Student Spectrums

Dania Iqbal is a 10th grade student. She explores issues of concern to teenagers in the Bay Area and dabbles in social, educational, and political affair topics.

As a highschooler attending an Islamic school, recent news of school shootings in the on the rise in the United States has been extremely worrying for me. As a practicing Muslim, being the target of hate crimes is already a concern, but adding the possibility of such things happing in school, a place for students to learn, grow, and feel at ease, is appalling as well as disappointing. There are many ways the government could attempt to better conditions, yet this issue is still not given enough attention and so far no action is being taken against it.

But why have school shootings risen to such an alarming level in a country where freedom of life is one of the fundamental rights? Schools are meant to be safe spaces for minors to learn, socialize, and grow up. The fact that the cause of death for children in the U.S. is predominantly through gun violence happens in a country that values the rights and safety of all of its citizens and was founded on that basis. The United States insists that gun ownership should be a right, but should it be so easily accessible to those who abuse that right and use it to mindlessly take the lives of children while they are still so young?

A few days ago, on September 6th, a 15-year-old boy from Joppa, Maryland was shot in the bathroom of Joppatowne High School by his fellow 16-year-old student. The shooter was apprehended a couple of minutes after the shooting while the victim was tended by school nurses, then airlifted to a trauma center where he is still in critical condition.

Earlier last week, on September 4th, 14-year-old Colt Gray and his father were suspected of the school shooting at Apalachee High School that killed four people. According to a story covered by USA Today, the event has become the deadliest school shooting that has taken place in the U.S. in more than a year. 

Starting from the 1990s, the occurrence of school shootings has risen to an astonishing number. In 2021, the number of school shootings peaked, now standing at 236 shootings that took place that year. Based on research from the National Institutes of Health, “The USA has had 57 times as many school shootings as all other major industrialized nations combined.” 

Of course, there are many small actions that the government could take to prevent school violence on a larger scale. I believe that one obvious change they could bring is tighter restrictions to gun ownership in the U.S. Shootings in general would go down a great deal once more laws banning the casual use of guns are declared. Before purchasing a gun, the buyer should go through a background check to make sure that the gun will not be used for deplorable purposes. Being aware of the accessibility of a gun to a minor and keeping it away from them is crucial.

Schools should have security checks to guarantee the safety of the school and make sure no dangerous objects are weapons are being taken into the facility. Another change that schools can bring to their students is to create a more open and supportive environment. According  to research by Alfred University, only half the students who hear others talk about inflicting violence tell the teachers. 

The rise of school shootings in the United States is a troubling issue that has affected the lives of many children across the country. Children’s lives are being wasted on a matter that can be solved with such little action from a potent government that has the power to do much more. Taking action against these unfortunate events will secure the peace and safety of not just the next generation, but the nation as a whole.