Urban schools must not only address the academic needs of their students, they must also find the resources to provide social and psychological support to students and their families . Violence in Urban Schools Today Most likely, guns, drugs, and violence in schools is always directed towards urban schools. Surprisingly, the major shootings of the past few years have all been in rural or suburban schools. Most of the violence in urban areas is gang and drug-related. The violence is nothing like what has happened in places such as Littleton, Colorado.
Violence knows no urban, suburban, or rural limitations anymore.
The alleged murderer was cited by a St. Louis police officer to a House committee as the kind of violence many schools now face, gang violence. According to Tony Coleman, an officer in the St. Louis County Police Department chief's office, gang activities touch every socio-economic group. He states that people are too quick to believe that violent, gang-like behavior in children is just a stage they will grow out of. These people are wealthy and are shielded by their followers. A sense of belonging is also a factor to be considered in why children and young adults join gangs.