School Shootings in Atlanta: Causes and Solutions

School Shootings in Atlanta Causes and SolutionsGun violence and shoot control have become a highlighted issue within the unify States. In recent years in that location has been a vast increase in young adults engaging in heavy weapon violence, or being caught up in such conflict, particularly within schoolings. The issue of school shootings has become a major problem within the city of Atlanta. However, with more lives being at potency risk, there has been contr e very(prenominal)wheresy debates over what causes such incidences and what can we do as a society to solve the problem. It is evident that in tack to accrue school shootings the virtue and community need to work together by limiting or monitoring the accessibility of fire mail, identifying risks of violence and providing the correct resources to students that are a potential risk. The spread of school shootings within the UnitedStates is at an all- epoch high. Granting they dont arrange up a large percent ageof ea rly days violence overall, they are traumatic proceedings for society as a altogether. Although the first shooting leads back to 1764, the Pontiacs rebellionschool massacre, where 11 people were k minacioused at a schoolhouse in Pennsylvania,the rise of statistics within the last 5 years have been drastic and show agrowing trend to a problem within the US. Research states Since 2013, therehave been more than 300 school shootings in America an average of about angiotensin converting enzyme a week (Everytown). However, the appearance of ordnance stores al sensation or threats ofviolence is even higher. Statistics are only calculated for the recordedgunshots pink-slipped on school grounds or fired within a school during school hours.They do non include incidents where guns have been brought into school withoutbeing fired or shootings outside of school hours (Patel). With the ongoing risein school shootings in the United States as a whole, gallium ranks one of thehighest states fo r such incidences.Gun violence as a whole has become a major issuein the south, particularly Georgia. Judd states thats Georgians are morethan twice as believably as New Yorkers to be killed in a shooting. The death rateexceeds even that of Illinois. With the 13th highest death rate, most ofthose deaths occurred in Atlanta (Judd). Since the sandy nook shooting in 2012,when a gunman shot and killed 20 children and 6 adults with a firearm, Georgiahas been the second leading state for school/college shootings, behind Texas,with a total of 23 incidents resulting in either deaths or injuries. At least 5of those incidences were in Atlanta alone (Karishnakumar). The reason forschool shootings follows a controversial debate amongst society. However, itcan not go unmentioned that easy gun access is one of the most influentialcauses.Some turn in argue gun control is the sole factorin school shootings, others will argue its not the gun, but more so theindividual that posses it. Americas lov e for guns dates back to the secondamendment, which give the right to bear arms.Originally implemented for the militia, the Supreme Court revitalized itallowing guns in homes for self-defense (Cornell law school). With this inmind, there are approx 300 million guns statewide. With a community of justover 300million, that is roughly an equal amount of guns to persons. However,only one-third of the population own guns, meaning that more than one is heldin each of those households (BBC). habitation gun ownership is high particularlyin the south. Studies show that Across the South, 38 percent of householdshave a gun compared with 35 percent in the Midwest, 34 percent in the Westand 27 percent in the Northeast (Simonton). With this high rate, it makes itvery easy for young adults to have access to guns, with or without an adultsknowledge. Friedman states that The American Medical Association reports thatbetween 36 percent and 50 percent of male eleventh graders said they could easilyg et a gun if they wanted to (90). Further reasearch alike states that overtwo-thirds of students who used guns in violent acts at school got those gunsfrom their own home or that of a relative (Erwin). This is likely because thegun was not stored a right smart and unloaded, not because the young adult has freelybeen given it. However, it shows that there are definite links betweenhousehold gun ownership and gun violence. Besides the fact that guns are easily accessiblewithin homes, there are over 50,000 gun stores in America reservation a purchase ofa gun an easy task. Within Georgia, the purchase of a gun is very simple. Youdo not need a licence to purchase a firearm, and you do not need to register thefirearm erstwhile purchased. However, there are several(prenominal) laws on age restrictions. Tobuy a handgun statewide the consumer must be at least 18 years old, however inGeorgia for an unlicensed person to sell a long gun there is no age restriction( lawfulnesss). This is a s erious issue as it means that children of any age are fittedto obtain and have access to a gun without any consequences. With thesestatistics in mind its safe to say that the easy access to guns plays a huge utilization in gun violence within schools, however, they are not the only factor thatcontributes to such incidences.With the many school shootings that have takenplace over the years, we try to look at all specific causes and whether thereare links between the causes. The media plays a huge role in trying to impelsociety that there is a specific cause of all school shootings. However, thereis no specific profile that fits the motivation of a shooter. Often there doesseem to be links between school shootings and a specific factor, but this isnot in all cases. Friedman states 66% of shooters interviewed after theattack entangle they had been bullied or threatened by classmates and said that wastheir main reason for shooting others (90). However approx. 