Security Services ESP — 
Building a Quality Workforce

Confronting Hate -- Enforcing
Tolerance

What could possibly make a young boy so desperate or frightened or angry that he would bring a gun to school and deliberately open fire on other students and staff? Violent rampages at schools like Colorado's Columbine High in 1999 and Santana High in California in 2001 and incidents like the recent hazing of junior high school girls in Illinois are increasingly frequent. The question of why and how these things could happen continues to bedevil parents, school staff, and school administrators everywhere.

The following are some underlying causes of violence in schools:

Bullying: According to Elliot Aronson, one of the nation's leading social psychologists, kids who turn to violence have almost always been bullied, taunted, and humiliated by other students, or physically or emotionally abused by the adults in their lives. A study conducted by the American Medical Association found at least one in three children nationwide has been bullied or affected by bullying at school. These children see no other way out of their fear and humiliation other than to reclaim "respect" with violence, or to inflict the same kind of behavior on another, weaker student. Security Services ESP are often the first to observe student-onstudent violence. While their primary responsibility is to provide safety and security, they also assist students by demonstrating discipline, fair treatment, and concern for their well-being. Says one Security Services ESP from Birmingham, Alabama, "the kids who feel there's no one they can go to — those are the ones who have the most trouble. That's when you are talking about avenging, bullying, or even suicide."

Often Security Services ESP are the main stable force for the schoolchildren who are mentally, physically, and emotionally abused by the adults around them and other students. Social, ethnic, religious, racial, and sexual prejudices are age-old catalysts for violence, and Security Services ESP are always mindful of their ugly presence in the school environment and their adverse effects on kids. Professionally, Security Services ESP know the importance of "drawing the line," however — they care deeply about the students they work with, but they make it very clear they are the authority figure. It is a vital part of their job, and also protects them personally as they face dangerous situations.

Student sexuality issues, including rape, date rape, pregnancy, birth control, HIV and STDs, and sexual orientation, have in the past been ignored or buried in a cultural "conspiracy of silence" by educators and other adults. Depending on the personal situation of the student involved, difficult or humiliating sexual issues can spiral into violence because of feelings of isolation and desperation. Security Services ESP are now a recognized part of the school team of role models who provide support for children struggling with the confusing process of maturing sexually, or with serious consequences of injury or humiliation from sexual assault or date rape.

Student depression and mental health: Depression has increased so much in student populations over the past ten years that many health professionals now consider it a public health epidemic. Security Services ESP cooperate with teachers, the health and student services staff, parents and guardians, and the community as a whole to deal appropriately with violent situations precipitated by students who suffer from depression and mental health problems.

Substance abuse: While alcohol abuse by students is not a new phenomenon, the rocketing increase in use and abuse by younger and younger populations of students is. Alcohol-related violence is also on the rise. Alcohol plays a part in increasingly violent situations in schools, and is illegally used more often than any other "drug," with the possible exception of cigarettes.

Security Services ESP must also police the use of many other substances that can incapacitate and even kill school children. The public schools are awash in "street drugs" as children have more money to spend and more anxieties and stresses to assuage. Another developing drug abuse problem is students using or selling prescription medications they have stolen from home. In a public school in Pennsylvania, a middle school student brought a bottle of anti-depression medication that had been prescribed for his grandmother. Twelve students landed in the hospital emergency room after buying and taking the drug.

Security Services ESP are trained and up to date about what substances are "on the street" and available to kids. And, because they can keep track of students' behavior on a daily basis, they often can intervene before substance abuse leads to serious consequences.

Gang violence: Gangs were widespread in public schools through the 1980s, decreasing measurably in the early 90s. But gangs are once again on the rise on school campuses, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Gangs have followed the same communityto- school route of most other social problems, and they contribute significantly to crime and violence in the schools where they operate. If gangs in schools are not trafficking in drugs and weapons, they are engaged in recruiting new members, intimidating students, or extorting money from them. Aside from the obvious hate and violence they produce, their activities tend to arouse student fear, cause absenteeism, disrupt teaching and learning, and result in widespread behavioral chaos on a school campus.

Race and ethnicity are important stratifying factors in American society, and more often than not are the foundation of gang membership. There are Chicano gangs in Southern California; Puerto Rican gangs in New York; Asian gangs in Chicago and San Francisco; Cuban gangs in Miami; Irish, Polish, and Italian gangs in most large urban cities on the East Coast, and a raft of other examples throughout American society. Historically, gangs have been predominantly male, but female gang membership is on the rise and their activity tends to be just as violent and dangerous.

Security Services ESP are professionals who understand what gangs are, how they operate, and how to deal effectively with their violent behavior. They try to implement a total community approach to preventing gang formation, diminishing their impact on schools and communities, and when possible, keeping gangs from operating within the schools. Security Services ESP must have current and meaningful training and equipment to be effective when confronting gang activity and violence on school campuses.

Student hate crime: Hate crimes are loosely defined as hostile acts that are motivated by hatred against members of so-called "outgroups," or people who are perceived as different. The bigotry and prejudice that underlie hate crimes and violence in public schools do not originate there — they are carried into schools by students whose families and/or communities are dysfunctional in some way. Hate violence is generally more complex than other violence and can be more serious because when it erupts in schools, it often involves active participants as well as passive but aware bystander students. This phenomenon makes supervision and security much more difficult and dangerous for Security Services ESP.

More and more, Security Services ESP are expected to teach, promote, and role model tolerance, respect, and dignity for every person. More than almost any other employee in the school system, they recognize the negative impact of hate and prejudice. They therefore have a unique opportunity to promote respect for differences, and work hard to dispel fear and mistrust.

After Columbine, states around the country rushed to pass laws providing funding for new school security and counseling programs. Unfortunately, much of this money has been used to implement conflict resolution and anger management training for students and staff. Although in general these are worthy programs, school safety also would be enhanced if resources were used to properly equip, effectively train, and adequately pay Security Services employees. These ESP confront dangerous, violent, and difficult situations and desperately need much more administration recognition and support of who they really are and what they really do to provide safety and security in schools.

To Section 7: Budget Issues, Politics, and School Security