A Bold Proposal for Taking Mental Health Seriously in Schools
April 13, 2018
By: Catherine A. Hogan and Laura F. Main
Source: Education Week
There is urgent need to protect the safety of all children in school. There have been more than 60 school shootings since the Sandy Hook attack in 2012, according to an analysis by TIME. Since the Feb. 14 Parkland, Fla., shooting, the Educators School Safety Network has recorded an increase in school-based violent threats across the nation: 50 threats per day on average. In the 2017-18 school year, there have been violent incidents or threats in 48 states to date.
Often, school shooters direct their rage at the schools they attend or attended. This does not suggest that our schools are to blame, but it can serve as a sign that a shooter’s experiences at school, clouded by difficult home experiences, mental-health issues, or other problems, provided an easy-to-access arena to take out their frustrations.
Up until now, many schools have treated students with mental-health issues reactively, rather than proactively. Too frequently…