Problem Definition Paper

Shawntia Traylor, Valencia Dennis, Melody Holleman, & Brenda Barcolleh

Georgia State ni!ersity

What is the specific problem/issue addressed in the state bill?

Ho"se Bill #$% is a bill to amend pre!io"s legislat"re concerning weapons in school safety &ones and at school f"nctions' This bill also address pro!isions to e(p"lsion of st"dents and disciplinary actions against st"dents who bring weapons within school &ones' Ho"se Bill #$% also states that weapon carrying licenses m"st be carried and presented when as)ed' There are also pro!isions considering the st"dent code of cond"ct and safety r"les on school b"ses' *ne pro!ision o"tlined in this bill is that co"nty school boards may choose to enforce reg"lations re+"iring that there be signs posted designating the areas of school boards and pri!ate or p"blic elementary and secondary schools as ,-eapon.free and Violence.free School Safety /ones0' 1nother pro!ision re!ised in this bill is with respect to any st"dent who has been determined to ha!e possessed a firearm or dangero"s weapon at school, each school m"st ha!e a policy that re+"ires e(p"lsion of the st"dent from school for a period of no less than one calendar year 2Georgia general assembly, $3456' -eapons in schools are a !ery important topic that is addressed by this bill' 1ccording to the 7D7, in $335 an estimated %'4 8 of st"dents in the 'S' reported carrying a weapon to school 2M""la, 9"datsi)ira & Si&iya, $33#6' The most fre+"ent offenders of st"dents who bring weapons to school are eighth and ninth grade boys 2:rit& & 9ad)a, $3436' These st"dents feel the need to bring weapons to schools for se!eral different reasons s"ch as; showing off their weapons, need for protection and threatening other st"dents among other reasons 2:rit& & 9ad)a, $3436' These st"dents sho"ld not feel the need to bring weapons into schools for any reason' <d"cating the st"dents along with teachers and other fac"lty members abo"t how to deal with s"ch a delicate sit"ation is !ery important' School sec"rity is important in the learning process, and st"dents m"st be confident that they do not need to worry abo"t their well.being while at

school 2:rit& & 9ad)a, $3436' -eapons in schools are the most common ca"se of e(p"lsion or disciplinary transfers of st"dents in the 'S' 2Gastic, $3436' This problem of weapons in school safety &ones is e!ident from the m"ltiple shootings that ha!e been e(perienced in the nited States' The rest of this problem definition will disc"ss how this problem affects different pop"lations and how people are impacted' What are the objective indicators that the problem exists in the state or a community? 1ccording to a s"r!ey cond"cted by Ballard and Brady 2$33=6 gi!en to school reso"rce officers, !iolence among st"dents is rising' There are a n"mber of contrib"ting factors to the problems' >ac) of f"nding for ade+"ate sec"rity on and aro"nd school camp"ses and "nderreporting of crimes and !iolations to the appropriate a"thorities are two of the ma?or contrib"tions to the iss"e' Se!enty eight percent of the officers s"r!eyed stated that they too) a weapon from a st"dent within the year in which the s"r!ey was ta)en' <ighty si( percent stated that most of the !iolations they witnessed were not reported' The G"n :ree School 1ct pro!ided data that indicated an increase of e(p"lsions for ha!ing a weapon from twenty se!en percent to forty two percent' 7leary the increase of e(p"lsions state that the problem not only e(ists b"t is growing' Describe which groups are most affected by the problem, and evidence to support your description. St"dents are greatly affected by weapons in schools as well as school &ones' @t is a belief that weapons pro!ide a sense of safety' Ha!ing an "nsafe feeling at school will increase the li)elihood that a st"dent will carry a weapon 2<sselmont, $3456' Ten percent of male and fi!e

percent of female st"dents from grades nine to twel!e reported threats of in?"ry with a weapon on school property 29obers, /hang, & Tr"man, $34$6' 4#'A8 of 1merican high school st"dents report ha!ing carried a weapon 2Th"rnherr, Micha"d, Berchtold' 1)re & S"ris, $33B6' The second most affected gro"ps are parents' Parents are often forced to deal with the conse+"ences of their child or childrenCs actions' :amily dynamics play a role in weapon carrying as well' The perception of school safety can be determined by a parentsC marital stat"s, ed"cation and with financial reso"rces 2Hong & <amon, $34$6' How does the problem impact people/communities, either positively or negatively?

