Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

When teenagers face pressure, anger, or abuse, it only leads to disruptive

behavior not only at home, but in their schools. The high statistics that

schools produce each year in violence are off the charts. Whether it's someone bullying

someone or a fight that just broke in the cafeteria, its all under one name and label:

Violence. As our schools are taking steps to prevent violence from getting any further, its

also changing the security levels which is a big step in keeping our schools safer.

Back in April 1999 at a suburban high school in Jefferson County,

Colorado, the most devastating school in U.S. history; the shooting at Columbine High

school. The shooting was administered by two students who ended up killing 13 others

and wounded 21 before they took their own life. As a result of this tragic and disturbing

day, school's having been taking extra precautions to keep their students safe. Some

schools have had their focus mainly on having no weapons, by allowing random locker

and bag checks, limiting entries and exits, and keeping all hallways under supervision. As

administrations take these precautions, they also need to be aware of trying to find the

source of all this, the students.

The infamous long list of problems that teenagers go through may seem

unbearable for some, resulting in them trying to find an answer out. Whether its not being

popular enough or just the classic bullying, some will try relentlessly to solve their

problems, but not in the right way. In Richard K. Longs "When the News is Dire", he

states that 50 students and faculty member have been killed in 27 school shootings over

the past seven years. In each of these cases, the victims were attacked by one or more

students. The problem with this is that its random killings by students, yet why are they

doing this? Its because of the pressures that they go through and this is the only option to

make it all stop for them.

So exactly what are our school systems doing to prevent any more

violence from happening? Well, for starters the zero-tolerance rule as been issued. Even

though zero-tolerance as been apart of many school already, its now been pushed to a

higher level. Its basic purpose is to protect the students and staff members by allowing

the removal of dangerous students. Gerald Tirozzi, an executive director of the National

Association of Secondary School Principals agrees. "Zero-tolerance policies are all

together appropriate in the continuing effort to protect students and staff," he says. Many

have agreed that having the zero-tolerance policy puts students in-line and teaches them

to behave themselves and to respect others.

As the zero-tolerance policy might be one idea to help subside violence in

our schools, having security on campus has been on the rise tremendously. If a student is

caught with out permission to go about the school, whether it's the bathroom room or

locker, detention slips will be issued. The high rise of security has affected our schools in

more ways than one in a positive way. Not only does it keep the students under

supervision,