High School Horror

It was the last month of my senior year at Norwin High School, a small community east of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, and everyone in my school had what was called “senioritis.” Senioritis, a condition high school senior’s get when they have completely tapped out for the rest of their high school career. Mine was in full effect. It was a normal day. I was sitting in my sixth period class, right before lunch, completely zoned out, typical. My head was buried in my desk, counting the minutes until lunch. Then we heard it. Our faces went pale, and our hearts dropped to the floor; it was the school shooter alarm.

For weeks prior, we had been practicing the drill after the Stoneman-Douglass High shooting. We were informed that the drill would never occur during a lunch period unless it was the real deal. I panicked. I was on the second floor of the building with no exits in sight. My teacher, who was also equally as pale, went silent. He was able to mutter the words “grab the door lock” through his fear. We shoved the lock that we were advised to use in the door, and began stacking desks and chairs in front. I remember looking outside and seeing kids run down the roads and over the hillside, flowing from every single door of the building. I contemplated how I could successfully climb out of the window and scale the building to the ground. It was a feeling that I will never forget. Although it was only the office secretary who had accidentally hit the button, for a few moments we were not sure if our school was next to make the headlines, with pictures of my friends who did not make it out alive.

Since the 2001-2002 school year, school shooting casualties have increased by about 241 percent, and up until the 2015-2016 school year, 190 incidents have occurred (Rock). Additionally, 437 people were shot with 290 being students (Rock). School shootings have become much more prevalent in our society throughout the years. We can attribute this to technology increasing the chance for bullying, the lack of opportunities for help, and the increase of societal pressures on the youth.

Although school shootings have more recently become a serious issue, they have been around in America as early as 1764, when four Lenape Indians shot and killed the schoolmaster along with nine children at a school house near Greencastle, Pennsylvania. The first shooting to be done by a student was in 1853, when Mathew Ward shot and killed his school master for excessively punishing his brother the day prior in Louisville, Kentucky. Despite shooting the schoolmaster in the face, Mathew was eventually acquitted for the crime (Staff, CS). It wasn’t until 1966 that the death toll of school shootings began to increase with the University of Texas tower shooter, Charles Whitman, who shot and killed his mother, and wife, and 15 more students on campus. This was considered the deadliest school shooting until 1999, when two students at Columbine high school in Colorado shot and killed 13 people, and injured an additional 20 (Editors). This was proceeded by the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, which lead to a total of 33 students dead, including the shooter. Since then, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of schools shooting a year and their death tolls. Since 1970, there have been 13,000 school shooting incidents. Last year, we had the most incidents since 1970, and the highest death toll, clocking in at 51 deaths (Staff, CS). In the 21st century, including colleges, 99 people have died from a school shooting, easily surpassing the 20th century with only 55 left dead (Augenstein).

As we see an increase in technology, and its capacities, we have also seen a steady increase in bullying and violence. Smartphones, in today’s standards, did not exist a decade ago, and if they did, they were in their most infantile stages. Today, 95 percent of Americans own a cellphone, with 77 percent consisting of smart phones (“Demographics of Mobile Device Ownership and Adoption in the United States”). We have the capability to be connected to each other, across the world, at any time, at any place. This has proved to be both a blessing and a curse. Although we communicate more efficiently, we as humans do not always have the best intentions, and in turn, have found ways to use technology against others. 80 percent of teens said that they use a cell phone regularly. On top of that, 75 percent of students say that they have seen frequent bullying online (“11 Facts About Cyber Bullying”). This doesn’t even consider the potential physical bullying that could also be occurring as well. According to Psychology today, 75 percent of school shooters felt that they were bullied or harassed. Some even felt treated unfairly by teachers (“Profiling School Shooters”). Imagine going in to school every day only to be scorned by the people around you, including those who are meant to help. Then, going home and having the abuse follow until they fall asleep, only to continue the minute they open their eyes. That could make a sane person go crazy.

