PARENTS HAVE TOP ROLE IN SCHOOL VIOLENCE

Parents who send their sons and daughters off to school every day expect their children to be safe as well as to learn. But incidents of school violence in recent years has taken away some of the comfort level for too many parents who ask, "When will it hit our schools." The concern has been intensified because there appears to be little anyone can do until an act of violence occurs. Then it is too late.

Most school districts have addressed the school-violence issue in one way or another. Some districts hope awareness and training will prevent any serious problems. Other districts have developed policies and procedures designed to decrease the likelihood of a serious threat to the safety of students, teachers and administrators.

The school district in Granite City, Ill., has probably done more than any other district in this regard. The district's new policy, adopted just a couple of weeks ago, even allows for expelling students who have been identified as potential troublemakers -- even before they commit any harmful acts.

Most of the attention on Granite City's expulsion policy has overshadowed the overall policy. But details of the policy show that the district intends to go to great lengths to ensure safety.

The policy relies heavily on training for teams whose task is to spot students who have a high risk of becoming violent. Each team consists of a police officer, social worker, psychologist and school administrator. The team evaluates students who cause concern in any number of ways.

The evaluation process relies on a 20-point list of indicators ranging from depression to lack of parental supervision to access to weapons at home. Upon the team's recommendation, a student can be expelled before he causes harm. While expulsion is the most drastic of consequences, the policy also allows for other forms of intervention such as counseling and psychological testing.

Although the policy is too new to be evaluated critically, the initial reaction from parents in Granite City is support. The school district realizes, however, that it faces legal challenges if any student is actually booted out of school as a result of the policy.

School districts that have gone to such extremes to prevent the school tragedies of Paducah or Jonesboro are to be commended for tackling a truly thorny problem.

But there is a message being sent, a message that goes beyond the idea that school violence could occur anywhere and anytime. That message is that schools are being asked to confront an issue whose roots are not in the halls of a school building but in the homes of students. Look at the checklist being used in Granite City: The students is depressed, has abused drugs or alcohol, has threatened or attempted suicide, is truant, displays cruelty to animals, has little or no parental supervision, prefers violent entertainment, has witnessed or been a victim of abuse or neglect.

These are generally situations for which parents must take responsibility, not students.

Any programs or policies that do not recognize the need to deal first with parents -- and then with students -- will be like putting ointment on a dog bite without dealing with the dangerous dog. While most parents are involved in the lives of their children, too many parents have abandoned their responsibilities, leaving children who are prime candidates for the Granite City policy.

Perhaps the most telling message of all is that school districts are developing policies that involved highly trained professionals: police, social workers, psychologists, administrators. Where are the parents on these teams?