But these warning signs were anything but early. The extreme violent behavior exhibited by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold is indicative of years and years of emotional disturbance reaching far deeper than a painful high school career. We must wonder why, with the evidence available, seemingly nothing was done, and furthermore, why these were the first signs noticed. Efforts to prevent violence in schools are being made, but most are being made after the fact. We are trying to treat high school students for violent behavior when we should be focusing on pregnant mothers, babies and toddlers.
Pregnancy is the time when the physical foundations for many behaviors are being formed.
The sense of empathy, for example, is depended upon a certain part of the brain being stimulated at a certain time in the first three years of life. The damage that is done if this process is neglected or impaired by alcohol, drugs or other abuse is irreparable. We can hire as many high school counselors as we like, but for many students, the problem will remain deeply entrenched. We need to look not just at the incoming freshmen, or even just at the beginning preschooler, but at the pregnant mother and her partner in preparation for the most formative years of human life.