In the aftermath of Littleton, Colorado, a Denver Police Department gang expert has cautioned the public to not blame guns and violence in media as underlying causes of the school tragedy. Guns and portrayals of violence may trigger the emotionally troubled teen to act on his desire for revenge , but they are not the cause of his emotional distress. Simplistic solutions for curbing teen violence do not address this core issue.
Adolescence is the most emotionally insecure time of life.
Many teens are not capable of understanding or handling the emotional pain they suffer from rejection by peers. Psychiatrist James Gilligan of Harvard Medical School says that an adult can often see his way to restoring a sense of self-worth through success in work or love. A child usually lacks the emotional skills to do that. The very schools with concentrations of teens who suffer daily emotional pain from their humiliating sense of not belonging, not respected and not being OK, are where kids can learn the vital skills necessary for identifying, expressing and healing their hurt feelings in healthy ways. Emotional education for all adolescents is shamefully neglected by parents and schools, but it is needed today more than ever.