The Year 2006 has started with violence
growing and
spreading from students to adults, both parents and teachers. The
following list of violent incidents were extracted from news reports.
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A Partial List of Recent Violence
within a two week time
frame
January 5, 2006:
Four students and five adults were arrested after a major fight at a
high school in Wichita. The incident apparently started with
students but spread to parents and reached a total of 15 people
engaged in the fight before security restored order.
1/9/06:
Two
JFK High in Patterson, NJ students were stabbed in an after
school fight and fled back into the school. Both were transported to
hospitals.
1/10/06:
Students in Coral Springs, FL reported that a student brought a
knife to school because there was a rumor about a fight. Shortly after
school the rumor came true and the teen with the knife stabbed another
teen. One student is in the hospital and the other in jail.
1/10/06:
Two Sunrise, FL 7th grade students are in jail after a fight
that involved a razor blade that left one of the students with 14
stitches. Students reported bullying was involved and that both boys
had been fighting off and on for about a week before the bloody
incident.
1/11/06:
In separate incidents at different schools in St Louis, a 12
year old attacked a teacher who was left with a concussion and an 18
year old student attacked a teacher who has been left with stitches in
his face. Both students face criminal charges.
1/11/06:
Five students in LaGrange, NY were arrested for fighting. One
of the students' father was also arrested for attacking a deputy and
an SRO who trying to detain his daughter.
1/12/06:
Three Chicago high school students were taken to the hospital
for treatment of wounds suffered when another student fired a pellet
gun into a crowd of students.
1/12/06:
In
the UK about 40 students participated in a massive fight with make shift weapons including sticks
and bricks. The fight was eventually broken up by teachers and the
Headmaster. Three boys were taken to hospital. Ages of the fighters
ranged from 12 to 15 years.
1/12/06: A fight broke out at a St Paul high school basket ball
game. It was broken up by staff but the fight continued outside and
left a 17 year old student shot and in the hospital in critical
condition.
1/12/06: A 14 year old student at Sylvan Hills Middle (Arkansas)
assaulted a teacher, slamming her into the wall, desk and file
cabinets. The student, whose record indicated violent outbursts, is in
jail.
1/12/06: The mother of student at a Detroit high school is in jail
after stabbing two other students at the school.
1/13/06: A 17 year old student is in a Detroit jail after firing a
gun inside his Detroit high school. Police believe he was firing into
the air to warn others.
1/13/06: A 15 year old student
of
Milwee Middle School was shot by a Seminole County
Sheriff’s SWAT Team. The student was brandishing a 9mm
look-a-like toy gun which he was representing as a real one. The
student later die of his injuries
1/17/06: A fight started at a high school
basket ball game in Calumet City but ended after the game with
a 17 year old student severely beaten and stabbed and three other
students under arrest.
1/20/06: A group of students on their way
to Hillcrest high in Queens, NY were attacked by a gang wielding
hockey sticks and possible other weapons. Two wounded students
stumbled into the school where administrators called 911. Four
students were taken to the hospital. Five member of the attacking gang
were arrested. They are not students at Hillcrest.
1/23/06: At
Milwee Middle School (see deadly shooting 1/13/06
above) a female
student called in a very specific bomb threat. She was caught on
the 7-11's video camera making the call to the school. She was later
arrested.
1/25/06: At
Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, a 17
year-old former student enters school with a
pellet gun and discard 8 rounds in a class
with students.
Bowmanville High School, Vincent Massey Public School and Central
Public school of the
Kawartha Pine
Ridge District School Board went into lockdown mode for about 20
minutes after a suspect, allegedly a former student at the high
school, walked into a classroom at 9 a.m. and started firing. The
suspect walked out of the school and discharged the weapon again in a
nearby, empty field, according to police.
February
10, 2006: Indianapolis, IN An IPS Police Officer confronted an intruder at a
pep rally. After a brief struggle the teen got into a car and attempted to run
down the officer who fired several shots into the car in self defense. A 17
year-old student surrendered to police a few hours later.
2/13/06: Buffalo, NY Last week fights in two different schools resulted in
seven suspensions--all were female. This represents a growing trend around the
country. As of this date, Buffalo schools have suspended 577 girls for fighting,
assault or physical contact. This is about 6 every school day.
See article "Violence
among Girls on the Rise".
2/16/06: Albany, NY
A
fight broke out at Albany High School that sent one student to the ER for
stitches. "They're gonna need to start kicking people out of school
'cause it's crazy. There's no control over anyone," said the student who was
injured during the fight.
2/16/06:
Vernal, UT Police arrested a student who was planning a major
assault against teachers and fellow students. Police found detailed threats in a
chat room. The student admitted the plans were real. Police said the most
disturbing thing is the number of other students who knew about the plot over a
month but never came forward or talked to anyone else.
See "Kids
are the Keys'This is just the first two weeks of the new year
and only what was reported. Some will argue that not all of these are
school related because the students were on their way to school or on
their way home from school. The legal standard for "school activity"
is threshold to threshold. However, the intent of this article is not
to assess blame or responsibility but to bring awareness of the
violence that students face everyday. Going to school should be
privilege, where young people can learn a curriculum and
socialization. It should not be a an experience of being forced to go
into a fearful environment where more and more students are carrying
weapons for self defense or dropping out to avoid injury.

Keys can help schools through
critical training
and services.
-
Meet
our
Subject Mater Experts who have help many schools with your
concerns and problem.
-
Anger Management/De-escalation will help teachers, administrators,
SRO's or any other youth workers know how to spot angering situations
and de-escalate them before someone gets hurts and someone else goes
to jail.
-
Assessing the Potentially Dangerous Student will help schools with
a risk/threat assessment and method of objectively recording indicators that
a student is in need of services, which services should be
utilized and how quickly it needs to happen. This program takes very
little in terms of resource and time but pays major dividends in
averting violence in the school.
-
Bullying Stops When Respect Begins is an imbedded curriculum
program that seeks to meet needs rather than controlling by
punishment. It empowers students to become proactive in reducing or
eliminating bullying themselves, without bullying those who bully.
Students as well as staff can be trained as trainers in this program
that effectively counters the number source of school (and workplace)
violence--Bullying.
These and many other programs are available
through Keys at
Critical Training. The principles of all Keys' Training are:
-
Practical. If
Keys has not seen it work,
it is not presented. This is not another theory, but practical
application that can be put in place immediately.
-
Tailored.
Keys never tries to force a
canned program. Every training event is designed to meet the needs
of the organization. Keys
Multi-Disciplinary Team of Subject Matter Experts can asses
needs and design a specific program.
-
Cost effective.
Keys is keenly aware of
budget limitations in education. All trainings are priced well below
national norms and most provide certification as a trainer so that
the school can then provide their own training in-house.
If your school or organization is concerned about
slowing the trend to violence in today's youth, contact Key To Safer
Schools today to learn how your school can be better prepared. You may
even find how you can receive free training.
If
you have any comments or questions please Email us at keys@keystosaferschools.com.
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