The Parents Role in School Shootings Essay - 1196 Words

When children commit a horrible act such as a school shooting their parents often look for someone or something to blame rather than looking at what role they, as parents, may have had in the tragedy. The often targeted entertainers, video game developers, teachers, drug companies, and writers are rarely, if ever, responsible for such tragic outcomes and, unfortunately, often become victims as a result of lawsuits filed in an attempt to place blame on them. The parents of dangerous children must be scrutinized and sued alongside every other entity being blamed for the heinous crimes that children commit. When 2 young men, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, went on a shooting spree in Littleton, Colorado, killing 15 people, including†¦show more content†¦Before the 1999 Columbine tragedy, there was the 14-year-old boy in Paducah, Kentucky who, in 1997, went on a shooting spree at his local school. Parents of 3 of the shooting victims filed lawsuits against 25 media companies seeking $130 million in damages, citing that the shooter, Michael Carneal, learned how to shoot a gun by playing video and computer games. The lawsuits further implied that violent movies and internet pornography were to blame for the boy’s behavior (Holmstrom, par. 6). In both the Columbine and the Paducah, Kentucky cases the parents of the shooters were sued on the grounds that they should have known, and prevented, the tragedies from occurring. According to an article written by Mark Walsh regarding the Paducah shooting, a state-law negligence suit â€Å"named 45 defendants, including McCracken County†¦teachers†¦who allegedly failed to interpret â€Å"warning signals† [referring to a paper that Carneal had written depicting a fictitious school shooting] that 14-year-old Michael Carneal would go on a murderous rampage† (Walsh, par. 4). The case against the employees of the McCracken County School District was dismissed by Judge William Shadoan, citing, â€Å"We cannot expect those teachers and administrators to be psychiatrists, lawyers, psychologists, or physicians† (Walsh, par. 15). These school employees should have never been put in the position to have to defend themselves against suchShow MoreRelatedViolence In Schools Is A Big Social Issue That Occurs Almost1339 Words   |  6 Pages Violence in schools is a big social issue that occurs almost everyday throughout the United States. There is no way to tell when it is going to happen, but when it does, people need to be prepared. This violence leads to devastating effects on the students, teachers, and families of these kids. Some violence that occurs within the schools across the United States include physical, mental, or sexual abuse, theft, vandalism, and, the most common form, fighting and bullying. One form of violence withinRead MoreThe Importance of Homeschooling1086 Words   |  5 Pagesthroughout the school drowning out all other noises. The gunman creeps down the hallway as he passes crumpled, bloodied bodies of people that he’s shot. Eventually making his way down to the school’s cafeteria, he meets up with his comrade who is also disguised in army gear. The two gunmen, both students at the school, soon decide to take their own lives in the library of Columbine High School. Considered to b e one of the worst school shootings in history, this event put many parents on edge and causedRead MoreAnalysis Of A Mother s Reckoning 1369 Words   |  6 PagesPaige Collins Mrs.Rogers English 12 Per.03 February 27, 2017 Senior Research Paper School shootings have become most common in the United States with having over 70 shootings since the Columbine Massacre on April 20, 1999. America is the only country that has a lead in the shooting epidemic, and many have questions such as, ‘what are the warning signs of a school shooter or mass murderer?’ As well as wondering if the person could get mental health early in life to prevent anything in the futureRead More Who Is Responsible For The Columbine Killings? Essay1293 Words   |  6 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Even since the shooting at Columbine High School caught the attention of America and all the world on April 20, 1999, high school shootings and other forms of violence at schools has been plaguing America during the last ten years. It is also found that most of the violence that occurs in high schools is caused by young men. Students aren’t feeling safe at school anymore and parents are enraged that students could bring the weapons to school in the first place. Many people haveRead MoreUnderstanding School Shootings774 Words   |  3 PagesUnderstanding School Shootings There are a lot of school shootings happening in the U.S., today. These school shooters have problems, which they need to be helped immediately. Schools need more security in order to prepare for these shootings. People never know or expect a person in their school to start shooting a gun at innocent people. Throughout years, more and more shootings are occurring, we need to find out what causes these tragic dilemmas in schools. Students need to help out other studentsRead MoreArmed Teachers: Superheroes of the Future?1364 Words   |  5 Pagesconsidered outcasts, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, walked into Columbine High School in Colorado, opened fire and murdered twelve students, one teacher, while injuring twenty-four additional students before turning the gun on themselves. In 2007, Seung-Hui Choo, a senior at Virginia Tech, shot and killed thirty-two people and injured seventeen others, before turning the gun on himself. It was the deadliest mass shooting at a school in Unite d States history. In 2012, Adam Lanza, shot and killed his motherRead MoreViolent Video Games And Television1485 Words   |  6 Pagesstudents plotted a school shooting, sadly managing to kill 12 students and one teacher, along with several other major injuries. Knowing they would soon be caught, the two perpetrators committed suicide. This was the Columbine High School massacre. Although their motives were unclear, investigators concluded that the shooters conspired to â€Å"compete† against other mass shootings in the ‘90s, stating that they were homicidal psychopaths. The shooting was known as the deadliest school shooting ever recordedRead MoreStrain Theory Essay1361 Words   |  6 Pagesrather have a say and freedom to make their own decisions (Simpson, 2000). Several juveniles can’t achieve these goals because they don’t have the money to go buy clothes or they don’t get treated fairly by others. Then juveniles feel that, â€Å"Their par ents and teachers try to control things such as how they dress, how late they stay out, and with whom they associate† (Simpson, 2000, p.109). Removing the loss of positively valued stimuli is felt when an individual loses something that has a great valueRead MoreThe Non Fiction Account Of Columbine By David Cullen1210 Words   |  5 PagesColumbine is, unsurprisingly, based off of the real-life school shooting of the same name. However, when one really begins to dig into the subject of the book, one will find that the school-shooting serves as just one part in the book as a whole. Columbine does not solely follow the massacre itself. Rather, it tries to focus attention not only on the tragedy in the school, but the tragedy on the outside as well. Cullen’s book makes the shooting a focal point, but leaves much of the story to be toldRead MoreShould Armed Guard Be Patrolled Schools?1240 Words   |  5 PagesShould armed guard be patrolling schools? There were over 200 school shootings in America from 2013 to 2015 — an average of nearly one a week. In all, these incidents resulted in 59 deaths and 124 non-fatal gunshot injuries. A staggering statistic considering that protecting children at schools has been and will be one of the top priorities for all Americans. Americans disagree on many topics and have diverse social and economic beliefs , but we all agree on providing safe and secure learning environments