in their communities aresafe from violence. The most tragic of recent school shootings didn’t occur in a large city such as New York or Los Angeles. It happened on April 20, 1999 in Littleton, Colorado, a small rural community that unfortunately became known around the world in such a tragic way. “Whether they live in the inner city or [in] the most serene suburb, . . . [parents] now know that their kids are not immune from the threat of guns [in the schools]” (Kantrowitz, 1999, p.39). Parents have become increasingly aware of what is going on in public school systems. This is partially the reason that home schooling is on the rise. Home schooling may not be the best answer for parents because the children don’t always have the social development from being around their peers. With parents, it seems that they decide to just pull their children out of the situation because it seems to be the safest thing to do. The best thing to do would be to advocate more for safety, rather than pulling the children out. All of the recent shootings have been making parents more aware that even though they live in a wealthy or small town, no one School Violence 5 is safe from violence. Although it does not matter where these school shootings are occurring, another important aspect of school violence includes some of the factors that can increase the risk of violent behavior in children. According to numerous research studies that were conducted by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, some of the factors that contribute to violent tendencies in children and adolescents include: Previous aggressive violent behavior Being the victim of physical abuse and/or sexual abuse Exposure to violence in the home and/or community Genetic (family heredity) factors Exposure to violence in the media (TV, movies, etc.) Use of drugs and/or alcohol Presence of ...
