Hearts, Minds At Ground Zero

Thu., April 8, 1999

Lunell Haught

Technology alone won’t make our homes, neighborhoods or schools safe. Surveillance videos, locks, walls and alarm systems have important uses but they aren’t enough to guarantee safety. The federal government recently acknowledged that it takes much more than the latest technology to keep our children safe in their schools.

Three federal departments - Justice, Education and Health and Human Services - are offering $300 million in grants to 50 public school districts. Applications for the grants are due June 1. Schools that receive the grants must show that their strategic plans for gang intervention, school security and mental health treatment have been proven effective.

In offering the grants, the federal government is recognizing that pragmatism and experience can temper the rhetoric of fear and control. This new program acknowledges that just relying on metal detectors in schools, for example, is not effective. To guarantee safety, schools and communities must evaluate what really works and not just adopt favorite ideas.

Effectiveness combines various equipment and environmental designs embedded in the social fabric we all weave as we go through life. Our social fabric appears in how we treat friends and strangers on the road, in the store and on the street.

Young people who feel included, who feel a part of a group, school or community are much less likely to get out of bounds by violence or sabotage. When people feel connected to each other and their community, and have options - such as talking to others, finding support through activities, friends, family, and counselors - they feel included and powerful. People who feel they have no power and nothing to lose are the hardest for society and schools to deal with.

Many Inland Northwest schools already have innovative school safety programs, such as peer mediation. And there’s a growing movement by teachers, parents and administrators to find funding for more elementary school counselors who can spot potentially troubled young people. Prevention is an essential ingredient in stopping school violence.

Eligible Inland Northwest schools should take the time to apply for the grants to beef up programs they already have or create ones they’ve always dreamed of.

Although federal efforts in the past might not have worked because of poor guidelines and implementation, this program deserves a chance. It recognizes that school violence isn’t just a gun problem. And it challenges schools to adopt what is effective, rather than what is popular.

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