T.A.

Let’s first try to understand what causes violence in schools or even violence in general. People committing violent acts are angry at someone or something. So what do the children in public schools have to be angry about? As much as students complain about their mean or unfair teachers, school violence usually involves students hurting other students. Why would a child be angry at a fellow classmate? According to the National Education Association (NEA), a lot of anger is the result of bullying. Until recently, people often assumed that bullies were the ones committing violent acts in school. The opposite is actually true. Gerald Newberry, the director of NEA’s Health Information Network explained, “The kids who pulled the trigger weren’t who we thought they were. They were not the bullies-they were the kids who had been bullied.” This idea is further supported by a Bureau of Justice Statistics survey, which found that 86% of high school students said students resort to violence in school because of being picked on, made fun of, or bullied by their peers (Greenya).
A major way many kids try to fit in with their peers is through their clothes. Certain things are cool to wear and certain things are not. Topping my thirteen year-old sister’s Christmas list this year were specific articles of clothing she felt she needed to have. But the specificity of her requests did not lie in the color or really even the style of the clothes. The only requirement was that they came from specific stores. She really believed that by wearing these clothes she would have the coolest, the best, and most importantly, the most friends. According to a study by the National Mental Health Association, there are many students besides my little sister who place a lot of importance on clothes. The survey found that 76% of students say kids who dress differently are picked on at school (Greenya).