Fall out from school discipline...
Two stories

Timely from the Top: An occasional column by Alice Ray

Yesterday I heard two stories about school discipline, one ended in tragedy, one ended in hope.

ABC News reported a school shooting by a boy who “seemed angry” after he had recently been suspended for fighting.  One of his victims was a teacher who, according to several anonymous sources, had regular run-ins with both students and colleagues.  There were lots of warning signs, but the young man didn't’ get the intervention that he needed.  Neither did the teacher.

Earlier in the day, a School Resource Officer (a cop) called here to report the aftermath of piloting Ripple Effects software in an In-School Suspension setting.  She got two letters from students who told her it had a positive effect on their lives – a first.  One of those students went on to talk about the parental addiction that was at the root of his anger and frustration. He would get the skill training and support he needed to cope.

In most cases, aggression at school is linked to problems in another domain: peers, family, community, deep psyche.

In the case of Asa Coon, the shooter, all of those things were in play. Apparently he was a victim of parental abuse, was teased and goaded into fighting by peers, had ongoing conflict with teachers, lived in a dangerous neighborhood, and had serious psychological problems, possibly chemically-based mental illness .

Ripple Effects software offers students training in a set of strategies have been proven effective in reducing anti-social behavior. Equally important, it enables them to address underlying reasons for problems in a safe, private environment, where shame is not part of the equation. They can look up topics like child abuse, bullying, being left out, parents’ addiction and teacher conflict, even mental illness and get peer narrated help in how to deal with those issues, including how to use community resources.

Would that have been enough to prevent yesterday’s shooting? Probably not.  But if it had been in place the first time Asa was suspended for fighting, in seventh grade, it might have made a big difference. Now it is too late.

And what about the teacher? Would Ripple Effects private, software-based training in managing diverse learners, showing care, and communicating respect to all students have made a difference? We don’t know.  But for that teacher, and other students, it’s not too late.

Comments?

More Timely from the Top:
09/25/07 In light of Jena
07/11/07 Alice Ray on Recent Supreme Court Ruling