Zahn:
The question for all of us is, how do we keep our schools and our children safe? Let's turn to Scott Poland, a child violence expert who has been on emergency response teams that helped after a number of school shootings around the country. Thanks so much for joining us tonight Dr. Poland, you have at least six school shooting plots in the last six weeks, and then this past week, four of these plots were uncovered. What is going on here?
Poland:
I think we have to recognize that by the spring in the school year many frustrations have built up. Some students know they have not been successful. They have been bullied all year. They don't feel connected to school. We need to be highly vigilant during the springtime.Zahn: Is there anything to the timing of all of these plots?
Poland:
Absolutely: the anniversary of Columbine, Hitler's birthday, the bombing in Oklahoma City, all occur in April. Many young people who are troubled are aware of that.
Zahn:
You have to admit that we live in a country where people make an awful lot of excuses for their behaviors, but you were just talking about the high incidents of these kids who have been bullied. In your judgment, is this an extreme form of revenge we're talking about or something even more profound than that?
Poland:
The Secret Service study of school violence did find that the majority of perpetrators of school violence were bullied. They were angry at the school and the people in them. And the majority were suicidal. This finding has obvious implications for prevention.
Zahn:
Compare what we're seeing today to any trends we saw 40 years ago. Is this just a reflection of a more violent society?
Poland:
The difference today is that we have multiple homicides. We don't have a kid angry at one other kid, they're angry at everyone. And, very importantly, we have to get all the stakeholders involved.
Zahn:
Clearly, there are a lot of cries for help out there and red flags going up that we need to pay more attention to. Dr. Poland, thank you so much for your insights tonight.
Poland:
You're welcome.
More information about PSI expert Dr. Scott Poland: