Q. The recent events in Columbine, Colorado have left me wondering about how such a thing could have happened. What contributes to this type of violence in children and adolescents?

A. Tragedies like Columbine represent a convergence of several known predictors of violence. No one factor is sufficient to explain this type of behavior, but taken together they provide us with some understanding of what goes wrong.

Social isolation is a powerful predictor of violence, in part because it removes people from the social control which occurs naturally as a result of expectations of behavior placed on us by our relationships, jobs and community responsibilities. Prolonged social isolation can also distort self perception, as well as the reciprocal nature of human relationships. People isolated by age, class or location can become self absorbed, often losing touch with others unlike themselves. Isolation erodes self confidence, reducing a person's ability to function competently in the larger world.

Violence occurs most easily in cultures which approve of it in some ways, either as a problem solving technique or as behavior which is somehow entertaining. Our culture does both. Think about our child rearing patterns. We condemn abuse, while at the same time approving of spanking children when "it's for their own good". Media representations of mass destruction and personal violence are popular forms of nightly entertainment.

These two factors coupled with an increased level of social stress are a dangerous mix. It's hard to know what the social stress is that can lead children and adolescents down a path of murder and suicide. One's perception of being different or treated unfairly is a frequently cited concern of many middle and high school students. Another is a lack of optimism about the future and the power they have to control what happens to them.

We'll probably never know exactly what happened to trigger the events at Columbine. But there are lessons there for us. What are we doing to express our distaste for violence? How much energy are we putting into creating solid, long term relationships with the students we work with? How committed are we to creating a place for each student in our schools? How do they know they belong? And what about the future? How excited are we and how do we pass enthusiasm on to students?

Addressing these issues, personally and with colleagues, is perhaps the best way to honor the victims of Columbine.

Q. I am really upset about the fact that the adults at Columbine High School didn't seem to know about the dangerous activities some of the students were involved in. Yet many students knew. Some had even brought their concerns to the attention of their parents. How can our school prevent this kind of "disconnect" from happening? How can we keep the lines of communication open between students and staff members?

A. I think that attributions of danger are always hard. People tend to overreact or underestimate due in large part to their own personality. There are however known ways of preventing violence before it happens. These have little to do with metal detectors and the policing of schools. Rather, they are focused on building connections between adults and children in school communities. Which of the following are characteristic of your school?

• My school is a place that seeks out and celebrates diversity. Children feel that they belong here. They can find other people like themselves in the art, music and literature found in the school. Teachers structure learning experiences in a manner which promotes reciprocal relationships between students and adults.

• My school is small. Students and staff work together as teams, often for more than one year. Departmentalization is kept to a minimum so that students have a chance to connect with a small number of adults who they can get to know and confide in.

• Although the physical plant of my school is large, students and faculty are arranged in clusters or families which stay together for two to four years. Learning activities are structured in a manner which fosters relationships between students, as well as between teachers and students.

• My school has heterogeneous grouping for instruction. Cooperative learning groups and differentiated instruction are used frequently to encourage students with different learning styles and abilities to learn how to work together and cooperate.

• My school teaches tolerance. Students and faculty are expected to have a variety of different perspectives which they can use to solve problems and advance knowledge. Direct instruction is provided in negotiation and compromise.

• Slurs of any kind are taboo in my school. Jokes or comments which ridicule specific groups are not allowed. Faculty as well as students are held to a high standard in this area. Slurs found written in bathrooms or elsewhere in the building are removed immediately. Discussions of prejudice and discrimination are integrated into the literature and social studies curriculum.

Q. Why does all this violence happen in rural communities? The media always suggests that urban schools are the worst, yet so far the real tragedies have occurred outside the cities, in what appear to be pretty homogeneous communities. How come?

A. The fact that these tragedies have occurred in rural settings does seem to defy popular wisdom. Diversity however is not the "devil" it's made out to be. In fact, communities which offer children alternative ways of living productive adult lives not only promote the development of tolerance, but also give children a range of adult behaviors to identify with. This fosters self-acceptance in children who may see themselves as hopelessly different in more homogeneous neighborhoods and schools.

Limited options for self definition coupled with the social isolation sometimes associated with rural communities may be two important variables to explore in our efforts to prevent similar future tragedies.

Suggested reference:

Greene, R.W. (1998). The explosive child: A new approach for understanding and parenting easily frustrated, "chronically inflexible" children. New York: Harper Collins.

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