# data[].attributes.body
My current perspective is through an elementary teacher and a graduate student's lens. My professional goal is to transition into an elementary school counseling job after receiving a Master of Education in Guidance & Counseling. My desire is to be an advocate for removing barriers in learning for all students.

# data[].attributes.headline
Exploration Option 1 - Five Issues According to a Current Professional 

# data[].attributes.subject
Exploration Option 1 - Five Issues According to a Current Professional 

# data[].attributes.body
I spoke with a 4th - 5th grade Assistant Principal, Dawn Cornutt about current legal and ethical issues impacting her role.
#1 -  Concerning legal issues impacting work, a parent perceived the administration was not complying with special education requirements which led to extensive documentation to prove the district was correct in the actions taken.
#2 - As an Assistant Principal, a big concern is making sure that I am following special education students' accommodations and disciplinary actions. Communication with the diagnostician to ensure manifestation ARDs are held and any behavior plans are implemented is essential.

# data[].attributes.body
#3 - Our town had a recent situation in which a coach had sexual relations with a student. This was a huge revelation in terms of making sure all information is reported appropriately to the correct authorities. Nothing can just be “handled in house” anymore. Law enforcement and Child Protective Services must always be notified. Additionally, the arrests in Wichita Falls ISD where administration failed to report sexual acts between two first graders was also a reminder to always be diligent in taking care of students and reporting incidents.
#4 - A student with severe behavioral issues had to be restrained after attempting to assault 3 different employees. I was concerned about the legalities and student retaliation due to the fact that the student was a special education student, but also because the student assaulted me during the restraint and was arrested.  He threatened to return and shoot people in the school. The event was documented, and appropriate personnel were notified, but still is a concern.
#5 - Confidentiality is always extremely important to keep in mind. We live in such a social media world and must remember to respect the privacy of our teachers and students.
(D. Cornutt, personal communication, June 8, 2018).

# data[].attributes.headline
Exploration Option 3 Continued...                    Education Dive

# data[].attributes.subject
Exploration Option 3 Continued...                    Education Dive

# data[].attributes.body
In Policy & Regulation news, a brief titled "Better Warnings Would Help Schools Filter Teaching Applicants with Sexual Abuse Histories" (Harper, 2018) recommends districts look further into backgrounds of potential new hire teachers to determine if there is a past record of violations. Many barriers protect these predators from being identified, such as silence agreements with districts that release them, teacher union groups, and unreported incidents.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dive Brief:

Many schools unknowingly hire teachers who have been dismissed from previous districts for sexual abuse because they aren't aware of the teacher's past history, according to a report from NPR.

Though the Title IX law passed in 1972 protects students from sexual abuse or misconduct by school employees, and 2015's Every Student Succeeds Act instructs districts that receive federal funding to take steps to prevent predatory teachers from finding new jobs, there are no clear, uniform plans for ensuring compliance with these provisions.

A 2015 study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice recommends that schools have "clear guidance for reporting" predatory teachers, as well as "collaborative relationships among agencies" to deal with the problem, and some states are enacting laws to address the issue. Texas, for example, recently enacted a law making it a felony for school administrators to intentionally fail to report predatory teachers.

Dive Insight:

The problem of sexual abuse by teachers is far more common than many administrators want to acknowledge. According to statistics provided by the Counter Pedophilia Investigative Unit, between 1% and 5% of teachers sexually harass or abuse students. In addition, at least 25% of school districts in the United States have dealt with incidents of staff sexual abuse in the past 10 years - and a growing number of women teachers are responsible for these crimes. In 2014, roughly 800 school employees were prosecuted for student sex crimes, and about one-third of that number was female. This also does not account for the many cases of sexual assault by teachers that go unreported or unbelieved.

No school administrator wants to hire a sexual offender. However, finding out about these issues is not always easy, especially when there is so much pressure to fill teacher slots. Some school districts have confidentiality agreements with teachers who leave the district or are simply concerned with violating personal or student privacy laws. Teacher unions have also occasionally complicated matters.

However, school districts and states need to come up with new polices that clearly state that student protection is the paramount issue. Some states, like Texas, have crafted such laws. In the current #MeToo environment, these policies are likely to see a greater chance of passage. At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Education also needs to give greater guidance on how to enforce the protections granted in policies like Title IX.

