| The shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, | | | | After the attacks, many students told authorities that |
| Colorado woke up the entire nation to the possibilities | | | | they had heard the student make threats about what |
| to violent crime happening in our high schools. Some | | | | they were going to do but most of the times, the kids |
| people may expect bad things to happen in lower | | | | never reported it to staff thinking that the student did |
| income, inner city schools but were shocked to see | | | | not really mean it. Now students are taught that if |
| something that devastating happen in an affluent, | | | | anyone ever says they will perform a violent act, to |
| suburban high school. This article will mention some of | | | | report it to school officials or the police immediately. |
| the crimes that have happened in recent years and | | | | Looking back on a lot of the crimes, there were |
| what are the changes schools are making to prevent | | | | definite signs that many of these students planned to |
| further killings and shooting to happen in our schools. | | | | do this violent shooting ahead of time and there was |
| Some changes are the addition of metal detectors, the | | | | evidence that they did not keep it secret. Teachers, |
| removal of a kid's locker and have just hooks for | | | | counselors are now also taught to look for signs of |
| coats and bags and some decorative shelving where | | | | students that feel isolated or that are being teased or |
| items are all visible, and some other things pertaining to | | | | bullied with many schools creating a zero tolerance |
| dress codes. | | | | policy for that type of behavior towards another |
| One of the consistent themes that seem to resonate | | | | student. |
| from the kids who cause these violent acts in school is | | | | A lot of high schools have changed things physically |
| that they felt like they were either ridiculed by other | | | | about their schools to try to prevent kids from bringing |
| classmates or that they were outsiders. Up until 1995, | | | | in weapons or explosives to the building. One way is to |
| school shootings were considered quite rare but | | | | have metal detectors placed at the main entrance |
| unfortunately since then, there have been many that | | | | where all of the students may only enter the building |
| have happened with the most recent one and | | | | that way. This has helped a bit to prevent weapons |
| deadliest one happening at Virginia Tech where one | | | | from entering schools. |
| student claimed 32 lives including his own. Most of the | | | | Some schools are eliminating lockers from buildings. |
| shootings have been caused by students that attend | | | | Many new schools built in Colorado were made |
| the school and are very familiar with the routine of the | | | | without lockers to prevent students from hiding |
| school as well as the layout of the building. There have | | | | anything dangerous. Also, long, trench coat style |
| also been more fatalities prior to that in Washington, | | | | apparel has been banned from some schools as |
| Pennsylvania, Colorado, Tennessee and Minnesota to | | | | something a person can hide weapons under as well. |
| name a few. | | | | |