After all, all he wanted to do was talk to some girls before summer break. None of the answers to these why questions have satisfied us. And apparently, none of the answers have led us to solutions that might prevent the problem from happening in the first place. The stark reality is that since the Columbine massacre, school violence has escalated, with new stories making the headlines every week. When something happens, in addition to trying to figure out why, we also look for a place to lay blame.
Parents aren t responsible enough.
The family is in a state of ruin, we say, and adults should be able to control teen-agers, should be able to see warning signs and intervene. The schools, we say, aren t doing their jobs. If they were, then no one would want to bring a gun to school or even threaten a teacher. Schools have reacted to the threat of violence in ways that might seem extreme. Some other responses might seem a bit extreme.