It seems a lot has been going on, both outside and inside of the walls of Shaker High School. With COVID, going back to school and work, a lot of baggage is being carried around. Almost two months ago, on the 22nd of September, a fight broke out between two students in lower M hall. Rumors have been passed around, but, even as true as they may sound, the only ones who know the reasoning behind the fight are the students that started it. That being said, no matter the issue, it should not be brought to violence or fights. Violence in general should be avoided if possible; Shaker High School should be a place where us students can learn and grow, not for going at each other’s throats. Over the first months of school, there had been about two or more fights at school this year. 

From Boston News, on August 12th, a vice principal at Stockton Edison High School was injured when they had attempted to intervene in a fight, and in Boston, at Lawrence High School, six fights broke out resulting in a few students being arrested. Another fight occurred in Pembroke Pines Middle School, and a student’s mother decided to pull him out of school after because she was worried about his safety due to all the fights that had been going on recently. 

According to the National Institute of Justice, in 2017-2018, 71% of schools reported at least one incident during the school year, and that number has risen in these last couple years. Already there have been a few fights in Shaker High School, and school has been open for only two months. To help prevent school violence, here a few pointers to help:

   

• Have parents be more involved in students’ academic career. Maybe have the parents talk with teachers more often. Try to be up-to-date with what may be going on in school, really. 
• Ask students about school, friendships, etc. The student should try and see if certain friendships or relationships are alright, or if one may be better to cut off. Try to avoid being in a bad crowd. 
• Watch for changes in behavior or mental health — anything that could show that something is up. Pay attention to how your child is feeling, what changes, or if they act differently in certain situations; these might signal that something is up. 
• Have more monitors in the halls, so they can intervene in a fight if one ever breaks out. Perhaps have a bit more security or rules to prevent fights; e.g.stricter punishments for those participating in a fight depending on the situation, more hall monitors throughout the halls, teachers paying more attention to student behavior, etc. It would really depend on the amount of fights and severity, making the rules even more strict. 

Going back to school can be quite rough. Being there for your child is important. Everyone has their own baggage they carry around with them, especially in these times. The counselors at schools are always available. Оne piece of advice, if possible, is to just talk things out. Get to the root of the issue, so things won’t get out of hand and other students don’t have to pay for the price of one outbreak between students.