| Today's tragic events at Virginia Tech mark the | | | | create a case plan that outlines the types and intensity |
| deadliest school shooting in US history. Charles | | | | of services needed to prevent future violence. |
| Whitman, a 25 year old ex-marine killed 13 on the | | | | No one risk factor predicts that a youth will be violent. It |
| University of Texas campus in 1966. Klebold and Harris | | | | is the accumulation of risk factors beyond 5 that place |
| killed 12 at Columbine High School in 1999. One gunman | | | | a youth at risk for violence. Some of the known risk |
| killed at least 32 and wounded as many more at | | | | factors include a history of childhood trauma, skill |
| Virginia Tech today. The campus had bomb threats | | | | deficits (poor problem solving, anger management, and |
| last week, as well. In fact, violent acts, particularly | | | | social skills), school behavior problems, learning |
| murders, are on the rise in many US cities. What does | | | | problems, problems interacting with pro-social peers, |
| this mean? What is happening in our society? Is it | | | | history of aggression, delinquency, substance abuse, |
| preventable? | | | | lack of appropriate parental discipline, high conflict and |
| The risk factors for violence have been well research | | | | low warmth within the family, and other behavior |
| and are known. Interventions to reduce these risk | | | | problems, especially those that start before the age of |
| factors and increase resiliency are also known and | | | | 13. Vulnerable youth are more easily influenced by |
| have become evidence based practice. Assessment | | | | violent media of all kinds and are susceptible to stress |
| tools can identify seventy-five to eighty-five percent of | | | | without good coping skills. |
| youth at risk for violence at a young age. Others can | | | | |