Though teachers do need ways to defend themselves against false accusations, school districts also need to ensure that allegations are investigated by police or other appropriate authorities so records are publicly available. Doing so can help other districts with their due diligence in the hiring process, so they don't simply pass predators off to other locations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Better warnings would help schools filter teaching applicants with sexual abuse histories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many schools unknowingly hire teachers who have been dismissed from previous districts for sexual abuse because they aren't aware of the teacher's past history, according to a report from NPR.

# data[].attributes.body
In Legislative news, Gov. Greg Abbott has called for schools to have more armed personnel and recommended they should put greater focus on spotting mental health problems in students, but he proposed only a few small restrictions on guns. These recommendations are voluntary, and the Texas legislature does not reconvene until 2019, when changes to laws could be approved (Venturo, 2018).

# data[].attributes.headline
Recognition of Mental Health Problems in Students to Prevent School Shootings

# data[].attributes.subject
Recognition of Mental Health Problems in Students to Prevent School Shootings

# data[].attributes.body
I am interested in ways to recognize mental health problems in students. As teachers, we have the benefit of recognizing behaviors and identifying them before a student decides to commit a shooting crime.

# data[].attributes.headline
Researching School Shootings and Prevention Methods 

# data[].attributes.subject
Researching School Shootings and Prevention Methods 

# data[].attributes.body
An internet search of this topic revealed an article titled "Deadly Mass Shootings, Mental Health, and Policies and Regulations: What We Are Obligated to Do!" by Marie Leiner, Izul De la Vega, and Bert Johansson. This article declares prevention is not merely increased gun regulations, but a conglomeration of all parties with combined solutions for youth.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Department of Pediatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX, United States

Political Science, UCLA Department of Political Science, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Conversations about mass shootings in the United States, particularly school shootings, should not be a temporary reflection. Rather, these shootings should prompt continuous action from citizens until something effective is done. It is particularly important to stop repeating past errors, such as focusing on who, or what, to blame ( 1). Most likely, the impetus behind the shootings cannot be found in a singular cause but is instead an intersection of many issues: mental health problems, a culture of violence, gun regulations, the consequences of poverty, etc. Perhaps the most pressing issue is the inability to establish a dialog between all involved parties to find reasonable solutions.

A Call for Action

The most recent mass shooting at Parkland High School resulted in over a dozen murdered students and a multitude of emotionally and physically scarred survivors. Their families, friends, and classmates will likely face lifelong consequences by carrying short- and long-term memories of devastation, violence, and suffering, simply because as a society we have not done enough to stop mass shootings. Perhaps, the latest victims' responses can inspire us, independent of our own political, sociological, or financial interests, to join their call for action. By joining them, we can finally meet our obligations as a society. Lorrie Alhadeff, the mother of Alyssa Alhadeff, murdered during the shooting kept calling for "action, action, action" when addressing the President of the United States. Her voice, along with the voices of other victims, should not be limited to the news cycle that immediately follows the shooting, but should have a long-lasting influence on policy. The Z generation is setting an example by fiercely confronting the issue. In response, we as academicians, students, and citizens should support their demands for a dialog that is long overdue.

Mental Health Issues

Mental health is a topic that necessitates more attention (not exclusively) considering that prevention should be the base of the pyramid of strategies. Funding for programs cannot be limited to care, but should also focus on prevention, and programs for young people already suffering from mental illness. In regard to care, there is a potentially devastating gap in mental health services in the United States. Millions of adults have behavioral conditions, including at least three million with serious mental health conditions that are not receiving treatment ( 2). In 2015, 63% of ~34 million adults with mild and moderate conditions were unattended and 89% of ~20 million adults needed substance abuse treatment. Services provided to these adults indicate a lack of services in the previous year with only 20% adults (any mental health conditions), 40% (serious mental health condition), and 90% (substance use services) receiving care.

Many of these individuals lack options for care and attend emergency services accounting for 3-4% of all emergency services provided. To blame violent acts on mental health problems might be inaccurate. The reality is that only 3-5% of all violent acts are committed by people with severe mental illness. Moreover, individuals with mental health problems are 10 times more likely to be victims of a violent crime when compared with the general population ( 3). However, many people with mental health problems are currently incarcerated. Prisons have increasingly become the nation's mental health treatment facilities holding individuals accused of lower level crimes such as trespassing, disorderly conduct, or theft ( 4). Along with limited options for care, there is a scarcity of programs that take preventative measures toward individuals where disparities most likely contribute to mental or behavioral issues.

