VIOLENCE AT SCHOOL TOPIC OF WORKSHOP: MAN WHO VISITS SHOOTING SCENES GIVES OBSERVATIONS

When school shootings occurred in rural Pearl, Miss., and near Paducah, Ky., educators in Southeast Missouri took notice.

"This is such an important issue," said Sarah Nussbaum, counselor at Jackson schools. "We want to be pro-active and aware of things we can do to help implement programs in ours schools."

Southeast Missouri school counselors held a workshop Wednesday to look at ways to possibly prevent similar tragedies from happening here. Some 100 counselors, teachers, administrators and others who work with youths attended the workshop in Cape Girardeau.

"This is not an urban problem," said the speaker, David Price, who talks to groups about gang and teen violence and Satanism. "But when it happened in a stereotypical it's-not-supposed-to-happen-here place, this violence got a lot more attention," he said.

Price talked with the participants about what steps can be taken to prepare for and prevent student-initiated violence. Price was called to five school shootings over the past year to help answer questions about violence.

"Student-initiated violence is a community problem," Price said. "It's not solely a school problem."

As such, a community response plan is needed in case something happens, he said. The plan needs to include police, emergency medical staff and others in a community, he said.

"As counselors, you will be called on to help students, parents, teachers, administrators," Price told the group.

He went through a series of practical items to consider while constructing a plan: what to do about traffic, where to hold press conferences, how to notify parents, and how to communicate with teachers and staff throughout the building.

"It's a growing problem," Price said, "and these young people are learning."

He outlined the escalation of violence in the five school shootings he worked.

-- Pearl, Miss.: One student with one gun opened fire.

-- Paducah, Ky.: One student with two guns and a book bag filled with ammunition opened fire.

-- Jonesboro, Ark.: Two students lured the student body out of the school building and opened fire from a van filled with guns and ammunition.

-- Pennsylvania: A student opened fire at a prom away from the school grounds.

-- Oregon: A student armed with rifles, handguns and bombs opened fire after killing his parents.

"It's happening, and it's real," said Amy Winchester, counselor at Advance schools. "What really opened my eyes was that the shootings and violence have been in rural areas."

Susan Nothdurft, counselor at Sikeston schools, agreed. "It really scares me," she said. "Anything we can do to get ready, we should do. Sometimes we like to think if we do nothing the problem will go away. But I don't think that's realistic."