Franklin Schargel’s Blog

Educators, students & parents want, need, and deserve a safe learning environment. No community is immune from school violence. And schools are supposed to be places where children are safe and secure.

Americans awoke on the morning of May 25th to hear that 19 children (ages 8-10) and two teachers were killed in the small, rural community of Uvalde, Texas. (latest population: 24,729) Little did the 19 sets of parents realize that when they said goodbye to their children as they went to school, that it was going to be the last kiss goodbye they would ever send. I cannot comprehend the anguish that these parents, grandparents, and guardians are going through. 

This is a uniquely American experience. Thirty states have experienced mass school shootings. No other country has had as many mass school shootings as this country. Children and teenagers in the U.S. are 15 times  more likely to die from gunfire than their peers in 31 other high-income countries combined, according to the Children’s Defense Fund. Thirty states have experienced school violence. According to USA Today, There were 249 shootings on school grounds last year – more than any other year since 1970. So far this year, there have been 137 incidents of gun fire on school grounds. In 2020, firearms became the leading cause of youth death among children and teenagers overtaking auto accidents. Prior to the shooting in Uvalde, there had been 27 people killed, 77 wounded and 21 with other injuries in shootings on school ground in 2022.

Why is this happening? The inaction of politicians. Many of us believed that after Sandy Hook Massacre, in Newtown Connecticut in 2012, something would be done to stop these senseless killings. Instead, some politicians are saying people need to offer  “thoughts and prayers.”  Thoughts and prayers will not stop bullets from weapons of war. Federal and state politicians must be held accountable for their inactions.

There are too many guns in America, and they are too easy to obtain. In Texas, the governor and state legislature lowered the standards of obtaining weapons making weapons of mass destruction available to people who are 18 years old without any background checks. It is illegal to purchase cigarettes in Texas until age 21. There was supposed to be an armed  School Resource Officer on campus when the killer arrived at the campus of Robb Elementary School.

We have been here before and unfortunately, we will be here again until people with the power to stop this, take action. When will the next mass school shooting take place? And it is inevitable that it will because words will not stop school shooters, only actions will!

A study published in February 2022 found that gun ownership increased during the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, more than 5 million children under 18 became newly exposed to guns in their households from January 2019 to April 2021. A 2021 study, meanwhile, also reported a rise in firearm acquisitions after the pandemic started; that was correlated with higher rates of fatal and nonfatal gun injuries both suffered by young children and inflicted by them. The authors suggested that school closings and a resulting lack of adult supervision may have played a role in the trend.

Based on a CDC analysis using the latest available research, NBC News reported that guns were the leading cause of death of children and teens in 2020, surpassing car crashes for the first time in 40 years. More than 4,300 children died of gun-related injuries that year. This was a 29 percent increase over 2019. Guns became the leading cause of death among children and teens in 2020, killing more people ages 1 to 19 in the U.S. than vehicle crashes, drugs overdoses or cancer. Homicides, rather than suicides, made up the majority of firearm deaths among children and teens in 2020. Gun killings, which disproportionally affect younger American, went up by 33 percent from 2019 to 2020.

Most of the children killed by firearms in 2020 were 14 and older, even though the legal age to purchase guns is 18. Children don’t buy firearms, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not possible for kids to get access.

My book, Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide available through Amazon, has a special section not only detailing the causes but also offers solutions.

Covid disrupted the entire world. Few people, governments, or businesses were prepared for it.

World economies tanked. Workers retreated to their homes. Restaurants failed. Airlines and other means of transportation lost passengers.

And children and parents were left in limbo. Suddenly, they didn’t know what to do with their newly found time or responsibilities.

With schools closed, parents and grandparents suddenly had to provide for their children and grandchildren twenty-four hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They hadn’t been trained for these new responsibilities. How were young people to receive learning? What were children to be taught? How were they to be taught? Many adults hadn’t been trained how to use computers.

The rapid closure of schools had failed to anyone for these new responsibilities and tools to address student learning.  Computers which were meant to be in children’s hands were still stored in schools or school warehouses. Even, if released, parents hadn’t been trained in their use even if they had the time.

