More Children Are Using Weapons

[RoadRunner]

USA TODAY (http://www.usatoday.com/news/ndsthu03.htm) reports:WASHINGTON (AP) — One in four youths have used a gun or knife or have been in a situation where someone was injured by a weapon in the past year, according to a large national study of adolescents.

The survey funded by 18 federal agencies and analyzed by researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School also found that teen-agers who are failing school and ''hanging out'' unsupervised with friends are at the highest risk of a number of dangerous behaviors. It took a study funded by 18 federal agencies to figure out that unsupervised kids are at the highest risk of a number of dangerous bahaviors.

I heard on the radio about another study that said when children are at school they are 4 times safer than when they are not at school. This would jive with this unsupervised kids study.

[RoadRunner]

BTW, they surveyed 10,000 students age 12 to 17. I wonder how accurate surveys of students are.

[Karenluvs6]

any percentage of students carrying weapons is too high.
I don't know how schools are where you all live, but here in Philadelphia the schools are such a dang mess...these poor kids' don't have a chance in the world here.
Two weeks ago, my youngest son Eric was hit in the eye with a rock that was shot from a sling shot out in the school yard at recess. This is Elementary School mind you...and these kids' are 6 and 7 years old! That's disgusting....How can their parents not know what they are taking to school at that age?? My kids' wouldn't get past the front door of my house, without me noticing something strange. Thank God he didn't lose his eye...but he did get hurt nonetheless...It makes me sick, that I have to worry from the second they leave in the morning until they walk in the door at 3:00 after school.

[RoadRunner]

I hurt just thinking about it. I'm glad he is OK. Slingshots can sure be dangerous. Did anything happen to the kid who took the slingshot to school?

[Karenluvs6]

would you believe they called his mother and had her come and pick up the weapon??!?!?!?
that's it...that's what happened to him!

[fuzzy]

I agree that the weapons in the hands of children is entirely too high. I am the parent of a little girl. We live in a small community and recently the school has been locked down due to a teacher being threatened with murder. The threat came from a student in the high school. I can remember just a few years ago not being afraid in school. Now kids are taught fear. I applaude the parents who teach their kids the path through life that is weapon free. I pitty those who don't care for their kids enough to say if you pull the trigger of that gun, the life you take can never be given back. To all of the families that have lost kids due to violence I pray for you, and to the kids that are heading down the path of violence I also pray for you. Lets all hope that one day we can live in a world where we are all safe. Especially the children.

[keithster]

PBS did a show about the rise of STDs amongst high school students in a very affluent area of Atlanta. The kids were getting together after school and after the parents went to bed for sex parties.

The reason I mentioned this is that guns aren't the only symptom.

"More Children Are Using Weapons" might be changed to "More Children Are Being Ignored By Their Parents" to perhaps start to get at the root of the problem.

I've got 4 little ones. I can see how it'll be easy to let them sort of take care of themselves when they get older. It would give me more time, but certainly wouldn't be the best thing for them.

[Berta]

In our school we have 5 entrances, 4 of the 5 are locked during the school day. We don't have much violence around here but we do have our share. Our school system is really getting strick on the children my son was sent home one day because he was being teased about a girl, this one boy was say you and so and so would make a great couple, my son then said you and so and so would make a great couple, it so happens that the two children he was talking about happen to be African American, and the are the only two in the school, my son's school record now says that he was suspended for half a day due to racial comments. My son still does not understand why it was okay for the boy to say it to him but not okay for my son to say it back. Honestly I don't either, but the school felt it was racial and stated that they can not have this in their school. We have also had a child expelled because his pencil sharpener broke when he was outside and was walking through the building with the broken pieces to throw them away and a teacher saw him and considered the metal part a weapon and sent him to the office for carrying a dangerous weapon. I think some schools are taking things to far, and others not far enough. Where is the happy medium for these problems?

[keithster]

Common sense has been lost.

That's why we'll probably home school.

People who are against home schooling say that the kids need to be socialized, but the socialization that goes on in so many schools is exactly the kind I don't want for my kids.

[Berta]

you're right keithster. I wish I could homeschool but wwith day care in my home I don't have time, or even the quiet space to do it.

[kezzer]

I would love to homeschool, but with my job and all the weird hours I work it would make it near impossible for any consistancy. I live in the same town as Berta, and our children go, and will be going to the same school. There isn't much violence, but lately it seems to be popping up in little towns like ours all over the place so there is no guarentee that it will stay safe for ever.

[keithster]

My family is definitely blessed in this regard. That's one reason we left California. With 4 little kids, there's no way we could afford a larger house AND keep my wife at home.

If we do end up with kids in public schools, I will definitely be involved to the hilt. The teachers will probably get tired of me asking questions. :)

There are some good legal groups out there that fight for parental rights when it comes to education. The American Center for Law and Justice works to make certain that Christians don't lose their legal rights including parents' rights to control what their children learn.

The Pacific Justice Institute (pacificjustice.org) fights for religious rights and parental rights in California.

I'm certain there are other groups providing such services.

It's a fight for the hearts and souls of our children.