Title	:	Unity, not hardware, prevents school violence, experts say
By	:	Megan Poinski
Date	:	June 3, 2004
Source	:	Virgin Islands Daily News
URL	:	http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_home?id=5726967

Unity, not hardware, prevents school violence, experts say
By MEGAN POINSKI
Thursday, June 3rd 2004

When 19-year-old Jahmalie Henry was shot and killed on Tuesday afternoon, St. Croix became one of the few communities in the United States forced to cope with the reality that a student was killed while at school - and forced to search for ways to prevent more violence.

But preventing violence takes more than metal detectors and fences, national experts said. It takes a community united in the cause.

Kenneth Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services, said there have been more school-related deaths during the 2003-04 school year than the two before it combined.

Trump said there are several reasons school violence is growing so rapidly this year, including educational funding cuts, and a diminishing availability of security personnel and training for them.

Security must be a priority in the nation's schools, Trump said, adding that after school shootings, he often is asked whether the incident is a wake-up call.

"The real question is will the school and community hit the snooze button and go back to sleep?" Trump said. "Will school safety still be a priority six months from now- six years from now?"

Grace Taylor, research director for Safe Communities, Safe Schools with the Center for Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado, said a safe school is not necessarily one with up-to-the-minute security technology and a battalion of security personnel. Physical security measures are important, she said, but studies have shown that they do not make a difference in how students and staff feel about a school.

In all communities dealing with this sort of tragedy, people must come together.

Beverly Glenn, executive director of the Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., said it is a long process - but well worth it.

Communities like St. Croix - economically depressed with a high crime rate - can overcome tragedies through community unity, Glenn said. Parents must get involved with the school and make their concerns known. Law enforcement agencies, school officials, parents and the community must work together, she said. Community members should turn to each other, and students and teachers should share their concerns. Most importantly, Glenn said, the school must address those concerns.

"There are some schools in unsafe places that become high-achieving safe places because of the efforts of administrators, parents, police and school resource officers," Glenn said.

Adults in school also should be vigilant, experts said, keeping tabs on where students are.

Adults who pay attention to students and are trained to watch for potential violence are the most important precaution a school can take to prevent further incidents, Trump said.

"Before putting in 50 security cameras," Trump said, "I'd rather have 50 well-trained adults in the hall, trained to supervise so they know what's going on in their school."

Page Updated: August 24, 2005