For example, when experiencing feelings of rage and fear, a teenager may not know how to respond or release those feelings. If the person has access to a gun or other weapon, it may be easier for him or her to find a dangerous outlet. Because the town of Carbondale consists of only about 27,000 people, there may be less loss of identity for students than in a metropolitan area, DiLalla said. DiLalla said problems may arise when a child returns home from an unsafe school environment to a home that also represents no haven. But people in larger towns and cities may be more violent anyway because of space shortages, DiLalla said.
Crowded animals are more aggressive.
Carbondale has 12 schools educating about 3,000 kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Steve Sabens, superintendent of Carbondale Community High School District 165, has a general sense of safety in Carbondale. Sabens said while workplace and school shootings instill fear, he is not concerned. However, the school has taken measurers to prevent such incidents, including bright outdoor lighting, cutting tree limbs to prevent apt hiding places and installing cameras both indoors and out. Regardless of how often violence occurs, to DiLalla it is an enormous problem that requires change.