Barry Glassner

The following viewpoint was written in August 1999, in response to several public shootings that occurred in U.S. cities that month, as well as the shootings at Columbine High School in April 1999. In it, Barry Glassner argues that while these shootings are tragic, parents’ concerns about increased gun violence among youth are unfounded. He cites federal statistics indicating that violent crime among youth is down and that fewer students report bringing firearms to school than in the past. Nevertheless, he asserts, the media hype surrounding Columbine and other school shootings has led students to feel less safe at school. Glassner maintains that the exaggerated scare about youth violence has drawn attention away from other important dangers to youth. Glassner is the author of The Culture of Fear: Why Americans...