Others are treated unequally because they have a tough situation at home or teachers feel sorry for them. These rationales may make officials feel good about themselves but they have nothing to do with maintaining discipline on campus and teaching the true meaning of equality and respect by holding every student to the same level of responsibility and dignity. Lastly, as students realize that there is a loss of accountability and control on campus, they will, out of immaturity, stretch the boundaries to see how much they can get away with. Since there are no rules to limit the extent of the misbehavior, students feel they can and must do something extremely harsh to retaliate against their enemies or to grab the attention of adults who act as if they could care less what a child does. When this formula is applied, school terrorism becomes the rule not the exception.
Several groups stand out as potential school terrorists.
First, those who feel they are being treating unfairly test the edge of the envelope by pushing back in order to even the score. Secondly, students who are alienated act out in order to receive attention. The third group of children who resort to terrorism are crying out for help because they are trying do cope with serious personal issues. When you combine these three groups on a campus without definitive rules and consistent accountability a volatile mixture is created. The solution is to reevaluate the way schools apply rules.