1 in 5 childrenreport b eing bullied in a given year, yet show no signs of violence or suchcrime (De La O). Although bullying whitethorn worsen problems for youth, physicallyand emotionally, there is very little evidence that alone it is the cause ofgun violence. Society often singles out an issue like mental health, revenge,the refinement of violence, drug and intoxicant abuse, as well as various kindlyproblems as the cause. However although many of these factors can be associatedwith a shooter, it is very hard to say that one alone fits that of everyshooter. When we look at all these issues we see that many young adultsexperience at least one of them, yet dont commit such a crime. On the otherhand, a mix of these factors could be a possible cause and its crucial thatsociety pays close vigilance to an individual that may encounter several ofthese issues to prevent anything further happening (Friedman 52). It is valuable as a community that everyoneworks together, including the law, public health, s chools, peers, parents, andteachers in order to prevent school shootings from happening. Such proactiveprocedures include watching for warning signs and identifying and reportingthem. This will help a student early who is showing potential risk factors. Inmost cases, it is apparent that previous to a shooting someone is aware or shownsigns that a shooter has plans of an attack. Duplechain and Morris states In more than 80% of the cases hestudied, at least one person knew the attacker was planning something two ormore people knew in almost 60 percent of the cases (146). roughly shootings arepremeditated and at some point, there is a chance that the shooter has eithershown attack-related behavior or discussed the event with someone, whethersomething is said as a joke or said on a serious matter. In previous shootings,this has occurred. In the Columbine school shooting, the shooter prior to theevent wrote a paper on a male who was planning a school shooting, as well aswritings journal s with all their plans in for the shooting (Gumbell). zero atthe time thought anything of it, yet it was a significant sign as to what wasgoing to be carried out. This being said, it is very important that students,teachers, parents and all bear in mind and watch for signs and act accordingly.Reporting such suspicions could be crucial in preventing an attack. As well as watching for signs a solution toprevent school shootings is to Work together to provide strategies and thecorrect resources for students. Sometimes for parents it can be hard to come toterms with the fact their child has a mental health issue or behavioral issues,however, it is important that they get their children the help needed. It isalso important that schools provide resources. School counselors pay a pivotrole in providing counseling groups to provide tools to deal with emotions,anger, grief, and loss as well and mental health problems. They help support achild in making changes in their life addressing the topics that most concernthem (Paolini). With the correct support available and the communitieswillingness to watch and report suspicions, school incidents could be preventedin the future. However with this in mind, the role of the law is also veryimportant. Stricter gun laws are substantial in reducinggun violence. In the state of Georgia, there are very little restrictions ongun laws. As a state, they allow sales of a gun without a permit or withoutprocessing through the federal firearms license, Mentally ill individuals arealso removed from the database after 5 years without a reassessment fromdoctors. This meaning that after a person passes the 5-year mark they are whereforeillegible to purchase or sell a gun, even if they have not been assessed by adoctor to say they are now mentally stable (Cook). Unlike other states, Georgiaalso sticks with the federal age restriction of 18 to buy a gun, whereas manyother states have reassessed age restrictions and moved it to 21. These weak laws make it very easy for a youngadult or mentally unstable individual to acquire a gun. some will also argue stricter gun laws will nothelp reduce school shootings, however, research shows otherwise. When comparingthe US to other rich countries with stricter gun laws, there is a hugedifference in the homicide rate. Statistics show that The second of gunmurders per capita in the US in 2012 the most recent year for equalstatistics was nearly 30 times that in the UK, at 2.9 per 100,000 comparedwith just 0.1 (BBC). When looking at the US solely, research also shows thatthose states with stricter gun control have slight gun related deaths. After alaw passed in Connecticut in 1995 making it more difficult to buy a handgun