By Sosamma Samuel-Burnett, J.D.
What happened in Uvalde, TX is heartbreaking, devastating, and beyond sad - the second worst school shooting in U.S. history. But what happened in Uvalde is also not an isolated incident of violence, nor the only instance of violence in schools. It follows a long line of school shootings over recent years. And it should make us pause to consider why this happened, or more specifically why this is continuing to happen.
Senseless violence never fully has an answer. But it does have a combination of factors that either promote and limit its likelihood. Those factors in America have remained the same for some time and have created a pattern even when each instance of violence has had its distinct set of contexts.
The factors that we must consider:
Weapons: Guns are the major source of violence and of school violence. While it is true that the weapons themselves may not be the cause, and also true that other forms of weapons could and would be used by some one who wanted to cause harm, still guns make it “easier” for most perpetrators to cause that harm. Guns are more likely to be used because of the ease of accessing them. And shootings are more likely to cause death since it only takes one bullet to kill. And in the case of assault weapons, they are geared toward killing and injuring severely. Without clear methods to limit the access and use of guns and other weapons, they will continue to be readily available for harm.
Culture of Violence: Besides weapons themselves, our American culture has promoted violence in every form through television, movies, social media, traditional media, sports, etc. American culture has been fixated by violence, particularly in shows, films and video games about war, conflict, crime, etc. We are hard pressed to find films, for example, that don’t somehow depict and even promote violence. Like weapons, they may not be the direct cause for the violence, but they promote violence in a way that attaches to our psyches, and certainly to those individuals who are intent to do harm.
Lack of Political Will: Neither the Left/Democrats nor the Right/Republicans has fully demonstrated a political will to curb violence. The Left has been rallying for gun control but has not wanted to control violence in other contexts, including in media. The Right has skirted gun control but has not offered an alternate solution that would prevent violence using guns and other weapons. Without bipartisan efforts to create constructive systems to protect against violence, the violence will continue unchecked.
Lack of Adequate Security: While we all want our children to go to school and enjoy their childhood without encumbrances, we live in an age when a certain degree of encumbrance may be necessary to protect our children. Whether background checks, security systems in schools, and/or security guards in school, each school can and must create a context where children can still play and learn freely, but with a higher level of certainty of their security. It does not need to be either/or; it can be both/and.
Mental Health Awareness & Treatment: In every case of school violence, we are dealing with individuals with mental health issues. No sane person would harm others, particularly children. The perpetrators disturbed minds lead them to disturbed behaviors. And the younger they are, the more likely they will use the school context to manifest disturbed actions. Even without great details of the perpetrator in the Uvalde community, we can gather that he has been dealing with mental health issues. But it raises many questions: What is the source of his mental health concerns? Were these concerns previously identified, and if not, why not? How were they being or not being addressed, and also why not? Unless and until we can monitor, support, and provide treatment for people suffering from mental illness, we run the risk of allowing any one of them to snap. And the result is either harm to themselves and/or others.
Fraying Family and Community Bonds: For decades the American family and community have steadily shifted and declined with increases in single parent or no parent households where other family or community members step in or no one is there to step in on behalf of kids. Without the strong family and community bonds, children are becoming more isolated and less able to fit into society and social structures within society. The disconnect from family and community creates a disconnect for caring about oneself or others, which in turn increases the likelihood of causing harm to oneself or others.
Lack of Spiritual Foundation: While religion and religious groups can have its problematic elements, spirituality is a centering concept that gives individuals and communities purpose. That purpose also gives people hope. Fundamentally what is lacking from many individual lives is the sense that they matter and have a purpose for being, and as such, they lack hope. While I would advocate that Christ is the reason we have purpose and value, other faith traditions also help individuals find a sense of that purpose as well. But increasingly, our society and especially our youth are lacking that spiritual foundation.
While many other factors can also influence the perpetrator and the context for violence, these particular factors have persisted. Without legislative, educational, and mental health changes and advances, as well as family, community, and spiritual grounding, the patterns of violence that we have seen through the years will continue. Every school shooting is a tragedy, but every school shooting is potentially preventable. We can not just be sad, but we can also take action.
Our responses have to include prayer, emotional and financial support for victims and families, direct advocacy, legislative action, and other modes of action. But we can be more than responsive to crises, but also proactive on prevention. We can be more concerted in our efforts to not only protect our children but create a culture that does not promote violence, does not allow violent means and weapons to be easily accessed, and does not allow mental illness to go unchecked.
Certainly in this fallen world, we can not prevent every crime and every violent act. But if we can minimize the likelihood of violence, and especially against innocents and children, we can make an impact that can ensure that more of them can grow, learn, and thrive with freedom from violence.