Citation

Barger SD. J. Am. Med. Assoc. JAMA 2002; 287(8): 983; author reply 984.

Comment On:

JAMA 2001;286(21):2695-702.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, American Medical Association)

DOI

10.1001/jama.287.8.983

PMID

11866632

Abstract

To the Editor: Dr Anderson and colleagues provided a comprehensive description of school-related violent deaths in the United States. Because these events garner so much publicity, it is important to place them in the context of broader risks to children. School-related violence may have a disproportional impact on societal perceptions and subsequent prevention priorities. Mass media tend to sensationalize school homicides and blame "youth culture" (eg, video games and music) for violent deaths at school while simultaneously failing to invoke such explanations when adults (eg, Timothy McVeigh, Ted Kaczynski) do the killing. Similary, some types of violent school deaths receive little or no attention in the media. For instance, when 2 preschoolers were crushed when a 39-year-old man deliberately drove his sedan into a Costa Mesa, Calif, schoolyard, this event received minimal coverage in the media, even though it occurred just 2 weeks after the shootings in Littleton. Such media biases underscore the potential for misperception among the public regarding children's school-related risk and the importance of balanced discussion within the scientific community.

Similarly, publication of such an authoritative research article may draw attention away from other risks to children. For example, 80% of the approximately 1100 US children who die every year due to maltreatment are killed by their parents. These 4400 deaths at the hands of a family member stand in sharp contrast to the 172 students killed in school-related events over the same period. I agree with Anderson et al that "violence prevention efforts are needed to address risks to young people." However, such efforts are better realized by not only describing potential risk factors, but by discussing the relative contributions of other known risks. Only with this perspective can policymakers prioritize strategies to prevent violent deaths among children.

Language: en