have happened in between these major ones and still happen to this day. Since the year 1966 there have been over 65 mass murder school shootings in the United States alone. While many states are trying to push for laws to help prevent school shootings from happening like stricter gun laws, more security in schools, and even in some states, the right for some teachers to carry a firearm with them in class have sparked huge debates across America.
The sadness thing is that children have been abused especially sexual by their own parents or siblings. Children become violent just watching programs on the TV, or actions from other people. In the community violence often affects marginalized groups of children, such as street children. In the US, when children are born into young families not prepared to receive them. As a result, they are unable to
The pair then committed suicide. It is the fourth-deadliest school massacre in United States history, after the 1927 Bath School disaster, 2007 Virginia Tech massacre and the 1966 University of Texas massacre, and remains the deadliest for an American high school. The massacre provoked debate regarding gun control laws, the availability of firearms within the United States and gun violence involving youths. Much discussion also centered on the nature of high school cliques, subcultures and bullying, in addition to the influence of violent movies and video games in American society. The shooting resulted in an increased emphasis on school security, and a moral panic aimed at Goth culture, social outcasts, gun culture, the use of pharmaceutical anti-depressants by teenagers, teenage internet use] and violent video games.
Shootings in American Schools Introduction In April 1999, two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold attacked and killed 12 of their Columbine High school classmates. Since that eventful occasion that shocked the world, cases of school shootings have happened with higher regularity. Since 2000 for instance, there have been over 50 critical school shootings in the U. S as observed by (Hawdon, Oksanen, Rasanen & He, 2012). The office of the Governor (2007) noted that to put the problem of targeted school-based strikes into perspective, from 1993 to 1997, the possibilities that a child between the ages of 9-12 would be confronted or injured with a tool in class were 7 to 8 %.
Youth Violence an Epidemic Violence is one of the most problematic issues we face in society today. To most people, the most ridiculous and noticeable violence is youth crime. Youth violence has become a lifestyle that includes drugs, guns, gangs, and murder. Contributing factors to the problem stem from lack of parental supervision and guidance, social and peer pressures, and violence on television. Everything from school shootings to capital murder, it is apparent that the problem is only getting worse.
Today there is not a more hotly debated issue than gun control. The most recent school shooting event has prompted an “I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it any more” moment just like it did in Sydney Lumet’s 1976 movie, Network. How many more school shootings do there need to be before the government stops talking about it and steps up and does something about it? It all seems to have started on April 20, 1999, when two high school students who were armed with weapons and bombs entered Columbine High School and killed twelve of their fellow classmates, one teacher and injured many more. On December 14, 2012, a lone gunman killed twenty first graders and six school teachers and administrators with an assault style rifle at the Sandy Hook Elementary School just outside of Newtown, Connecticut (Jonson).
These were mass shootings in very public places, schools. Between the years of 1996-2013 a total of 84 attackers committed 77 attacks on schools in 15 countries killing 502 students and teachers and wounding 496 others worldwide. (See Table 1) It is my belief that these attacks were orchestrated upon the most helpless in our society in order to incite mass fear and chaos! Each crime was perpetrated with both handguns and rifles, or what these days are referred to as “assault rifles.” The term “assault rifle” is yet another mainstream media scare tactic designed solely for fear because many believe that for a civilian to possess what looks like a military weapon they must intend to murder. Hatred of other people because of race or status and the belief that “Someone” is holding them back is truly what is at the heart of killing and that guns are just the tool of choice.
Did you also know that millions of students around the world are bullied every year? B. Thesis: There are no positive aspects of bullying. C. Reason to Listen: You should listen to this speech because if you haven’t been bullied before, your kids in the future may experience it or someone close to you might face it. D. Statement of Credibility: I’ve been a victim of bullying in my childhood. E. Preview: In this speech, I’m going to explain how bullying affects people mentally, physically and emotionally and state two positive coping methods and two negative coping methods.