Some of the effects of cyber bullying may also help us to understand the psychological manifestations behind the shooter's actions. Cyber bullying may leave victims with an array of effects, the most common being “increased emotional distress, lowered self-esteem, and isolation or withdrawal” (Darrin). All of these traits are common risk factors for anti-social personality disorder, a mental health condition in which a person has a long-term pattern of manipulating, exploiting, or violating the rights of others (“Antisocial Personality Disorder”). The cause of the disorder is still unknown, but has been attributed to abuse in adolescents. In Psychology Today's research evaluating school shooters, they found that “school shooters tended to be socially awkward, avoidant, and would isolate themselves” (“Profiling School Shooter”). These are also traits exhibited by those with anti- social personality disorder (“Anti Personality Disorder”). Cyber bulling and traditional bullying may be a possible reason for the onset of this disorder in school shooters.

In the realm of bullying and mental illness, the availability for help in both of those regards is slim and limited. As children, we were always told to tell someone when something bad is happening. Being a good little girl, I would always tell the teacher when a boy would call me a mean name, or when a girl in our elementary clique would tell me I could not sit at the lunch table. In time, I became the notorious tattle tale and realized that handling these things on my own was much more productive. When a boy continued to call me “fat slut” for months without any repercussions, instead of telling a teacher, which had already deemed itself useless, I told my older brother. In turn, he broke the kids arm, and gave him two black eyes the next day, the kid never said a word to me again. It was much more beneficial for me to take the violent path than to tell an authoritative figure. Children recognize this and choose not to obtain help from teachers, there is minimal trust between them (Rigby). Just like I did, children may also fear the repercussions from other students when telling an authoritative figure as well as being blown off by them.

The complications within the mental health field also make it more difficult for those to obtain proper treatment. In our society, there is more of a focus on adult mental health opposed to children. There is an abundance of tests focused on the mental state of adults. This is because only 50 percent of mental illnesses are not brought out until about age 14 and 75 percent at 24 (“Mental Health Screening”) . This may lead to an inaccuracy of diagnoses. In the 20th century, we have seen 25 school shooters, but only 9 have been properly diagnosed with a mental illness. From the, Journal of Child and Family Studies, lead author Antonis Katsiyannis states that, "One alarming trend is that the overwhelming majority of 21st-century shooters were adolescents, suggesting that it is now easier for them to access guns, and that they more frequently suffer from mental health issues, or limited conflict resolution skills" (“Rapid Rise in Mass School Shootings in the United States, Study Shows”). This wraps the issue in two, and shows the correlation between both. These children suffer from a disorder and have no resources to take adequate steps to a healthy solution.

In terms of what proper treatment is, this also is a major issue in our society. In the psychology field, there is a problem referred to as the "research to practice gap.” Psychologists are supposed to use treatments that are considered evidence based. A lot of times, it is hard for psychologists to quantify qualitative research, causing some treatments that may be more beneficial to go unrecognized. On top of this issue, we as an average person would not be able to distinguish between evidence-based and not. When getting treatment, we must trust that our doctor is being ethical. This may lead patients to be distrustful of getting help as well as the risk of getting improper help (“Two Major Problems Facing Mental Health Treatment”). In addition, there are just not as many trained providers to meet our population demands. We are always told to go see a therapist, but are never told about the lengthy process it takes to find one that fits our price range and our needs.

Society is always telling us what we should and shouldn’t do. Naturally, we as humans want to progress, but at our own rate. The underlying pressure from society can be a lot on all of us at times, and may push the most vulnerable over the edge. In our generation, we are expected to be independent, diverse, sociable, optimistic, open, respectful, and most importantly, obtain the best education that we possibly can (“Generational Differences”). For some, this is not an option, as they do what they can to get by day to day. Moreover, they are expected to be happy-go-lucky about it, and if they are not, they are told about someone out there who has it worse than them. We are all human; we are the most intricate animals to ever walk this earth. We should not allow ourselves to be glued to societal standards, and we should not be judged solely upon that.