Preventing Mental Health Issues at an Early Age

Aggressive behaviors among children are becoming an increasingly important and challenging topic in mental health care. These behaviors tend to start in early childhood and have been observed in up to 72% of children from ages 12-16 ( 5). Evidence suggests that should these aggressive behaviors become norms, the risk for serious problems, including school failure, drug addiction, and early pregnancies in adolescence, is three times higher than for individuals who possess better coping strategies ( 6). Especially at risk for these negative outcomes are children who belong to lower socioeconomic groups, who have teenage and/or single parents, or who demonstrate a difficult temperament ( 7). It appears that growing up in poverty can especially exacerbate these major behavioral problems and can be part of a cycle in which poverty contributes to mental illness while mental illness reinforces poverty ( 8). Lower socioeconomic status also reduces the opportunity for early intervention as it negatively affects access to health care or to mental health services, thus limiting detection, referral, and treatment opportunities ( 9). Other barriers such as language and literacy levels also contribute to these disparities ( 10- 13).

Published evidence suggests that reducing aggressive behaviors in young children is more effective than later interventions and may prevent the development of aggression as the preferred form of interaction with others ( 14). It is thus important to intervene early to reduce or avoid more serious behavioral problems later. Programs directed at parenting, as well as those that increase social and communication skills among pre-school children will have a high impact on their mental wellbeing later on in life.

The future for young people, where inaction continuously follows mass shootings, looks bleak without a concerted effort to address the factors that may contribute to mass shootings. Schools have traditionally been viewed as safe places, but now students are required to run drills in preparation for an active shooter situation. Many families live in a culture of violence, either in media or real life, but those who are confronted with disparities have a higher risk of suffering behavioral, social, and mental health problems. Young people are cycling between bullies, bully-victims, or victims and need programs that help them to move out of this process. Investment in preventative programs can reduce the production of mental health problems. It is important to consider a comprehensive approach that both improves school safety ( 15) and cultivates the conditions that promote equity among school-age children. School shootings are overwhelmingly carried out by disaffected and angry youths ( 16).

Overview of School Shootings

An analysis of 175 years of school shootings (1840-2015) including 304 events identifies as the primary factor for most shootings 185 (61.0%) as "anger," "fight," and "dispute" (combined). Secondary factors from those 185 events include [25 (14%) related to discipline, 19 (10%) related to harassment, 18 (10%) to dismissal (or failure or a bad grade), 14 (8%) to revenge, 7 (4%) to romance, and 4 (2%) to some domestic issue (i.e., domestic abuse or some other domestic issue) (2%)] ( 16). The same study includes 20 mass murder events (where at least 4 people died), where 6% of the shooting events accounting for 43% of the deaths and 37% of the injuries. From 1840 until 1966, only three mass murder events occurred at an educational institution (14 deaths and 4 injuries). After 1966, 17 events have resulted in 166 deaths and 204 injuries accounting for 85% of the mass murder shooting events since 1966, 92% of the deaths and 98% of the injuries.

Reframing the Debate

Due to severity of these numbers, it is important to reframe the debate on gun regulations as a potential win-win situation for all interested parties. While it is possible that both sides have valid points, neither side is being heard. It is possible the scarcity of debates on gun control stems from the financial support they provide to political candidates as an incentive for turning the conversation away from gun control. According to a study from the Center for Responsible Politics, a nonpartisan think tank, the National Rifle Association funneled $5.9 million into Republican candidates during the 2016 election cycle. Nonetheless, we must acknowledge that the causes for gun violence are an intersection of many problems and we need to turn our focus toward other methods to reduce gun violence. Author Pamela Haag, in her book, The Gunning of America, claims that gun companies not only manufacture guns but also manufactured the demand for them. She dismisses the idea that America has a gun culture but instead the culture was created by corporations and given to us ( 1). At the very least, these marketing strategies are tangentially responsible for providing the guns that have fueled the US homicide rate to 20 times higher than the combined rates of 22 similarly developed countries.

The right to bear arms is not the issue that needs to be confronted, but rather the regulations that need to be discussed for the benefit of all. It is important to note that since the massacre in Newtown over 100 pieces of gun legislation have failed in Congress and not even one reform has passed. It is an unfortunate measure of our society that the shooting deaths of over a dozen first-graders was met with empty thoughts and prayers and little deliberate action to prevent a massacre in the future.

