The Failures in the Ohio School Shootings

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(2of2) It is also important to note that, as previously mentioned, a child experiencing these feelings and presenting as being overly self-confident may “fly under the radar” as teachers, administrators, parents, peers, etc may not have the opportunity to “see” those depressed and anxious feelings since they are internalized within the individual. As you mentioned, adults and peers alike need to be paying attention to what is NOT being said.
I am of the opinion that this kind of information should be shared with everyone in a school (students included) and with the community, rather than being kept within the smaller groups of social workers, special education teachers, and guidance counselors. Knowing what to look for and how to get a struggling adolescent the help and support he or she may need can only help to prevent incidents such as the recent shooting in Chardon. My heart goes out to the families directly affected and the community at large, and I sincerely hope that schools across the country begin and continue to educate their own about bullying and the many negative consequences that can result from the community tolerating and accepting it as “normal.”

Grace H of IL 9:16PM March 06, 2012

(1of2)As a former resident of Ohio, and having a close tie with a family who currently lives in Chardon, Ohio, I am immensely saddened by this tragedy. It is so difficult to wrap one’s mind around how much pain the community is experiencing, as well as the amount of pain and frustration that the young man who took several peers’ lives may have been, and may still be, experiencing. Please understand that I absolutely do not, in any way, condone the actions taken by this young man, but I think this tragedy brings to light, as you have suggested, the fact that these horrible things may be prevented if people are made more aware of possible warning signs.
Bullying is a major issue in our schools today and it can be difficult to detect and understand. Often, we find that bullying is a result of a systemic issue, whether within a family group, a school setting, or the community at large. Speaking from a psychological perspective, children who bully have often been victims (of other bullying, abuse, etc) at one time themselves and they therefore may have some insight into how to really hurt (emotionally or physically) others. I may be incorrect in this statement, as the information I have read and received about this event is piecemeal at best, but considering that this young man was receiving his education at a local behavioral/academic day school, it is more than likely that his self-esteem had been wounded at one time or another.
In children and adolescents, signs of decreased self-worth, decreased self-esteem, depression, and anxiety do not necessarily manifest in the way that they do in adults. For example, depression may present as social withdrawal, extremely inflated self-concept (as a compensation for the low self-esteem), or irritability, rather than, or in addition to, the “traditionally” understood sadness, increased fatigue, and lack of motivation or effort. When these things are suddenly recognized in an adolescent, without a visible or immediately perceivable trigger for the sudden change in attitude, action and intervention needs to be implemented quickly (psychoeducational evaluation, meeting with a school social worker, individual therapy, etc) to help understand any socio-emotional issues the adolescent may be experiencing and to help prevent the situation from escalating. Feelings and thoughts of anxiety can manifest differently in adolescents as well, looking more like avoidance and defensiveness rather than seeming panic-like. Individuals who are experiencing feelings and thoughts around both depression and anxiety are at an increased disadvantage, because they are likely to be confused and frustrated and may further withdraw and harbor resentment toward others who they perceive as having hurt them in some way.

Grace H of IL 9:15PM March 06, 2012

Certainly the sleazy slop and twisted degrading ideas spewed out of the "Entertainment Capitol of the World" and into our homes, theaters, schools and public places has nothing to do with the decline of a nation.
Such a silly notion.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 10:00PM March 01, 2012

This was a very sad tragedy that happened.
Questions:
Where did the gun come from?
A very sad, troubled kid,( divorced parents) living with his grandparents, were there no red flags?
A kid, who had enough on his plate to contend with, and yet was bullied to boot. Where were the red flags from students, teachers, and principal?
I do not condone his actions, but ask myself a question, could this sad tragedy been prevented?

Jerry 5:41PM March 01, 2012

Very good post. When I was a kid, they had these issues in NYC. They solved this problem by putting metal detectors in the schools. There weren't anymore shootings at these schools but that didn't stop the violence in the neighborhoods.

David Fanfan of NY 9:02PM February 29, 2012