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December 10, 2007
An ounce of intervention . . .BoardBuzz, like much of America, has been saddened by recent high profile and senseless acts of violence by young people, including the Virginia Tech massacre and the recent shopping mall tragedy in Omaha. It's understandable that educators, administrators, and school districts are wondering what we can do now to help prevent this kind of tragedy down the road. And now an article on CNN.com has some recommendations.
Everything from video games to poor parenting to lack of education has been blamed for the outbursts, but the article asserts that by taking steps to intervene now can actually prevent troubled youth from acting out.
"We've learned a lot about what works," said Tom Simon, deputy associate director for science for the Centers for Disease Control's Division of Violence Prevention. "There's only so much we can do as a society to keep the places where we gather safe -- metal detectors, guards, cameras. The need, really, is to focus on primary prevention. We need to start early."
And just how can we get started early?
In nearly every case of rampage shootings by youths, a clear pattern emerges -- after it's too late.Warning signs of emotional disturbance are usually there, [Terry Cline an administrator with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)] said. But those who see it -- typically a youth's friends or fellow students -- are "not quite sure what to do with that."
In addition, he said, the stigma still attached to mental disturbances prevents people from asking for help or talking to someone about it.
"We want to make certain that people have a better understanding of those early warning signs and know what to look for," Cline said.
The article goes on to suggest that intervention programs in schools may help curb the violence.
Students who participate in such a universal school program -- aimed at impacting all the children in a school, not just those who are at risk for future violence -- have shown a 15 percent relative reduction in violent behavior, Simon said.SAMHSA has launched a program called "What a Difference A Friend Makes," Cline said. It is aimed at educating young people on the signs of mental illness and emotional disturbance and encouraging them to provide support to friends who may be experiencing difficulty, rather than becoming awkward and uncomfortable and turning away.
"Their support may be critical to that person's recovery," he said.
The program, which targets 18- to 24-year-olds, involves public service announcements and other ads. In addition, information packets have been distributed to college students nationwide. SAMHSA is retooling it to target ethnic and racial minorities and will relaunch it in the near future, Cline said.
Focusing on the age group is important, he said. Half of all lifetime cases of mental illness are diagnosed by age 14, and three-quarters by the age of 24.
After-school programs can provide a youth with the opportunity to learn new skills and build a positive relationship with at least one adult, and mentoring programs can provide teens with a "supportive, nonjudgmental role model," according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Center, an organization that evolved from the White House-established Council on Youth Violence, the CDC and other agencies following the Columbine shootings.
It's clear that communities as a whole need to make every effort possible to help troubled youngsters before they act out in violence. Does your school district have any programs in place to support students in crisis? Leave a comment and tell us about it.
Posted December 10, 2007 3:16 PM | Health & Wellness | Students
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