August 18, 1999
Would improved school security help stop massacres like the one at Columbine High School in Colorado?
In today's Family Now report, Ruth Todd explains why we might be looking for a solution
to school violence in the wrong place.
Schools across the nation are turning to metal detectors, locker searches and uniforms to stem the tide of violence.
But one expert says communities, and especially families, need to look inward for a solution to the problem.
Paul Mones is an Oregon-based attorney who has worked on over 300 cases of kids who kill.
He says metal detectors and other hardware in schools may make matters worse by simply giving violent kids a greater challenge.
Paul Mones/Children's Rights Attorney: "THE KID HAS A DESIGN ON WANTING TO KILL, HE'LL KILL. THE WAY I SEE IT, THE MORE THEY LOCK THE SCHOOLS DOWN, THE MORE THE VIOLENCE IS GOING TO HAPPEN SOMEPLACE ELSE."
But the problem for many kids starts before they walk through the doors of a high school.
They may grow up to be killers because they are abused, and learn that violence is a way of life.
Paul Mones: THE PROBLEM THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT CHILD ABUSE CONTINUES AFTER THE KID IS A LITTLE KID, AND GOES ON TO BE A TEENAGER. OR THE EFFECTS OF BEING INJURED AS A CHILD CONTINUE INTO THE TEENAGE YEARS."
Studies say enduring child abuse is the single greatest risk factor for later violent behavior.
Mones says teachers and parents can look for signs of abuse and even a potential violent streak in very young children.
Paul Mones: "'CAUSE IN THE LONG RUN, TRYING TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM IN HIGH SCHOOL IS NOT REALLY WHERE WE WANT TO START. THE KIDS WHO SHOW THE PROBLEMS WHO LATER ON KILL IN HIGH SCHOOL ARE SHOWING PROBLEMS IN FIRST SECOND AND THIRD GRADE."
Some warnings signs: kids who are schoolyard bullies, who act out in class or suffer from depression.
