Michael Easterbrook

About the author: Michael Easterbrook is a freelance writer and regular contributor to the online health magazine HealthScout.

Some of the steps taken by schools to prevent school shootings— for example, metal detectors, security guards, and punishment of students who use violent language—have had ill effects. Schools punish students who use violent language without considering the context of those statements or the behavioral history of the students. Increased security can create a sense of helplessness that makes adolescents feel like prisoners and increases their fascination with violent resistance. Instead of relying on punishments that alienate their students, schools should provide a nurturing environment and increased access to counseling.

Tension in the classroom had been building all year. The English teacher was fresh out of college...