Conclusion

It is unclear if only regulations can resolve this complex problem ( 17) instead it is necessary to have a dialog where all interested parties have a voice and an interest to solve the problem using a holistic approach. The best approach should place responsibility where it belongs and should not place the interests of a few over the benefit of all. We need to support the movement that has emerged from the aftermath of the Parkland High School shooting and actively pursue solutions to mass shootings, regardless of ideology, profession, or financial interest. This might include a multidisciplinary approach to the problem that brings different issues to the debate, such as mental health services and mental health prevention funding, programs to increase access to resources for at risk youth, and a reasonable approach to gun control. Let us not to forget that we are obligated as society to provide our youth with positive role models, a sense of safety, and hope for the future.

Author Contributions

ML, IV, and BJ make substantial contributions to conception and design of draft a final paper, based on their professional experience.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

References

1. Karnedy D. Kathryn Linder: rampage violence narratives: what fictional accounts of school shootings say about the future of America's youth. J Youth Adolesc (2016) 45(5):1048-52. doi:10.1007/s10964-016-0464-8

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

17. Gius M. The effects of state and Federal gun control laws on school shootings. Appl Econ Lett (2018) 25(5):317-20. doi:10.1080/13504851.2017.1319555

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Deadly Mass Shootings, Mental Health, and Policies and Regulations: What We Are Obligated to Do!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Deadly mass shootings, mental health, and policies and regulations: What we are obligated to do!Conversations about mass shootings in the United States, particularly school shootings, should not be a temporary reflection. Rather, these shootings should prompt continuous action from citizens until something effective is done.

# data[].attributes.headline
Researching School Shootings and Prevention Methods

# data[].attributes.subject
Researching School Shootings and Prevention Methods

# data[].attributes.body
In searching the Angelo State University Library, this academic journal article appeared: "Mass Shootings, Mental Illness, and Gun Control" by Sean Philpott-Jones, which details past shootings and the circumstances, citing that gun control is not the entire solution to the problem.

# data[].attributes.headline
What I Learned About School Shootings and Prevention

# data[].attributes.subject
What I Learned About School Shootings and Prevention

# data[].attributes.body
The topic of school shootings and prevention methods is one of great interest given the times we live in. Increasing reports of mass shootings in schools are of great concern, and the nation must come together to find a solution. Disagreements and unresolved policy changes are costing our schools to live in uncertainty and fear.

As a teacher, this is very concerning to me. I want to be prepared, to have a plan, and to have practiced with my students. Those are the only steps I can take for protection, other than obtaining a License to Carry a weapon at school. Although my local schools have added security measures and locks on doors, there are no locks that can stop a gun. What can be done to prevent this growing problem?

The articles I located suggested several actions needing research and implementation. Philpott-Jones (2018) believes gun control is not solely the problem. Instead, he says mental health disorders can be diagnosed and recorded, then uploaded into a national database that is accessed when applications for gun purchase are filed (Philpott-Jones, 2018). Similarly, the article by Leiner, De la Vega, and Johansson (2018) states prevention is not merely increased regulations for purchasing guns, but a multidisciplinary approach that includes combining mental health services, added resources for at-risk youth, and a reasonable approach to gun control.

While these solutions seem well-researched, to truly change things new policies and laws will need to be made and implemented. Awareness of these solutions is important so that opposing sides on the issue can come together to make decisions. It seems the indecision and minimal law and policy changes are part of the problem as well, and ones that need to be changed first to protect our nation’s teachers and students.

# data[].attributes.body
Harper, A. (2018). Better warnings would help schools filter teaching applicants with sexual abuse histories. Retrieved from https://www.educationdive.com/news/better-warnings-would-help-schools-filter-teaching-applicants-with-sexual-a/520890/

Leiner, M., De la Vega, I., & Johansson, B. (2018). Deadly mass shootings, mental health, and policies and regulations: What we are obligated to do! Frontiers in Pediatrics, doi:10.3389/fped.2018.00099

Philpott-Jones, S. (2018). Mass shootings, mental illness, and gun control. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.easydb.angelo.edu/doi/full/10.1002/hast.832

Venturo, J. (2018). Abbott's school safety plan includes few gun restrictions. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/05/30/abbotts-school-safety-plan-includes-few_ap.html?qs=texas%2Blaw