The nature of being a parent in 2020-2021 was different. Many were single having been divorced or separated. Many were raising several children while working a job to support themselves and their children. This was a responsibility they had never asked for or believed they were responsible for. They were juggling too many “glass balls” and it began to show. Reports of increased incidents of child abuse began to show in police reports an court records. The US News and World Reports reported “Child Abuse Rise  During Covid Pandemic “Physical abuse of school-aged children tripled in the early months of 2020. More than 39,000 children were treated  at nine pediatric trauma centers between March and September in 2020. The article points out that this may is the tip of the iceberg. Many incidents of child abuse never appear in records because pre-teen and teens who may be beaten are not taken to hospitals. Similar reports appeared in the Center for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). What has caused this increase of child abuse? According to numerous articles, economic stress, job insecurity and potential loss of housing.

If Covid returns – a distinct possibility with the removal of masks, new variants and increased indoor time caused by cold weather.  What can be done? Schools/districts need to get ahead of the cure and think about pro-active prevention rather than reaction.’’

Originally published at $18.95, now available (from Amazon) at $4.97.

The book has received 11 5-star reviews.

An excerpt of one review follows:

“Teachers and school administrators are leaving the field of education almost as quickly as Schools of Education are preparing them. According to research, 44% of educators leave the profession within five years. The current rate of teacher attrition may soon leave America’s classrooms without enough teachers or school principals. In his book, Who Will Teach The Children? Recruiting, Retaining and Retraining Highly Effective Educators , Franklin P. Schargel raises the alarm about this national crisis and answers these questions:- Why are educators leaving? (It’s not mainly about salary)- What, if anything, can be done to retain them?- How do we slow the educational exodus?- Which states are most affected?- Which subject areas face the greatest shortages?- How can we create a globally competitive school system?”

Thanks to you my readers and book purchasers, I have been notified by Amazon that my book, Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide is in the “Top 100 Books in School Safety.”

The book with its six five-star reviews, is:

• # 26 in School Safety & Violence
• #70 in Parent Participation in Education
• #77 in High Schools
• # 606 in Education Administration (books)

Again, thank you.

Franklin

Dr. Jennifer Massey

Dropout Prevention Specialist, Rome GA.

“With the implementation of school-based mental health programs, school violence including school shootings, bullying, suicide and homicide, failure, dropout and poverty can be greatly reduced.”

To find solutions to school shootings, bullying, suicide, dropout, poverty, failure, and homicide, to barely touch the surface, we must look at the root causes.  In recent years more and more information has come to light regarding students’ state of mental health, particularly since the pandemic which has left students depressed, isolated and anxious and unmotivated.

A major factor affecting students today is mental illness. One in four students will be diagnosed with a mental illness.  Unfortunately, many children who live in poverty in rural areas of America do not receive proper treatment, go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed. Students, offenders, and victims, often feel a strong disconnect from their peers and at times from school in general.  When signs surface in the school setting such as drawings, journal entries, statements made online or to a close friend indicating imminent danger, they are often minimized and/or do not quite meet the standards for reporting to the appropriate officials. 

Bullying, particularly cyberbullying, is one of the most prevalent types of school violence identified by students and parents. Cyberbullying, which includes many types of behaviors including sexual or psychological abuse, can consist of spreading false information about students. The inclusion or exclusion of students from certain online groups has been stated as a major cause for students who present with suicidal or homicidal ideation.

The main responsibility of school safety lies with the administration, whether local, state or federal leaders.  By implementing strategies that promote school safety there is the potential to bring about change in the outcomes of what students face in society that bleeds over into schools. Teachers are leaving the profession at an alarming rate for many reasons, but lack of student discipline and a lack of parental involvement is often at the top of the list.  Not only are teachers having to consider student mental health issues, but many are also on medications to treat their own mental illness such as depression and anxiety.

It would be neglectful not to mention parents’ responsibility and the role they play in ensuring students’ emotional well-being.  Absent parents are a major problem resulting in many students  being raised by their grandparents, other relatives or who have been placed in foster care.  

Getting to the core issues of what causes student’s mental illness allows stakeholders to understand that when students mental health needs are met, schools will become safer for our children.

I feel privileged and honored to present this blog from my friend and colleague, Dr. Jennifer Massey.

