As a nation, we are now attempting to recover from yet another school shooting, this latest one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which claimed the lives of 14 students and three teachers. The tragedy has sparked yet another heated debate about best practices for protecting students in our nation’s schools. Much of the current debate has centered around such strategies as enforcing stricter gun control laws, strengthening mental health services, bettering law enforcement responses to reported threats, and arming teachers in schools. Are there any other strategies that could be considered? I think so.
After the Columbine shooting, the California legislature mandated that a school violence prevention counselor be placed in every high school. Unfortunately, state funding for these positions was cut about a decade ago when the economic downturn hit, but it would certainly be a good idea to consider passing a similar mandate on a federal level.
A school violence prevention counselor can develop beneficial instructional programs on such topics as anger management, conflict resolution, anti-bullying, stress management, depression, or domestic violence. As for “see something, say something,” there are times when a student may be more willing to share about a potential threat with a counselor than with a resource officer, who, as a policeman, may seem like an intimidating person to approach. School violence prevention counselors have been specially trained to recognize and respond to potential threats, serving as a front-line defense. Because they have more training, more resources, and more time than other school personnel, they are better able to sift through rumors and reports and identify those threats that are the most likely to pose real danger. They may even be able to reduce the tensions that sometimes give rise to violent incidents.
When considering strategies for preventing further tragedies like the ones that have occurred at Columbine and Stoneman Douglas, it’s important to remember that there is no one single fix. We must use a combination of approaches that are both vigorous and innovative. Let’s include federal funding for the training and hiring of school violence prevention counselors in the conversation.
