3 ways to protect your child from school shootings
The world as a whole has had a much needed break from school shootings for the past year due to the global pandemic. While it might be hard to see the silver lining in a global pandemic, the recent news report out of Russia highlights why that observation is both real and accurate.
As reported in multiple media outlets including the New York Times and CNN, eight children and one teacher lost their lives on Tuesday during a Russian school shooting that has left the world shocked.
At least 13 people plus an additional attacker were taken to a hospital while one teenage attacker was detained by Russian authorities.
The Russian school is located in the western city of Kazan.
As COVID-19 restrictions begin to lessen and schools begin to open up internationally, there is predicted to be a sharp rise in school shootings internationally.
While there are underlying reasons why experts expect to see a rise in school shootings, the purpose of this article and podcast is to provide you with three tips to protect your child from school shootings in your area.
Homeschool
The reality is that you will see an increase in school shootings internationally and so the best to to protect your child is to homeschool them. For many families, this option may seem quite drastic but the reality is that the world of 2021 is extremely unpredictable. As stresses intensify in the economy, stress in the family is also on the rise. That being the case, youths are under more pressure than ever before. Even though that is no excuse for a child to lash out at schoolmates and teachers, the present economic and mental health state of families all over the world is in something of a pressure cooker. It’s no longer a matter of “if” bad things will happen at your child's school, it’s a matter of “when.” That being the case, your best line of defense is to homeschool your child.
2. Charter school
The second best option is to send your child to a non-traditional charter school. In most cases, Charter schools have a smaller population and in some cases don’t require your child to attend five days a week. The smaller environment may or may not be a good thing depending on staff and student population. It will be up to the parent or garden to do their due diligence and ensure that the school is relatively safe for their child.
3. Note how a school responds to bullying
The Safe Schools Initiative Report suggested that 71% of school shooting attackers were victims of bullying.
Also, 87% of school shooting perpetrators left behind evidence that they were victims of severe bullying.
So, how a school responds to bullying is a good indication of the type of environment your child is in and may be a great way to determine if something like a “school shooting” is likely to happen at your child's school.
Does your child's school have a habit of ignoring school bullying?
Does your child's school regularly fail to follow through on their “Zero Tolerance Bullying” policy?
Does their school district make excuses for their teachers and school as to why they are not following through on bullying reports or do they take action to fix the situation?
The answers to those questions will reveal to you the school's climate and if a “school shooting” is more or less likely to happen at your child's school.
Also, does your child school have a high turnover rate for teachers and educators? If so, this may be the result of a poor administration.
Poor administration puts great strain on educators and may make them less inclined to follow up on a bullying incident, not because they don’t care but because they are distracted by the extreme stress involved in working for a poor school administration. The results can still be categorically bad, resulting in neglecting the emotional needs of their students and may lead to school shootings.
These tips will support the initiative of good parents who do their best to provide a loving a positive school environment for their beloved children.