thenumber of homicides reduced by 40%. This law included purchasers having toobtain a license from the police in person as well as straits a backgroundcheck before being accepted for a sale (Lachman). All of this research shows that stricter gunlaws are a soluti on towards slight gun violence and unless Congress and thegovernment make some amendments, then school shootings are going to continue tooccur. It is evident that school shootings are a majorissue within Atlanta and America as a whole. With a vast and continuousincrease over the given years its important that both the law and communitywork together to help stop such incidents occurring. Research proves that thereis no specific profile for a shooter, however, it is important as a communityto watch out for any signs of potential risk, report them and provide studentswith the correct resources. This and stricter gun laws allowing students accessto guns more difficult will help decrease gun violence. ReferencesBBC. Guns in the US The statistics behind theviolence. BBC News, 2016, http//www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34996604Cook,Rhonda. Georgia clears way for mentallyill to buy guns. Myajc, 2018,https//www.myajc.com/news/local/georgia-clears-way-for-mentally-ill-buy-guns/agHJKZW8LiqV I4mu1GQmLJ/Cornell LawSchool. Second Amendment. LLI/Legal information Institute, https//www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/second_amendmentDe La O, Maria. Schoolshootings are about more than bullying. The Washington post, 2013, https//www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2013/10/25/school-shootings-are-about-more-than-bullying/?utm_term=.6be5672995aeDupllechain, Rosiland, and Robert Morris. SCHOOLVIOLENCE describeSCHOOLSHOOTINGSANDMAKINGSCHOOLSSAFER. Galileo,Vol. 135, no. 2, pp.45-150.Erwin,Nicole. In wake of school shootings, alook at how kids get guns. Ohiovalley resource, 2018, http//ohiovalleyresource.org/2018/01/24/in-wake-of-school-shooting-a-look-at-how-kids-get-guns/Everytown. The long shameful totalof school shootings in America. 2018, https//everytownresearch.org/school-shootings/Friedman,Lauri. School Shootings. Greenhaven,2010. Gumbell,Andrew. The truth about columbine.The guardian, 2009, https//www.theguardian.com/world/2009/apr/17/columbine-massacre-gun-crime -usJudd, Alan. Youretwice as likely to be shot to death in Georgia than New York (and other gunviolence facts). Myajc, 2017, https//www.myajc.com/blog/investigations/you-twice-likely-shot-death-georgia-than-new-york-and-other-gun-violence-facts/Kdk3MXsowc6ASzmd15o2QN/Krishnakumar, Pray. Since SandyNook, a gun has been fired on school grounds at least once a week. www.Latimes.com,2015, http//www.latimes.com/projects/la-na-school-shootings-since-newtown/Law.Minimum age to purchase and possess.Giffords law centre to prevent violence,http//lawcenter.giffords.org/gun-laws/policy-areas/who-can-have-a-gun/minimum-age/federalLachman,Samantha. Conneticut gun control lawsharply reduced gun-related violence, report says. Huffpost UK, 2015,https//www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/12/connecticut-gun-control-_n_7570852.htmlPaolini,Allison. School Shootings and StudentMental wellness Role of the School Counselor in Mitigating Violence. Councelling.org, 2015, https//www.counseling.org/docs/default-sou rce/vistas/school-shootings-and-student-mental-health.pPatel, Jugal, K. After Sandy Hook, More Than 400 People Have Been pecker in Over 200 SchoolShootings.NYtimes.com,2018, https//www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/15/us/school-shootings-sandy-hook-parkland.htmlSimonton,Stell. Guns in schoolGeorgia has most shootingssince Sandy Nook. America.Aljazeera.com,2015, http//america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/29/gun-lax-georgia-has-most-school-shootings-since-sandy-hook-massacre.htmlStages in responding to mishaps FloodsStages in responding to disasters FloodsResponding to Disaster FloodsEffects of Natural and human made disasters are devastating and this calls for competent mental health professionals to provide for disaster relief go to the victims. Victims of flood disasters respond differently depending on their personal experience. In our case, people are warned about the impending danger of flood disaster but some fail to respond at all. Even after the flood disaster, others r eturn to reconstruct their houses and belongings. This means that the type of intervention to be applied should be culture based. The following intervention strategies, marked with stages, would be applied to the victims of the flood disaster.ImpactImmediately after the flood strikes, the survivors panic, are confused and cannot think at that second gear (Gilliland, James, 2013). Adults are desperately searching everywhere, looking for their missing family members. Victims are exposed to horrors of the aftermath and they are surrounded by death and devastation. It is indeed a time of agony. At this stage, an appropriate intervention would be an emotionally driven Psychological intervention strategy. This strategy helps the individual to recollect themselves and to start focusing on the way forward.Emergence/acute heroic stageAfter the aftermath, survivors start saving and collecting what they can. It is a counting the loss class. At this stage, I would suggest for