We Want Protection!

Good morning and welcome to Monday Blogs. All month, we’re focusing on teens and the trials they face as they move toward being adults. Today, it’s all about school violence and exactly what everyone can do to curtail school violence.

The current battle cry for those demanding an immediate end to school violence is to make substantive changes to schools. Just what those changes are hasn’t been really thought out, but there are several that are popular.


The first is that schools should have the same level of security as airports. My question to these people is “Have you seen how long it takes to get through airport security recently?” My last venture through this procedure was in 2006 and it was not pleasant. Nor has it change for the better since then, from the horror stories I’ve heard from my friends who fly frequently. 



My first argument against this type of protection for our schools is that it’s hard enough to get a teenager out of bed on time to catch the bus or be driven to school as it is. Add in the amount of time it will take to get them there so they can stand in a long line waiting on the officers on the other end to check everyone’s bags and move them through a scanner and you have a surly student entering the building. Oh, and if someone pings the scanner, things take so much longer. The reality is that students would be late to or miss their first class entirely, and that creates a whole new problem.


Some have mentioned how well prisons are protected with their fencing. Okay. Been to your local prison lately? During college, way back in the stone age of the mid-seventies, I worked private security on housing starts in order to pay my tuition, books, and fees, and also have a way to study and keep up my 4.0 GPA. It wasn’t an ideal solution but with a lot of No-Doze (that decade’s equivalent to energy drinks today), enough coffee to float a hippopotamus down a dry river, and cokes for when the coffee churned. Going on two to four hours of sleep, I managed to accomplish my goal, but to be honest, even now I can’t sleep for more than four to six hours. Really not a good solution.


One of the sites I worked at was within five miles of a prison. It wasn’t a nice white collar prison either. The individuals in there were among some of the worst in the state of California. At the time, I was a slender young woman who looked like she’d break down crying if she cracked a fingernail. Seeing that prison going to and leaving the job site five days a week was enough to convince me that I wanted no part of a place with that much razor wire looped through the fencing. Is this really how you want your teen going to school?


The final solution most bandied is actually a great idea, if your teen doesn’t mind not having any privacy regarding what they bring into school. Privacy is huge for teens. Nobody but nobody gets to look at their stuff unless they show it to them. However, schools are opting for clear backpacks and duffel bags instead of the standard canvas. This, too, can be problematic as the bags will still have to be searched for contraband and the students might be late for class. It is, however, the best solution in the interim. To be honest, there is no perfect solution for preventing school violence. This type of activity isn’t just for shootings. Fights are also considered school violence, as are bullies shoving kids into lockers. The perfect solution would be for these hormone driven teens to get along with each other and put their emotions on the shelf. Good luck with that.


About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.                                                             A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

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