School Shootings And how they affect our children By: Annelise Sin
September 29, 2022
The fear of school shootings is a vicious reality for many young students around the world. School shootings are vile acts committed by suffering people. There have been around 27 school shootings in 2022 alone. Two of the biggest and most known school shootings in history are the Columbine shooting and the Sandy Hook shooting.
The rate of school shootings has increased dramatically since the most horrific one, the Columbine Shooting in 1999. People believe that this was one of the main causes that the rate has increased, and copycat killings have been named as the “Columbine effect”. From 1999 to 2022, there have been 169 victims of gun violence in schools.
School shootings affect far more than those who lose their lives. They can cause life-long problems like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. People who witness the crime and family of the victims can be heavily affected as well. Gun violence can affect communities and neighborhoods, and safe places can be viewed as dangerous and violent.
School shootings can cause so many horrific problems and they hurt many people. School shootings are one of the biggest problems in our school system around the world. They leave families and friends hurting, and take people too early. More than 3 million children are exposed to gun violence in schools per year. Every year, around 3,500 children are shot and killed in schools. Firearms are one of the biggest leading causes of death in teens and children.
School shootings can revolve around feelings of despair and suicidal thoughts, and easy access to guns. Some of the ways we can help prevent a higher rise in school shootings is to make students feel heard in schools. We need to focus on mental health more and let students know that there are options. Students need to know that they’re not alone in places like schools.
Interview Questions:
- How do you think school shootings affect people?
- Do you feel less safe in school?
- What is your opinion on gun violence and/or gun control?
- Why do you think school shootings happen?
I interviewed Jeffrey Kern, Maleah Sayers, and Diego Salgado on the topic of school shootings. Here’s what they said.
“I think school shootings have a negative effect on the way people view school. I sometimes feel less safe at school. I believe that gun violence is horrible and should never happen. I think everyone should have the right to own a gun if they are above 18 and pass a background check. I think school shootings happen because people are bullied. Reasons most kids choose violence is because they can’t get help through anyone else, so they choose violence as a way to hurt their bullies.” (Jeffrey Kern, 9)
“I think school shootings make people afraid of going to school. I do feel less safe at school. I don’t think guns should be illegal, but I think that guns should only be used for protection cases. I think school shootings happen because people are bored.” (Maleah Sayers, 9)
“I think that school shootings can hurt people who are shot but survive because it can traumatize them for life. I also think it can traumatize people who see school shootings happen. I don’t feel less safe at school because it’s happening in a different area, but I’m still cautious around school. I think gun violence is wrong. I believe that gun control needs to be more strict. I think school shootings happen because people realize how open a school can be.” (Diego Salgado, 9)
School shootings are one of the deadliest acts of violence in the world. They take young children and beloved teachers too early, and can hurt so many people. In order to protect future generations, we need to learn from past mistakes and teach young students how to stay safe in a world like this.
https://everytownresearch.org/maps/gunfire-on-school-grounds/
