In 1982 seven (7) people died from taking poisoned Tylenol. Investigators found eight (8) bottles of Tylenol that had been laced with cyanide. The bottles were found in eight (8) different drug stores. The murderer has never been identified.
To prevent similar attacks on its products, Johnson & Johnson introduced tamper-evident packaging. In 1989, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established guidelines for which all manufacturers of such products are required to follow.
Instead of recommending that all drug stores become armored buildings with X-ray machines at the entrance door to make sure people aren’t bringing tainted products to put on their shelves, Johnson & Johnson were proactive. Sure, opening some of the products these days can be a challenge, but it seems to have been an effective remedy. The FDA has also established strict guidelines for manufacturers of ingested products to follow so if there is an incident of contamination, they know exactly where in the “manufacturing chain” it took place so they can apply the appropriate remedies and/or recall notices.
December 14 marked ten (10) years since the Sandy Hook School shooting. During those 10 years there have been an additional 948 school shootings. Education Week’s school shooting tracker reports that in 2022 there were 48 school shootings that left 36 people dead (29 children & 7 adults.)
On January 6, 2023, a six-year-old student brought a gun to school and shot his teacher because there had recently been an altercation between the kindergartner and his teacher. The teacher is expected to survive.
Neither the United States nor its schools, have been proactive when it comes to school shootings. Arming teachers and turning our schools into prison-like settings has not stopped the problem.
We have identified many similarities between school shooters; I’ve listed them in previous newsletters. One of the most common traits is that the shooters had been (or still were) victims of bullies. The U.S. Government has created a website dedicated to stopping bullying. But that’s not enough. Schools must identify the victims of bullying and provide behavioral health support so they can grow and learn in a safe environment. This action would be proactive.
Kilroy Blockchain has built a “tamper-evident” system to help schools prevent these kids from falling between the cracks and to ensure they get the support they need. It holds those responsible for these kids accountable to make sure services and support are completed. Administrators can have access to detailed dashboards to see the progress students are making. This system is HIPAA and FERPA compliant. This system is proactive.
Teachers can make a difference in all their student’s lives. After spending several hours a week in an elementary school over the last few months, I can tell you that teachers are short-handed and have little time to follow-through on anything outside of the required curriculum. Schools must provide an uncomplicated way for teachers to report what they see and know that the appropriate party has received the report, and support will be offered to the student being bullied, as well as the bully.
It is time to be proactive. Let’s get to the root of the problem and see if we can help these students live an emotional healthy life.
The Moral of the Story:
Take the time now to nurture a student, if not, you might be creating a future school shooter.