This problem negati!ely impacts people as well as the comm"nity beca"se it creates a sense of fear and insec"rity' 7rime in the neighborhoods s"rro"nding schools has been identified as a large contrib"tor to !iolence in the schools 2Delson, $33#6' <ighty.fi!e percent of indi!id"als who donCt own a g"n feel less safe when others in the comm"nity obtain g"ns 2Hemenway, 4BBA6' s the problem present in every community in !eorgia, or certain localities? Does the problem "loo# the same$ across different localities? !ive evidence to support my position. The problem is present in nearly e!ery locality and primarily e!ery comm"nity in Georgia as its r"ral and "rban comm"nities are both affected by weapons and safety in school &ones 2Ballard & Brady, $33=6' HB #$% recently passed the Ho"se and the Senate of Georgia and is on its way to the go!ernor for signat"re 2Georgia 1ssembly Home Page, $3456' @f HB #$% is signed by the go!ernor, the bill will change school safety in Georgia as we c"rrently )now it' The following pro!isions relating to carrying weapons within school safety &ones will be changed by the bill

and will pro!ide for weapon carry licenses to be carried and e(hibited on demand; to change pro!isions relating to e(p"lsion and disciplinary policy for st"dents bringing weapons to school; and to change pro!isions relating to st"dent codes of cond"ct and safety r"les on school b"ses 2Georgia 1ssembly home page, 1rticle 4% of 7hapter $ of Title $3 of the *fficial 7ode of Georgia6' S"pporting doc"mentation pro!es that school !iolence is fo"nd to be as m"ch a part of r"ral comm"nities as it is "rban and s"b"rban schools 2Ballard & Brady, $33=6' The a"thors report that r"ral teens are ?"st as or more li)ely than s"b"rban or "rban teens to carry a weapon in the last E3 days and ?"st as li)ely to be e(posed to g"n !iolence' 7irc"mstances s"ch as socioeconomics, family str"ct"re and reso"rces play a role in the well.being of children in GeorgiaCs r"ral comm"nities' @n addition, these r"ral comm"nities deal with socioc"lt"ral en!ironments that are characteri&ed by e(treme le!els where pri!ilege and indi!id"alism play a part in the factoring of yo"th !iolence where po!erty e(ceeds that of "rban comm"nities' Which type of people is most affected by the problem? %re all people impacted similarly or are there differences? The en!ironment s"rro"nding the school can affect the schools c"lt"re' >atinos, 1frican 1mericans, and other st"dents of color are more li)ely to s"ffer the p"nishments of &ero tolerance beca"se of instit"tional racism' 1ccording to Delson, ,children who li!e in po!erty are more li)ely to e(perience a !iolent crime0 2Delson, p'46' 7hildren who do not li!e in po!erty and ha!e ade+"ate s"pport systems are less li)ely to recei!e se!ere p"nishments for their !iolations' Ballard and Brady also highlighted that r"ral comm"nities in Georgia are more affected than "rban comm"nities 2Delson, $33#6' The r"ral comm"nities ha!e higher po!erty rates which affect the comm"nities and the schools in them'

Does the problem exist in other states?

1ccording to the Springfield Dews. S"n, concealed g"n permits in 7lar) 7o"nty *hio ha!e soared rising to nearly 4333 in n"mbers in the year $34E, the highest n"mber since $33E 2-ichie, $34E6' Statewide the n"mber of concealed weapons permits has reached nearly B=,333 in the year $34E' Springfield Dews.S"n f"rther report that ,people want to carry a concealed weapon as a preca"tionary step of protecting themsel!es, sho"ld the need arise0 2-ichie, $34E, p' $6' *hioCs HB $3E, a !ersion of ,stand yo"r gro"nd0, states that force co"ld be "sed as a means of self.defense' :"rther, proposed changes to HB $E4 wo"ld allow employees the a"thority to carry a weapon where they are c"rrently banned, s"ch as places of worship, school safety &ones, colleges and daycares' :"rthermore, recent legislation in 7ol"mb"s, *hio, has passed stating that school districts that designate teachers and other personnel to carry firearms m"st "ndergo e(tensi!e pre.training and psychological testing if they "se a weapon' The law passed with bipartisan s"pport' Similar to Georgia and *hio, states s"ch as Dorth 7arolina feel the need to do more to foster a safe school en!ironment concerning weapons and are proposing that more armed personnel be on site at schools' Dorth 7arolinaCs 7harlotte.Mec)lenb"rg school district has armed sec"rity g"ards at its $# high school and none at its ## elementary schools 2Safe Schools, $34E6 b"t is considering changing that since the shooting that too) the li!es of $3 children at Sandy Hoo) <lementary in 7onnectic"t' 1dditionally, the Dational 7enter for <d"cation report that for the year $33B, more than $E, 333 schools in the nited States ha!e armed sec"rity staff in their schools' These incl"de the following citiesF 1lb"+"er+"e, Baltimore, Dallas, Ho"ston, >os 1ngeles, Miami and St' >o"is, Boston and Dew Gor) 7ity c"rrently place "narmed officers inside schools'