Another pressure our generation has faced is being children of divorce. It is not uncommon for anyone to be divorced in America, 40 percent to 50 percent of married couples end in divorce (Harrington & Buckingham). The impact that it has on the children of the couple is detrimental. Commonly, children of divorce will act out with aggression, because they feel as if their parents do not care about them (“The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents”). They may feel as though it is a punishment, or that their parents are inconsiderate of their feelings. As a child of divorce, I was angry with my parents for years. This anger may be the breaking point for other children. Every school shooter in the past year was a child of divorce, some even losing their father figure permanently (“Rapid Rise in Mass School Shootings in the United States, Study Shows”).

The media has also done its part in contributing to violence in adolescents. Popular themes in modern day music include guns, drugs, and violence. Video games are also popular among young people. Just like the newest fad Fortnight, characters are usually relentlessly shooting other players without any regard in who they are. From the University of Virginia, Dr. Cornell theorized that the way school shooters attack is very similar to that of video games. To them, it is a free for all (House Judiciary Meeting). They enter a space, shooting at any opponent in sight, just like those of school shootings. Violent video games may also have normalized killing and death in the young mind, causing them to think it is okay to do in real life. They may seek the same gratitude they get from the game in real life.

Despite the fact that school shootings have been on the rapid incline, the overall crime rate in America has decreased tremendously. According to the FBI, crime rates have fallen 49% from 1997 to 2017, and 74% according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In 1997, about 741 violent crimes were committed every 100,000 people. In 2017, only about 383 violent crimes were committed every 100,000 (Gramlich). This is tremendous progress.

America paints a beautiful image of itself, being accepting of all and embracing our unique qualities. We say things like “self-care” and “positive vibes” then turn around and whisper about the kid who did not quite fit in; the kid who was a nonconformist. Instead of sending positive vibes, society is sending hurtful messages online at any time of the day, proclaiming “self-care,” while hiding the hidden fees, and causing those who refuse to conform to fall into a pit of shame. I am not saying we have society to blame for what has come of these troubled children, but it definitely is not innocent in this case.

References

“11 Facts About Cyber Bullying.” DoSomething.org.

“Antisocial Personality Disorder.” Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Augenstein, Seth. School Shootings Death Toll in 21st Century Already Exceeded 20th C. Body Count. 20 Apr. 2018.

Darrin. “The Psychological Effects of Cyber Bullying | "NAI.” North American Investigations.

“Demographics of Mobile Device Ownership and Adoption in the United States.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, 5 Feb. 2018.

Editors, History.com. “Columbine Shooting.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009.

“Generational Differences.” Generational Differences, West Midland Family Center, 2008.

Gramlich, John “5 Facts about Crime in the U.S.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 3 Jan. 2019.

Harrington, John, and Cheyenne Buckingham. “Broken Hearts: A Rundown of the Divorce Capital of Every State.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 2 Feb. 2018.

House Judiciary Meeting. Oversight Hearing to Examine Youth Culture and Violence. 1999.

“The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers.

Lopez, German. “2018 Was by Far the Worst Year on Record for Gun Violence in Schools.” Vox, Vox, 10 Dec. 2018.

“Mental Health Screening.” NAMI.

“Profiling’ School Shooters.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers.

“Rapid Rise in Mass School Shootings in the United States, Study Shows.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 19 Apr. 2018.

Rigby, Kenneth. “'I Don't Want to Be Teased' – Why Bullied Children Are Reluctant to Seek Help from Teachers.” The Conversation, 19 Sept. 2018.

Rock, Amy. College Campus Shooting Statistics You Should Know. 18 Jan. 2019.

Staff, CS. “The K-12 School Shooting Statistics Everyone Should Know.” Campus Safety Magazine, Campus Safety, 23 Jan. 2019.

“Two Major Problems Facing Mental Health Treatment.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers.