School shooting in the United States
Gun violence is a pervasive issue that has undoubtedly steered fierce national gun debates in the US. Among these hideous scenarios are school shootings. Michigan, Florida, and Washington are the sites which some of the earliest school shootings occurred. The somewhat bitter fact is that it still is a common incident that has led to devastating effects on the minds of the young generation and the families of the affected victims. These gruesome incidences have led to many unanswered questions and arguments about the leading cause and how to solve such events because it seems the school is not a haven for young people. This essay discusses some of the reasons and lays down interventions to possibly mitigate school shootings.
It is crucial to understand the cause of such unimaginable tragedies to initiate a more reliable way of reducing them. Bullying is among the cause of this problem. According to government research, in the 1919s, 12 of 15 school shootings were associated with bullying. Such cases can be expounded by the horrific incident in columbine high school in Littleton, Colorado, where two teens killed 13 people and wounded more than 20 before committing suicide themselves. The two committed this atrocity because they were in a social outcast group and retaliated for being bullied.
There is a clear and constant linking between school shootings and psychiatric treatment, especially mind-alternating drugs. Many of the offenders who were on psychiatric medication for their disorder experienced side effects before committing the act. There have been 22 drug regulatory warnings on psychiatric drugs citing effects of mania, hostility, and even homicidal idealizations (Lee, 2013). An example made public by law enforcement was 12-year-old Reyes, who killed a teacher and wounded two classmates before committing suicide. Investigation showed that he had been prescribed an antidepressant Prozac, which was in his system at the time of death.
Gun legislation can also be considered as a factor leading to school shootings. Building the arsenal that some of these offenders use would be hardly possible in other countries with stricter gun control. With more stringent gun regulations, atrocious incidences like the columbine, Virginia Tech or Ohio would not have happened. Sturdy has also shown that mental health issues can be a contributing factor. These mental illnesses include schizophrenia and depression, which can be found in teens. A young teen can join a school, become deluded, scary, and obsessed, and get rejected and isolated, creating a sense of self-denial. These problems torment and demoralize the affected individuals making them rather dangerous to others.
The possible way of mitigating school shootings in the US is by promoting programs that help prevent stalking, hazing, and other social abuse through social networks. Mental illness is curbed by introducing care programs for children with mental issues and supporting them through encouraging their involvement in all school activities to reduce isolation. In consideration of psychiatric treatments, more stringent control is put into handling these drugs and reducing peddlers. Gun regulation is also a crucial factor that can’t be left behind when curbing these events such that in no situation should a person with previous mental illness is issued with a gun.
School shootings are an unimaginable occurrence that has contributed to society and left much trauma to the affected victims. It is caused by bullying, psychiatric treatment, gun legislation weaknesses, and mental health issues. There are ways of curbing them, but it is upon the American society to understand that this is a sensitive issue and should be treated with as much attention.