“Will Your Child Be Safe?”

Dark clouds hover over our schools every year. Memories of the Columbine High School tragedy linger. We still ask… Why? Are the events that happened in Colorado, Georgia and Arkansas isolated incidents or do they represent the tip of an iceberg of violence among our nation’s youth? Can we do anything to prevent future outbursts? In other words: “Will your child be safe in school this year?”     

If you think that it can’t happen in your school… think again. In one small Central Virginia School one year:

Ø      Several students was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon.

Ø      A bomb threat forced a school evacuation for several hours.

Ø      Web pages were discovered at the junior high school teaching how to build a bomb.

A recent Newsweek article: “In survey after survey, many kids – even those on the honor roll – say they feel increasingly alone and alienated, unable to connect with their parents, teachers and sometimes even classmates. They’re desperate for guidance and when they don’t get what they need at home or in school, they cling to cliques or immerse themselves in a universe out of the parents’ reach, a world defined by computer games, TV and movies where brutality is so common it has become mundane.” Are our children changing that much? “Yes and no!” say most experts.

Larry Dunn, Charlotte County Superintendent, warns of the danger of overreacting: “We will be careful not to treat our students as criminals. Schools are the safest places in student’s environments. Our students have a much better record of violence and crime than do our communities. Our students are exemplary because we expect such. We need to continue to have high expectations for students, for academics and more importantly for behavior.”

So… how should we help our children deal with the potential dangers within our schools:

• Get Involved: Offer to volunteer at your child’s school. Attend meetings and get to know the teachers and other parents. Watch how the students interact.

• Become a Mentor: Look for a way to guide one or several youth in your community. Be encouraging and offer opportunities for growth. Include them in your prayers.

• Talk and Listen: How well do you know your child? Who are his friends? What are her interests? Spend a few extra minutes each day deepening your relationship with him/her.
• Heed the Warning Signals: Has his appetite changed? Has her grades fallen? Have they lost interest in favorite activities? Are they becoming more aggressive or sullen?
• Take A Faith Inventory: Is your family religiously active? Does your child have a group of peers at church to offer support and love? Are you praying for and with your child?

The Bible teaches: “…you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children.”             (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

For years, the church was considered “out of touch” with real world issues but is it? It is the church that takes a righteous stand for moral values and ethical standards. God’s church provides hope when crisis strikes. We use the Bible to teach responsibility for our individual and societal shortcomings. Our faith, nurtured in the church gives us the desire to reach out to others and make a difference in the world. No organization teaches life’s fundamentals better.

Recently, eight high school seniors in our area were honored with scholarships: partly for academic excellence and partly for being the very first in their family to ever attend college. In their acceptance speeches, all of them mentioned obstacles that were overcome and how they had made sacrifices. But every senior cited faith in God as a significant influence in his or her life.

How can you help your children be safer this year? Get involved and think about becoming a mentor. Spend more time with your children and be on the alert for the warning signals of trouble. More importantly… take a careful faith inventory and be open to the influence of God and the church. 

Your involvement could spell the difference between two “S” words: a scholarship... or a shooting.