Can changing school culture increase safety?

Trajectory, the path of an object in motion, can be changed by alterations in the environment or circumstance.

The trajectory of Mark Barden’s life was changed Dec. 14, 2012, when the biggest fear of most parents, the death of a child, struck home in horrific fashion. All childhood death is tragic, but Barden’s son Daniel’s death at age 7 was a tragedy that touched people all over the world. He, 19 classmates and six educators were murdered in a classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Barden has been admittedly obsessed with trajectory and how to alter it ever since. He told parents at a symposium sponsored by the Northwest Local School District that not a day goes by that he doesn’t think about the day his son died, and what could have interrupted the path of the shooter to prevent him from carrying out his plan.

“I run through what happened and I replay the different opportunities and places where something could have intervened,” he said. “All the way to that day, when he was on the way to the school, he could have been pulled over, gotten a flat tire, had an accident...something that would have stopped the continuum. That’s what we need to do: stop the continuum before it ends in violence and tragedy.”

Barden is the director of the Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit group led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. SHP is focused on preventing gun violence and all violence before it happens through mental health and wellness programs that identify, intervene and help individuals at-risk or socially isolated.

Sandy Hook Promise is rolling out a national program, Say Something, to give students skills that can help interrupt the trajectory of tragedies like Sandy Hook with a simple plan:

The message is easy for students to remember. Three steps:

1. Look for warning signs, signals or threats.

2. Act immediately. Take it seriously.

3. Say something to a trusted adult.

Pleasant Run students will participate in Sandy Hook’s “Say Something” program during National Say Something Week Oct. 19-23.

According to SHP’s literature, research shows that in seven out of 10 acts of gun violence, friends were told that an act of violence would be committed or might take place. It was reported that in four out of five school shootings, the attacker had told someone his plans ahead of time. But no one took action to prevent the plans. “Say Something,” an awareness program, tells teachers and students who to recognize signs of a potential threat, how to teach and instill in participants how to take action, and how to communicate the threat to others.

Say Something hopes to help schools build a culture of awareness and help students understand what to look for on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat and other apps that could be indicators that someone is considering harming themselves or someone else.

Pleasant Run Middle School counselor Jen Daly says parents or trusted adults have a responsibility to take student reports seriously and take action.

“They can contact school counselors or the police,” she said. “But if students are going to report, we have to be the next step.

Daly’s school has a club, Beyond Differences for students who have agreed to fight social isolation through a number of initiatives, such as SHP’s “No One Eats Alone” program. Students commit to take the initiative to sit with other students and invite them to join in activities during lunch recess and in school project groups.

Hannah Harris, who has been the new girl at school, says she understands it can be uncomfortable to make new friends. She joined Beyond Differences because she says she wants to be that person that makes a difference to others. Natilee Vogt agreed, saying it feels good when you reach out to make others feel comfortable. Amanda Sturgis says it’s important to be genuine when you sit down with others.

Airuanna Lewis says if the person sitting down with you isn’t genuinely interested in you, it wouldn’t feel too good. “You can tell when someone wants to know you and is interested in being friends,” she said.

Daly is planning a week of events to support the training students will receive in assemblies this week. Some of the projects will include a music video created by students. There will be displays, an opportunity to sign a pledge to Say Something, and an opportunity for students to come up with ideas to overcome social isolation and bullying at the middle school.

“I love to see this coming from our students,” she said. “We will continue finding ways to expand the programs.

For more information about the Sandy Hook Promise group, visit the website at www.sandyhookpromise.org.