Better Understanding Children Prevents School Violence
Washington, Mar 22 - In response to the school shooting in Minnesota that killed 10 people, including the gunman, his grandfather, his grandfather's companion, and a school security guard, Congressman Tim Murphy (PA-18), a psychologist who specialized in the treatment of anger disorders in youth and the author of The Angry Child, released the following statement:
"We must avoid the short-sighted clamor for additional gun control, and metal detectors in schools to prevent such horrible tragedies in the future. The answer to preventing these tragedies lies in understanding what is in the mind and heart of youths, not just what weapon is in their hands.
"There are ten characteristics typical of children with anger problems, including: a tendency to blame others for their problems, difficulty empathizing with others, the likelihood to turn their own negative emotions (e.g. jealousy, hurt, sadness, frustration, etc.) into anger, difficulty resolving social conflicts, using anger and threats as a means to gain power over others, and ultimately tying anger into their own self-esteem.
"Further, children with anger issues tend to identify with other people who use violence to wield power over others.
"Since the Columbine shootings, better training has become available to identify children with problems. Teachers, school administrators, law enforcement agencies, and parents are now more aware of these characteristics, leading to early intervention for many angry students before they erupt and preventing deadly consequences.
"While there may be calls for more congressional investigations into the root causes of school violence, the fundamental issue does not lay in the U.S. House, but in the houses and families of these children."
http://murphy.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=7392