physiological responses as the intervention is focused on physical damage such as loss of property, injuries, geographical displacement, and anger due to the aftermath loss incurred (Gilliland, James, 2013). I will engage in emotionally driven talk with the victims in order to help relief their anxieties surrounding their crisis. I will also provide emotional help on how individuals can recover their property and probably their beloved family members.Inventory stageThis is the recovery phase. In this stage, survivors are slowly accept the realities of life. I will engage in method in which individuals can utilize their abilities in seeking for employment for survival. I will engage in cognitive-behavioral intervention skills and try to convince the survivor on danger of living such vulnerable places (Benedek, Fullerton, Ursano, 2007). The idea to change their perception about the place and make them understand the Governments warning about the place.Honeymoon stageAt this stage, the victims ar e worried about their financial recovery. This come after one to three months post the flooding disaster. It is a stage of rebuilding. I recommend for cognitive coping strategies in order to help the survivors see the sense of go from the vulnerable to other places. Coping skills are helpful in enabling the victim change their environment to move on with their normal lives.Avoidance phaseAt this phase, I will recommend for psycho-social intervention skills. The aftermath effects are coupled with loses, causing psychological disturbance and sometimes lead to Posttraumatic direction disorder (PTSD). With Psycho-social intervention skills a victim can slowly stymy about the disaster and start focusing on other things through social life. Adaptation phaseAdaptive phase depends on the victims resiliency. Resilient people tend to recover faster. In that regard, I will recommend for cognitive-behavioral responses in order strengthen the victims by making them recognize how strong they a re. Positive behavioral skills can also influence positive change and whence influence adaptive skills that the victims can do without their lost ones. Disillusionment phaseDisillusion can prevent victims from adapting to their environment. Anything attached to the previously experienced flooding disaster will likely arouse the traumatic experience. To help victims recover from this problem, I will use cognitive coping skills. These skills helps a victim accept the reality, forget about the past and focus on the present.Pathogenic to salutogenic shiftAt this phase, the victim has not yet fully recovered from the post traumatic nisus disorder even after one year after the disaster. It is a critical condition and the victim is always struggling to let go the stress. This may happened to mothers who saw their children drawn by water. Resiliency itself cannot draw the stress away from the victim. A suitable intervention strategy would be the use of the victims coherence to overcome th e stress. This involves integrating cognitive-behavioral coping skills to enable the victim understand that their problem is manageable. It requires the use of emotional-psychological strategies to convince the victim (Gelbach, 2008). Restabilization/reconstructionThis involves the rebuilding of the victims emotional and social self. The best way to respond to victims at this stage is by use of psycho-social strategies (Bartley, 2007). This involves encouraging the victim to make new friends and interact with people. sociable life interactions allows victims to forget about their past easily and focus on their future. Ethical/ Cultural ConsiderationSome cultural considerations involve various elements One, sensory faculty of your world view, two, an understanding of the clients worldview, and finally, a better understanding of the appropriate intervention to apply on a client depending on the crisis and smirch (Goodman, West-Olatunji, 2009). In our case, there is the need for a c ulture centered disaster response. Bearing that the people were warned about the impending flood disaster and didnt do anything about it gives us the indication of social cultural factors among the community. Therefore, understanding the existence of social cultural factors among the victims facilitates the conceptualization of the needs of the people, especially in low income communities (Goodman, West-Olatunji, 2009). This also helps in determining the kind of intervention model applicable to a victim. ReferencesBartley, A. G. (2007). Confronting the realities of volunteering for a national disaster. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 29(1), 4-16.Benedek, D. M., Fullerton, C., Ursano, R. J. (2007). First Responders Mental Health Consequences of Natural and Human-Made Disasters for Public Health and Public Safety Workers*. Annu. Rev. Public Health, 28, 55-68.Gelbach, R. A. (2008). Trauma, research, and EMDR A disaster responders wish list.Journal of EMDR Practice Research,2(2) , 146155.doi http//dx.doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.2.2.146Gilliland, B. E., James, R. K. (2013). Crisis intervention strategies.Goodman, R. D., West-Olatunji, C. A. (2009).Applying critical spirit Culturally competent disaster response outcomes.Journal of Counseling Development,87(4), 458465. doi 10.1002/j.1556-6678.2009.tb00130.x