As Taken from my own work from a University Report L. Flores (2013)
MAIN POINT (addess the problem): School shootings are occurring at a rapid pace.
A. SUBPOINT: How would a number so small affect us?
1. To put how school shootings are increasing let me put the data into context.
a. From 1993-1997 a four year period the odds of a child from grades 9-12 that were going to be possibly hurt with a weapon was 7 to 8 percent that’s 1 in 13 students. (According to the United States Secret Service in a full report on the School Safety initiative.)
2. But take into consideration the death toll that is present. 62 mass school shootings have occurred since 1982 but 25 of which were reported since 2006.
a. 7 of them happening in 2012 alone
i. 11 of them happening in this year 2013 and we are not even half way done through the year.
b. There has been a school shooting every month of this year.
i. 8 happening in January alone.
B. SUBPOINT: The possibility that an attacker can rise in schools is increasing.
1. Researches have said that 18% of children and adolescence have some type of mental disorder. And 5% are mentally and severely disturbed.
a. That is about 1 person per class room.
i. Making one person in every class in every school have an increased percentage at risk of getting themselves involved with the correctional system.
b. Schools are not addressing this issue and are letting these students carry on with a normal life that has been thrown to the side when they really should seek professional help.
2. But then again anyone can become an attacker even without a bad past.
a. Sandy Hook’s shooter was said by neighbors to live in a “normal” family.
i. He didn’t have a criminal Record, and was actually an honor student at Newton High School where he was referred to as “intelligent”.
b. The Ohio school shooter T.J Lane murdered 3 a few weeks ago in a school cafeteria.
i. Many of his peers said he was “Quiet” and “Sweet”.
Connective: (bridge your main point I with your main point II)
II. MAIN POINT : Why is this happening?
A. SUBPOINT: Bullying is becoming much more prominent in schools.
1. In studies done in one month 6% of high schoolers have stayed home because they feel unsafe at school.
a. And why is that though?
i. 7% of 9th-12th graders have admitted to being threatened in school with a weapon at least once in the past year.
b. With this type of bullying the domino effect is taking place and the victims are now becoming the potential attackers.
i. in addition to those who admitted being threatened, 6% of those students have also reported taking a weapon to school for protection.
2. Bullying has given students frustration and depression to the point of outset violence towards others.
a. The Taft High School shooting which is located 4 hours away from here was caused by bullying.
i. Bryan Oliver was charged with two accounts of premeditated murder and three counts of assault.
b. Oliver was a bright student and was actually considered a “genius” by many.
i. But was said to being bullied for being a “Ginger”, and is said to be a reason for his outburst, for being misunderstood.
Devils Advocate: As stated by Caleste Headlee “Not every loner is angry. Not every angry young man is violent.” So let us explore other reasons for this increase.
B. SUBPOINT: Many may blame firearms.
1. Some suggest we should pass a new gun control policy.
a. Some say school shootings would stop.
i. how? If 200 million privately owned fire arms are owned by Americans.
2. When firearm are taken away due to gun control laws it accelerates the danger in schools.
a. When making a school a “Gun-Free” Zone, you limit the ability for adults to fight back attackers.
i. A school is a “help-less victim zone” says Richard Mack a retired Arizona Sheriff in the article The Facts about Mass Shootings.
b. Economists John Lott and William Landes preformed a study back in 1999 that revolutionized the mentality of disarming school.
i. They found that mass shootings happen in places were firearms were banned or limited.
C. SUBPOINT: Others blame the failure in school security.
1. Security systems aren’t up todate and public schools lack security guards.
a. Armed security guards haven’t been placed in every public school for security because many fear the high costs.
i. But in fact in recent studies they have found that it would only take 2.5 billion dollars more to put armed security guards in the remaining public schools that don’t already have them.
2. Security cameras and sign in systems are now greatly crticized because of the lack of protection they truly offer. (Example being the Sandy Hook incident)
b. They don’t give adequate protection to the school and when the alert goes off of an attack, if there isn’t a first responder there (armed security guards) the death toll could possibily be greater than what it could have been if an armed guard was present to attack the atttacker.
i. According to the Journal o f Police Crisis Negotiations researchers have found theres a decrease in violence in schools when an arme guard is present and have concluded that mass shooting death tolls seem to be lower in schools where a first responder was present.
Conclusion
LOGICAL CLOSURE (Review your 3 main points): School shootings are rising, and everyone is blaming everyone and pointing fingers but the bottom line is, they are occurring and whatever factors may be causing them wont always be uncovered.
PSYCHOLOGICAL CLOSURE (restate the topic’s importance to you, your audience, and society at large): We are all at risk at any day, at any time, and it’s up to us to be informed about the issue about it’s causes and it’s increase rate.
CLOSURE/CLINCHER: You may not have experienced it yourself, but the data doesn’t lie the numbers aren’t made up, they hold true to what is happening. Kids younger than us are making mass shootings because a horror theme in our generation. Anyone can be an attacker, we just don’t know who; the same as we can all be victims by “all” that includes you.
11 Facts About School Violence | Do Something. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2013, from http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-school-violence
(2002, May). Retrieved April 30, from http://www.secretservice.gov/ntac/ssi_final_report.pdf
Report: TJ Lane, alleged school shooter, grew up with family violence - Crimesider - CBS News. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57386904-504083/report-tj-lane-alleged-school-shooter-grew-up-with-family-violence/
Retrieved from http://www.nsba.org/SchoolLaw/Issues/Safety/School-Shootings-and-Student-Mental-Health.pdf
What We've Learned From School Shootings : NPR. (2013, January 9). Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2013/01/09/168967271/what-weve-learned-from-school-shootings