April 18, 2000

Listening to Our Young People

One year ago, the nation stood dumbfounded as images of students pouring from Colorado=s Columbine High School flashed across television screens.  Who could believe that two students would walk into their high school, armed as if going to war, and open fire?  When the shooting finally ended, twelve students, including the gunmen, and a teacher were dead.

A national survey released last week showed that the memory of Columbine still lingers, and that the concerns which the tragedy raised remain unabated.  According to the survey, 63 percent of parents believe a Columbine-type of incident could occur in their community.  In today=s reality, it is unfortunately true: school shootings can happen anywhere, at any time.  The challenge is in finding ways to prevent them.

Earlier this month, 250 high school students from around West Virginia took up that challenge during the Robert C. Byrd Youth Summit.  Held at West Virginia University and seven other sites throughout the state, the summit was designed to include young people in the discussion on how to reduce youth violence.  The delegates were from schools both large and small, from cities and rural communities.  Despite these differences, the delegates= ideas followed a similar path.

When asked about the causes of youth violence, the students pointed to peer pressure, a strong feeling of isolation, and an eroding home and family life.  They said that too many parents fail to set strong examples for their children and do not play an active role in their child=s life.  As one Jackson County student-delegate pointed out, AWe trace everything back to the family.  America has gotten away from the stability of family life.@

The delegates focused on the taproot of the problem.  In our fast-paced society where family members often only meet when they pass at the front door, the strong sense of family and of belonging has been lost.  There is a strong undercurrent of isolation among young people.  The same isolation can reach into schools and classrooms.  Replacing this feeling of isolation with one of belonging is crucial.

Instead of parents setting their children=s value structure, in today=s world it seems as if the media have taken over that role.  Instead of coming home after school and talking with parents or other siblings, the first step for students seems to be clicking on the computer or television.  By stepping away from family and community, we let the media take over.  In many families, television and the Internet raise the children.  As family relationships disappear, the media further isolate our children.

When asked what would best prevent violence in the schools, the top response was the creation of safe places where young people could gather after school.  AThe community needs to focus on activities for teens so that they don=t feel bored and need to use drugs and alcohol,@ noted a Northern Panhandle student-delegate.  This makes sense when considering that, according to the FBI, juveniles are most likely to commit a violent crime in the hours immediately after the school day ends.

Delegates also endorsed conflict resolution programs and peer mediation efforts, many of which have been implemented in schools across West Virginia, as strong prevention initiatives.  The students felt that there should be a greater restriction on access to weapons in the home.  They said that weapons should be locked up and kept away from children.

Part of the cure for youth violence, I believe, can only be found by digging deep into the soul of America.  Talk of morals and values has long been brushed off as old-fashioned and out of step.  But, as the summit delegates pointed out, something in our society is seriously wrong.  We are missing something that used to be a basic component in our society, and we desperately need to rediscover it.

We all share a role in the effort to prevent youth violence.  No viewpoint can be summarily dismissed.  Children and teachers deserve a school environment free from guns, knives, and other weapons -- an environment in which they do not fear harm, and a place where parents can leave their children with a true sense of security.

It is my hope that we can continue to work together, not only to identify the solutions to end youth violence but also to implement those solutions.  For the sake of our young people, it is high time to restore the peaceful schoolhouse we once knew so well -- a schoolhouse which fosters creativity and inspires learning -- and most importantly, a schoolhouse which provides each student with a safe haven for obtaining the skills necessary to lead America in the 21^st century.

The Byrd Youth Summit 2000 is produced in conjunction with