Rampaging School Violence

[MizLit]

Today, Finland joined the ranks of countries who have experienced student rampage-type school shooting. I wonder if their experience has more to do with the times we live in, or is this a matter of exported American culture? Or can we not separate the two?

The story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7082795.stm

[Connie Weber]

PS: you could post things like this on the main forum; it'd be interesting to see what lots of people say--

[Connie Weber]

Hello,

You're asking a very good question. I live in America; I'm the chair of our school emergency team. Just recently I went to an all-day conference (with police-people and educators) and studied school violence.
I think it's both the times we live in, and a particular phenomenon of American culture. (It's a global thing, AND a lot of the influence comes from America.)
Really I have no authority to be saying what I'm saying; it's just an impression I've gained from so many years in the field.
People say violent video games make no difference, but I think on some level they have to. Same with violent TV, and what we put up with in media in general.
I think the school violence incidents are symptoms of a disassociation we've let creep in in our child-raising. We have to join together purposefully, in positive ways, to raise the children together.
This used to happen rather naturally in human associations. With so much moving and change and struggles and disconnected families today, and with a very unhealthy popular media environment, we have to make MORE of an effort to raise the children with care.

That's what I'd have to say about school violence.
It was sad that I had to be trained in how to deal with it--so that I could teach others how to best respond to horrific events, if they should ever occur. What a clear illustration of how important creating "communities of care" is, so that that violence takes a downward trend.