Free Essay on Political and Social Causes of School Shootings (Sandy Hook)

School shootings can be referred to as an attack that happens in educational institutions, mainly primary, secondary, or universities, through firearms. In most cases, these shootings have been categorized as mass shootings, due to their increase in causing causalities. The phenomenon is widely spread in the United States since it experiences a wide range of shots in most schools. However, the shootings have taken many countries in general. According to many researchers, shots are not defined as such because they occur on people as well as properties around the school. Still, it is because they are caused by either a student, a teacher, a former student or teacher, or even an employee (Teasley, 2018). However, school shootings can also be caused by an outsider. Besides, school shootings must be well planned. This paper has discussed both the social and political causes of school shootings.

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Political Causes

The highest cases of the school shooting and especially in Sandy Hook, have been caused by accessible access firearms. Over history, guns were not available in the United States. The rate of shooting in schools was not also a common thing. However, the government of Switzerland has not been effective in reducing the mass production of firearms that have has been taking place there, making the country to be awash with firearms. These firearms have been easily accessed by American residents, thus increasing the incidences of the shootings. Politically, the government from both countries has failed in regulating the importation and exportation of the firearms. The governments from Switzerland have been taxing very low on the export of guns, thus increasing their sales outside the country. Besides, various citizens in Switzerland, as well as firearms producing companies, have been exploiting the demand of the firearms, thus providing more than enough of them. The mass production has also been a compelling opportunity, where the government has been collecting more revenue. As a result, the production and sales of firearms have been observed as a significant contributor to economic growth (Klein, 2012).

On the other hand, the governments in the United States have imposed very little tax on the importation of firearms. And this has made even the people of middle and low classes access the firearms. There is also increased corruption and poor management in the ports, where some guns have been penetrated in the country at no taxes (Prasad & Deng, 2009). Through this, the rates of school shootings in the United States have increased at a very high standard. The style of leadership in the country has also contributed to the increased school shootings. After every time that schools are shot up, the firearms control advocates have been delighted and making the same arguments over and over again. They have been pretending to care and get more concern but take no step afterward. If the leadership were effective and more concerned about this issue, it would appoint other advocates on firearms controls, to ensure that the shootings have reduced.

Just like other national politics in the nation, schools also have their politics. Most of the school elects leaders, while the staff in the organizations elects leaders. These politics are even worse than national politics. Since leaders are expected to vote, a different person supports different candidates. The candidates also carry out various processes of campaigning to presents their manifestos and convince other students why they fit the positions. Once some of them are defeated, there are possibilities of war emergence as well as shootings from their supporters. This is another factor, but the increased rate of firearms contributes to it. Politics in the country can also cause school shootings, but this has not been common in cases (Teasley, 2018). For example, specific politics might be in conflict with the school leaders or with the development of the specific institution and plan shooting in advance. Politics are said to be dirty, and they are full of jealousy. It is accompanied by jealousy and rivalry.

Social Causes

The purpose of models in most schools, especially the secondary and terminal institutions, has been an education but mainly, socialization. People who usually carry out shootings in schools have a particular problem. There is no way an individual can wake up one day and decide to shoot the school without any hidden reason. In most cases, these people have an issue that disturbs them mentally. Therefore, the issue explodes in the form of causing harm to the school. Precisely, most of the people who participate in school shootings are believed to be depressed. Schools are tribal environments where even the children with poor lessons are designed in not getting a better education, but is going against their impotent teachers. Lack of active discipline measures by the teachers in school can also and have increased school shootings. Teachers need to use canes abolition as well as other forms of chastisements, to ensure that discipline is well maintained in schools. Strict supervision on students while getting inside their schools has also lacked in various institutions, thus giving them opportunities to penetrate the firearms in the schools. Therefore this should be an area of rectification since it can be easily achieved. Besides, increased drug abuse is another factor that leads to people taking part in shooting schools. Drugs are substances that, when taken by various individuals, they affect their normal functions. Drugs can, therefore, draw people to causing harm, without their intention (Muschert, 2007).

Most of the people who get involved in school shootings are mainly those who slip through stubborn social dynamics. Also, the highest numbers of shooters are from both low and middle class, and it is not sufficient for them to spend more hours in a day at the school environments. Arguably, the human is social animals and hence, not excluded in the social dynamics. Bringing up children is very effective in determining their future behaviors. Children from both middle and low backgrounds are mainly surrounded by stories and images of students from high school and universities as sexual cornucopias. Besides, these children are brought up by parents who use illegal means to put food on the table. Some use firearms in stealing from innocent people, and their children are well aware of this. The propaganda act as the base of society and destroy the sense of worth of these children. According to Rossen (2018), people with low self of worth against themselves have high chances of causing violence on others, as well as themselves. That to say, as these children join schools, they will have high probability in causing shootings.

Social conflicts can also cause school shootings. In various cases, conflicts may emerge concerning a certain piece of land, where the school is located. There are increased cases where lands are pronounced to be owned by two or three different parties. Schools may also be located in socially-owned land, where the community members may decide to subdivide the land, and each of them holds a share. Precisely, conflict in the ownership of either schools or lands where the school is located may also contribute to the increased rate of school shootings (Klein, 2012). However, people should know that shooting is not the solution to solving issues. It will only destroy the properties of the school, taking the economy backward.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the rates of school shootings have been a topic of discussion in many decades. However, it has increased due to the mass production of firearms, as easy in their access. Politically, the government in the United States has not been able to prevent these firearms completely from being imported into the country. There are also political factors like leadership in both Sandy Hook, and nationally, that may cause the shootings. There are also social factors that may lead students and other people in shootings. Social lives play great roles in determining the behaviors of individuals, and these behaviors are what lead to school shootings or not. It is also good for people to share out the issues facing their lives, to avoid the depressions that are associated with school shootings. Lastly, the high rates of drug abuse can also contribute to immoral behaviors, one of them being school shootings.

References

Klein, J. (2012). The bully society: school shootings and the crisis of bullying in America's schools. NYU Press. Retrieved from: https://clcjbooks.rutgers.edu/books/bully-society/

Muschert, G. W. (2007). Research in school shootings. Sociology Compass, 1(1), 60-80. DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-9020.2007. 00008.x

Prasad, M., & Deng, Y. (2009). Taxation and the worlds of welfare. Socio-economic Review, 7(3), 431-457. DOI: 10.1093/ser/mwp005

Rossen, E. (2018). School Safety Beyond School Shootings. Eye On Psi Chi Magazine, 23(2), 30-33. doi: 10.24839/2164-9812.eye23.2.30

Teasley, M. (2018). School Shootings and the Need for More School-Based Mental Health Services. Children & Schools, 40(3), 131-134. doi: 10.1093/cs/cdy015