School safety is indeed a heightened concern across the nation.

Dear Parents, Students, Faculty and Friends:

Recently, Bishop Gorman Catholic School installed security doors in both the middle and high school, limiting access to a majority of student classrooms during the school day. Further security measures are in the planning stages for implementation in the coming months. School safety is indeed a heightened concern across the nation.

Though schools have an obligation to provide secure and safe premises for their students, these preventions for potential external threats are not at all the panacea some profess. The limitation of almost all school security devices is that the most considerable threats to student lives in American schools are from internal threats, threats from within the school environment. The resolution to school violence from internal threats is strongly dependent on parents and students.

The majority of violence in the past decade in America’s schools has been caused by students who attended those schools. Mr. Cho Seung-Hui was a student at Virginia Tech University; he had access to all dormitory buildings and school classrooms. Dillon Klebold and Eric Harris were students at Columbine High School in Colorado. Andrew Golden and Mitchell Johnson were students at West Side Middle School in Jonesboro, Arkansas. No amount of security devices would have prevented them from having access to the students who fell victim to their weapons. School violence from within school communities is the greatest threat schools face today.

The solution for school violence lies more in the hands of responsible students than in any administrative or security action. Students who are aware of peer stresses, students who have the wherewithal and courage to make adults in the school aware of problematic and potentially violent peer issues, students in the school who reach out to other students who feel alienated and isolated within that school community are truly the answer to the crisis in American schoolyards of the 21st century.

I would like to encourage all students to follow the example of a number of Gorman students in the past few years who have found it within themselves to follow the example of Christian love for their friends and peers by reaching out to those who are alienated within the classrooms, the cafeteria, the sports fields and to make sure a trusted adult knows when peers demonstrate some of the problematic behaviors identified on the attached sheets. Parents and guardians are asked to encourage their children to take the proper action when they note problematic peer behaviors.

The community of love that a Christian school can foster helps students move through the immense social needs of the adolescent. We are committed in the Gorman community to doing our part to end Americas school violence, and we encourage all -- students, parents, friends, and faculty -- to work together to ensure safety, security, caring, and empathetic responses to the immense human needs of 21st century adolescents.

Sincerely,

Creating Caring Christian Communities

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

—Matthew 24:12-13

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:7-8

In order to be better prepared to meet the threat of school violence with the school communities, it has become increasingly important for school students, parents, teachers and administrators to be able to identify and prevent potential violence by our youth.

Early Warning Signs

• Social Withdrawal
• Excessive feelings of isolation and being alone
• Excessive feelings of rejection
• Being a victim of violence
• Feelings of being picked on and persecuted
• Expression of violence in writings and drawings
• Uncontrolled anger
• Patterns of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidating and bullying behaviors
• History of violent and aggressive behavior Drug and alcohol use
  Affiliation with gangs

Imminent Warning Signs

• Serious physical fighting with peers or family members
• Severe destruction of property
• Detailed threats of lethal violence
• Possession and/or use of firearms and other weapons
• Other self-injurious behaviors of threats of suicide

What Can Students Do?

If you have a friend who is thinking and talking about violence--such as hurting others or him or herself--don’t wait. Tell an adult you trust such as your parent(s) or guardian(s), a teacher, counselor, school psychologist, clergy or any person you think will listen and help. If you can’t tell an adult for whatever reason, call a hotline and share your thoughts, feelings and concerns. They will help you help your friend. There are many phone hotlines and most of them are free.

True friends know that getting help can save a friend’s life or prevent hurt to others. Friends who have gone to a trusted adult say that their friendships have become even stronger. Heroes are people who save a life.

• Hotline Numbers: 1-888-784-2433; 1-800-999-9999
• Websites: www.apahelpcenter.org ; www.schoolsafety.us