As someone concerned about the state of our society I did reading on the causes of school shootings and came away with the feeling that no one on either side of the political spectrum really knows what is causing it or how to stop it.

We do have a good record of making our school’s into fortresses, with security devices and resource officers patrolling the buildings. These things make parents, staff and administrators better able to sleep at night, but research points out that these security measures only increase student stress. Amid all this is the fact that most shooters are students that are already in the building, making the security measures essentially moot.

We are good at collecting statistics so everyone knows that 95% of shooters are male and white. Most feel marginalized and one-half report a history of rejection. One shooter aged 14 stated that “I felt like I wasn’t wanted by anyone, especially my mom.” I find that remark about his feelings of rejection by his mother sad. He felt he had no one who cared for him or who he could go to for help.

One study found that more than half of school shooters have a history of psychological problems including depression, thoughts of suicide, and other psychotic conditions. In the cases of the perpetrators of the Sandy Hook and Columbine shootings, they were diagnosed with a variety of psychological disorders. Compared to my generation it seems that more young people are suffering serious emotional issues.

Growing up is not always easy for adolescents but in my youth students who suffered from depression and the like seemed always able to fall back on their parents and family, and even friends in those rough patches. Is that true now?

Many school shooters come from broken or dysfunctional families. One shooter who killed his grandfather and his grandfather’s girlfriend before killing seven classmates at Red Lake High School in 2005 had parents who never married, a father who shot himself, and a mother and stepfather who divorced. At the time of the shooting, he was living with his grandmother who was separated from her husband. Of course, this doesn’t mean that students with difficult family lives will commit shootings, but instability in this shooter’s home life makes one wonder who he could go to for help and comfort.

Here is what we know. For years studies have shown conclusively that stable intact families play an important role in developing thriving children and adolescents. Those who live in intact families are also far less likely to exhibit violent behaviors. At the same time youths who live in fatherless homes have a greater chance of being incarcerated. Once again, many studies have proved the point that involved fathers and father figures are vitally important to the mental and emotional development of children, both boys and girls.

After digesting the above facts and evidence I have concluded that we may never solve the tragedy of school shootings because both sides of the political spectrum have staked out their positions on the issue and don’t seem to want to listen to the other side.

Many view the problem as a gun control issue. Something ignored is the fact that you must be 18 to purchase a firearm and most shooters are under 18. How did they get a gun? Most did so by using a weapon belonging to a family member that had not been properly secured and often parents are charged for aiding the shooter for this reason. Unfortunately, some on both sides believe that parents should not be charged with a crime. However, I feel that any parent who knowingly allows a minor child access to an unsecured firearm that is later used in a shooting should bear responsibility.

Let me add that while many look at total gun control as the cure, guns are only a means to an end and if guns are not available other means of causing hurt will be found whether it is a knife, an explosive device, or a simple baseball bat. And remember that illegal guns will always be with us, usually in the most antisocial hands.

Others blame mental health issues, social media, bullying and violent video games for the problem. Certainly, all may play a role in inciting adolescents to violence but none by themselves or acting in concert with others, I believe, can fully explain school shootings.

I am sure some will disagree, but I see one root cause. That is the weakening of the family structure in our nation and the support it provides to children. One of the reasons for this is because some families need two incomes to provide for everyday needs. Another is that single parent families are more common today, putting great strains on that parent both economically and emotionally. Furthermore, even in two parent families both parents may have racked up substantial college debt and those loans have to be repaid and therefore both parents work.

From my own experience, no matter the pressures of work or how tired you are, both parents have to be there for their children even if they can’t always do it together because parents are the primary role models and teachers of their children. Again, from my experience having family dinners or gatherings as often as possible is essential because it provides the opportunity to share the stories about what’s going on in every family member’s life.

One last thing. In my research two things struck me: In those countries most like us in 2021 the U.S. had by far the highest level of child and teen firearms deaths at 3.9 per 100,000 children and teens but we also have by far the highest suicide rate among children at 3.8 per 100,000 with 1.8 per 100,000 suicide by firearms. These figures indicate that we have serious problems in this nation that go beyond school shootings that need to be addressed honestly and quickly.

Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com