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School ViolenceThe problem of school violence is escalating and the media are stirring the public into a panic. This is unfortunate for several reasons: (1) The youth of today are by far the most responsible and least violent group of teenagers this country has ever had; (2) School is one of the safest places for children to be. Far more children are killed and injured by violence in their homes than in their schools; (3) School violence is the least significant factor contributing to violent death among young people. More teenagers are killed on the streets of their communities as a result of gang violence in a week than have been killed by all in school violence with in the last decade. Much of this gang violence is related to the drug trade. Most of it is perpetrated by and upon young people who have either dropped out of school or have been expelled from school as a result minor infractions of zero tolerance policies for violence. School systems are engaging in knee jerk reactions to protect our school children from violence that includes measures that are virtually turning our schools into minimum security correctional facilities, treating the majority of our youth who are decent law abiding kids as potential criminals, and creating a veritable police state by expecting family and peers to report |