Anxiety over shattered families and the upcoming holidays may be contributing to a surge in violence in Baltimore’s public schools, experts said.
In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, several vicious attacks have broken out – including a fatal stabbing. The most recent incident took place midday Wednesday at Doris M. Johnson High School, where three male students got into a fight that sent one to the hospital, said Edie House-Foster, school system spokeswoman. Two students assaulted another during a class change, and one of the suspects was sent to Johns Hopkins Children’s Center with “minor injuries,” she said. The suspects have been charged with second-degree assault.
On Tuesday, two students at Forest Park High School were arrested for the alleged unarmed robbery of a teacher; a brawl broke out later in apparent retaliation and five more students were arrested. A brother of one of the students first arrested allegedly took part in the fight
The number of violent incidents resulting in suspension at city schools has been cut in half in the past two years, according to schools chief Andres Alonso. But as the holidays approach, students may be returning to a broken home — causing increased levels of anxiety that can be expressed in violent outbursts, said Michael Lindsey, a professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Social Work.
“Certainly, with the holidays approaching, you may see an effect,” he said. “Families are getting together, commemorating rituals around Thanksgiving, and some kids may have to deal with the reality that their parent has been incarcerated, or their parent may be on drugs.”
After a student was caught on a cell phone camera last school year beating an art teacher at Reginald F. Lewis High School, school violence grabbed the national spotlight. Alonso responded by calling for hundreds of community members to volunteer in schools.
This time, Alonso said that while volunteers are always welcome, the school system plans to use a partnership with social service workers to help firm up families and provide mental health help outside the classroom.
The school system is also focusing on expanding vocational options for students, he said, so they can see firsthand all the options to be successful after school.
