When I took part in the GAPP exchange (German-American-Partnership-Program) at Penn High School, in Mishawaka, Indiana in September/October 2002 I often wondered about all the security measures at school.
The students were used to wear identity cards with their names and other personal data on it and it seemed normal to them that all doors but the main entrance were locked. But I was very surprised about this security - orientated school system as it is very different to the one in Germany and also much stricter.
I asked myself when and why all these things have begun and I started to ask my exchange partner and her mother questions about school safety.
The answers I got surprised me a lot because the topic "safe schools- is a relatively young theme that has started to become more important in the last few years. And it is only one of those aspects dealing with the rising youth violence in the United States. All these security measures in American high schools were introduced just a few years ago after a terrible event in 1999 that I will reveal later.
So my personal experience in an American high school was the cause how I came to my topic for this paper.
In this work I will inform about the reasons of the introduction of school security systems in 1999, give data about youth violence in the USA and gun access for youths.
Furthermore, I will concentrate on school shooters, their plans, backgrounds and psyches.
Then I will give information about the measures of violence prevention in general and at Penn High School as a realistic example that I have seen myself. Moreover, I will show some opinions of Americans I have interviewed about school security at Penn High School.
At last I will draw a conclusion from the topic of the work adding my own opinion and I will reflect my work on the paper itself.
The Columbine High School tragedy in Littleton, Colorado- .
Facts of and effects on the school massacre.