I have been honored that my book, published February 24, 2022 has received 5 5-star reviews on Amazon.

Dr. Ruth Ash

5.0 out of 5 stars THE Most Helpful Guide to Preventing School Violence

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2022

Verified Purchase

This Guide to Preventing School Violence can make a tremendous difference in the lives of children, not something this reviewer can say about every education book. Schargel’s newest book is a must-read for teachers, administrators, policy makers, and everyone who cares about children. The author’s practical advice builds upon best practices that some educators and policy makers may already know, but the facts, information, and tips will be new to most people. This is one of THE best books in my library!

Amazon Customer

5.0 out of 5 stars Confronting the Inconceivable

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2022

School administers and teachers are consumed with improving outcomes: how do we improve students’ writing and math skills? Ability to analyze and create? Recruit and retain the “best and the brightest” teachers? Upgrade curriculum? We avoid even thinking about school violence. It is too frightening and depressing, and, after all, it can never happen in “my” school. Franklin Schargel’s Preventing School Violence: a User’s Guide tells us “it” can happen in any school and we must plan, just as we plan for curriculum development and hiring teachers. The book is highly personal, based upon long experience in schools as well as a thoughtful plea, just as we carefully plan for lessons we must treat school safety with as much care and dedication.

Take a few hours, read Preventing School Violence and ask: is our school prepared for the inconceivable? Are we planning to avert life changing catastrophes? And, if not, why not?

Charles Sosnik, The Learning Counsel

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a must read

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2022

This is a must read for every educator in America. And every administrator in America. And every parent in America. And every law enforcement officer in America. And every school counselor in America. And every school bus driver in America. And every citizen in America. And every…

Did I leave anyone out? Most school violence incidents are preventable. Virtually every school mass shooting was preventable. All these horrible incidents. All the stress among our students. All the stress among school personnel. And parents.
How much is preventable? And if so, then let’s prevent it.

I challenge everyone that sees this post to buy a copy of Franklin’s book, and then share this post with everyone you know that either works in the education space or has children who attend school.
Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide. Let’s buy it. And use it.

Melinda Strickland

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by an expert

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2022

Franklin has once again shared his expertise with great success. Valuable insight is shared while he draws readers in to take active role in the reading and taking action. Detailed strategies and tools are provided in this step-by-step hands-on guide for all participants in preventing school violence. A perfect guide for anyone with our students’ safety as a priority. Well done Franklin!

Marie Sobers, Ed.D.

5.0 out of 5 stars Insights and strategies to use today!

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2022

We MUST keep our children safe. We MUST prevent school violence.
This is not merely another book that tries to only define the challenge but one that offers strategies to solve it. Franklin does the research, interprets the data, asks the hard questions and most importantly, listens to the responses. He has synthesized what he has learned into a specific, thought provoking and easy to follow guide for everyone who is impacted by school violence— related professionals, community groups, governing agencies, and most importantly, parents and care givers–in short, this book is for EVERYONE.

Here is everywhere!

Jeff Peterson, Lakewood District School Superintendent, when asked about Chandon Ohio’s School System where 5 students were shot resulting in 3 deaths. 

Here is everywhere! 

Two teachers were killed at a high school in Malmo southern Sweden. An 18-year-old student was arrested on suspicion of murder. The attacker had been carrying an ax, a knife and hammer. “The head of the Malmo police, Petra Stenkula said “Such crimes are uncommon in Sweden”.  In the past year there have been a series of attacks in the country’s schools.

 On January 10, the police arrested a 16-year-old after he knifed a teacher and a fellow student. Last August, a masked 15-year-old boy with a camera on his helmet knifed a teacher at a middle school in Eslov.

Everytown for Gun Safety, reports that the “first half of the 2021-2022 school year had the most gun violence in recent years”. As students returned to schools, many brought with them their frustrations for being denied in-person learning. Violence has been pouring into school building and neighborhoods. There has been an increase particularly, in gun-related violence.

My book, Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide, available through Amazon, addresses this problem and proposes a number of simple-to-implement strategies and solutions to prevent school violence.

Schools need to get ahead of the curve and work on preventing school violence rather than reacting to it once it has occurred.