:"rther st"dies that s"pport that the problem e(ists in other states can be concl"ded from the following proponents of legislation that allow teachers to carry concealed weapons in schools that will incl"de Te(as Go!ernor 9ic) Perry and VirginiaCs Go!ernor, 9obert Mc Donnell' :"rthermore, *)lahomaCs lawma)ers plan to introd"ce legislation to let school staff members arm themsel!es and possibly ma)e school wor)ers reser!e law.enforcement officers 2Safe Schools, $34E, p' =6' @n an effort to defend itself, one small school district in Te(as, Harrold @ndependent School District enacted a policy that already allows teachers and administrators with g"n licenses to carry concealed weapons in school after training and psychological e!al"ations' The schools s"perintendent belie!es that ha!ing se!eral staff members with concealed weapons was more effecti!e than one sec"rity g"ard 2Safe Schools, $34E6

&eferences Ballard, 7', Brady, >' 2$33=6' Violence pre!ention in GeorgiaCs r"ral p"blic school systems, Ho"rnal of School Violence, %F5, 43A.4$B' D*@ 43'4E33IH$3$!3%n35.3%' <sselmont, 7' 2$3456' 7arrying a weapon to schoolF The roles of b"llying !ictimi&ation and percei!ed safety' De!iant Beha!ior, EA2E6, $4A.$E$' doiF43'43#3I34%EB%$A'$34E'#E5=%= :rit&, G' J', & 9ad)a, D' 2$3436' -eapons in schools' Brown ni!ersity 7hild & 1dolescent Beha!ior >etter, $%2$6, #' Gastic, B' 2$3436' St"dents and school ad"ltsF Partners in )eeping schools safe' Ho"rnal of school health, #32%6, $%B.$=3' doiF43'4444I?'4=5%.4A%4'$343'33A33'( Georgia general assembly' 2$3456' Legislation. 9etrie!ed March 43, $345, from httpFIIwww'legis'ga'go!IlegislationIen. SIDisplayI$34E$345IHBI#$% Hemenway, D' 24BBA6' G"ns and !iolence symposi"mF :irearms and comm"nity feelings of safety' Ho"rnal of 7riminal >aw & 7riminology, #%4$4' Hong, H', & <amon, M' 2$34$6' St"dentsK perceptions of "nsafe schoolsF 1n ecological systems analysis' Ho"rnal of 7hild & :amily St"dies, $42E6, 5$#.5E#' M""la, 1' S', 9"datsi)ira, <', & Si&iya, S' 2$33#6' 7orrelates of weapon carrying among high school st"dents in the nited States' 1nnals of General Psychiatry, =4. #'doiF43'44#%I4=55.#ABL.=.# 9obers, S', /hang, H', Tr"man, H', Department of H"stice, -' s', & Dational 7enter for <d"cation Statistics, 2' 2$34$6' @ndicators of school crime and safetyF $344' D7<S$34$.33$ID7H $E%3$4' Dational 7enter for <d"cation Statistics

Safe Schools' 2$34E6' -hatCs wor)ing' 7"rric"l"m 9e!iew, A$F%, %.B' 9etrie!ed March 4, $345, from www'c"rric"l"mre!iew'com Th"rnherr, H', Micha"d, P', Berchtold, 1', 1)re, 7', & S"ris, H' 2$33B6' Go"ths carrying a weapon or "sing a weapon in a fightF -hat ma)es the differenceM Health <d"cation 9esearch, $52$6, $=3.$=B' -ichie, 1' 2$345, March #6' 7oncealed g"n permits soar in 7lar), 7hampaign' Springfield Dews.S"n, *hio' 9etrie!ed fromF >e(isDe(is 1cademic'