Daily American Online, PA
04-18-07
School officials, psychiatrist discuss Virginia Tech tragedy
By VICKI ROCK
Daily American Staff Writer
In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shooting, two local school superintendents
talked about school security.
“These things are an enormous tragedy and my heart goes out to everybody
involved,” Rockwood Superintendent Vincent Capricci said. “My son attends
another college and my first thought was to call him. I can't imagine the pain and
suffering in the community.”
While it is impossible to make schools impenetrable, security procedures and
procedures are reviewed on a regular basis, he said.
“We try to provide reassurance to the community that we will safeguard their
kids, but there are no guarantees,” Capricci said.
Salisbury-Elk Lick Superintendent David Welling spent six weeks at Virginia Tech
while he was working on his doctorate.
“I'm upset that stuff like that goes on anywhere,” he said. “Our colleges are so
open. We always have to look at school security. In our society today, we must
have a constant vigil. It is a tragedy, a sad reflection on our society. It's a
tremendous impact on families and people's lives from here on out.”
Even if college campuses were to put in checkpoints, it would still not be the
answer, he said. Students or professors would still be able to bring in weapons.
Chelsea Green, Salisbury, one of the school's graduates, is a student at Virginia
Tech. She was not injured, but his first thoughts were of her.
“We have to stop and reflect, what more do we need to do?” he said. “We have
to try to fine tune operations.”
Douglas Gentile, research director for the National Institute on Media and
the Family at Iowa State University, said parents of young children must
remember to protect their children from media images of violence.
“There is no reason for a child under the age of 8 to come into contact with the
images or ideas associated with the story,” he said. “While parents use the
defense ‘Don't worry, it's only TV,' it is the type of thing that can cause
nightmares in young children. Turn off the TV. News is not for children 8 and
younger.”
If for some reason they do see the news, their parents should hold them and
reassure them that they will keep them safe, he said.
Children ages 8 to 12 will also be scared. If their parents believe they should
have an awareness of what is going on in the world and allow them to see the
news, the parents should be aware that it will be a very real threat to them,
Gentile said.
“Focus on concrete details, that steps are made to make schools safe, we have
police, things like that,” he said. “Children of that age are going to ask why did it
happen. We don't know is a fair answer. For something like this to have
happened, a lot of things have gone wrong in this individual's life; multiple things
are converging. They may say, such as the shootings at Columbine high, that
they were bullied. It can't be reduced to bullying or video games. These people
have psychological problems and uninvolved parents. A lot of things have to
combine to a high level to lead to school shootings. They are mentally ill.”
The recommendations are different for children who know someone who attends
Virginia Tech, especially if that person was injured or killed. In those cases,
children should not be kept in the dark. They must be allowed to grieve if
someone they know has been killed.
Television coverage is more frightening than newspaper coverage because it is
at a pace that the user can't control, Gentile said. People may put down
newspapers or turn the page if something is upsetting. Newscasters speak with
an emotional tinge that can make it more frightening.
“It is the same as Sept. 11, 2001, a horrible tragedy,” he said. “There is no
perfect solution, but every family must decide on how much value they place on
children's peace of mind versus how much value they place on their children
being informed. My personal belief is my child, who is 9, doesn't need to see it
until she is 20.”
Dr. Glenn Kashurba, a Somerset child psychiatrist, said people who have
college-age children should reassure them that things like this rarely happen.
People should have an advance plan because it makes them feel better and
more in control if they have an idea what to do if something happens, he said.
Kashurba cited the examples of knowing where the emergency exits are on an
airplane or, in large city schools, knowing where the emergency buttons are to
call security.
“People are reassured with structure and a plan in place,” he said.
Every time something like this happens, the phone lines are jammed, he said.
Families need to plan alternate means of communication - perhaps posting a
message on a Web site, or e-mailing or even faxing.
“One thing we should have learned from Flight 93, if a crazy person is willing to
kill people, you are better off attacking him,” Kashurba said. “Even if he is armed
and you are not, you're better off. You're going to be dead anyway, and you may
save lives.”