'Code of silence' allowed Columbine to happen

The Unit’s efforts to focus attention on the damage done to the cause of child development by measures introduced since the Columbine massacre, are reported in the current edition of Young Minds.

 
The UK journal includes coverage of The Social Research Unit's annual lecture in London, earlier this summer, by Del Elliott, director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado,
 
The money spent on installing anti-weapon devices like metal doors and alarm systems in US high schools to reduce the risk of student perpetrated violence has only succeeded in turning classrooms into fortresses, Young Minds reports.
 
 
‘Elliott’s research showed that since Columbine there had been a slight fall in the number of young people carrying a gun. Despite this, 5% of students had still done so in the past three years, and on almost every other indicator of school violence there had been no change. He put this down to the failure of schools to introduce effective strategies and preventative work based on evidence gathered after Columbine.
 
‘One reason for this is that academic performance is considered more important than preventing violence, even though it was known that a child who felt unsafe at school would not learn, he added.
 
‘In Colorado, Elliott has helped establish a confidential helpline, which over the past five years received 5,000 calls, leading to 28 planned school attacks being stopped.
 
 
‘Research has shown that building a safe school environment, with clear, fairly enforced discipline policies and respect from teachers and peers, was most effective in reducing violent pupil behaviour, he added.
 
‘The “code of silence,” which meant that information was not shared for fear of tale-telling, had to be done away with – there was ample evidence at Columbine that the two boys had told others of their intentions. In more than 80% of violent incidents someone knows it is about to happen.
 
'In Colorado, Elliott has helped establish a confidential helpline, which over the past five years received 5,000 calls, leading to 28 planned school attacks being stopped.
 
'Research has shown that building a safe school environment, with clear, fairly enforced discipline policies and respect from teachers and peers, was most effective in reducing violent pupil behaviour, he added.
 
'The “code of silence”, which meant that information was not shared for fear of tale-telling, had to be done away with – there was ample evidence at Columbine that the two boys had told others of their intentions. In more than 80% of violent incidents someone knows it is about to happen.'
 
Terry Philpot in Young Minds August/September 2009