Student Domestic Violence & Active School Shootings
On October 24, 2014 Marysville-Pitchuck High School student Jaylen Fryberg, 15, shot and killed four students, attempted to kill one other, and took his own life in the school cafeteria.
Two of Fryberg's victims his own cousin Andrew Fryberg, 15, and Zoe Galasso, 14, had been dating.
Source: Seattle Times
Source: Twitter
First year teacher Megan Silberberger stopped Fryberg before he was able to wound more students. As Fryberg was reloading, she raced over and interceded. Fryberg then shot himself in the head.
Teacher Megan Silberberger
In the days leading up to the deadly mass school shooting, the perpetrator tweeted the following:
Domstic Violence Amongst Students
When one thinks of domestic violence, images of adults in toxic relationships typically come to mind. However, violence involving partners currently or previously involved in relationships should know no age limit as teens can and do date.
The term "domestic violence" is defined by the group domesticviolence.org as:
Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating.
Examples of abuse include:
name-calling or putdowns
keeping a partner from contacting their family or friends
withholding money
stopping a partner from getting or keeping a job
actual or threatened physical harm
sexual assault
stalking
intimidation
Violence can be criminal and includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and stalking. Although emotional, psychological and financial abuse are not criminal behaviors, they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence.
Source: www.domesticviolence.org/definition
Summary
In 2017, families of five of Fryberg's victims settled a civil lawsuit against the school district for $18,000,000.00, an amount which was purportedly determined by the district's insurance policy limits, because a substitute teacher was reportedly on notice Fryberg was planning something but may have failed to report it.
Risk factors for school violence should include domestic-related issues amongst students.
Moreover, any and all threats must be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.
Sources:
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/families-of-victims-of-marysville-pilchuck-high-school-mass-shooting-settle-lawsuit-for-18-million/
http://knkx.org/post/teacher-tried-stop-gunman-marysville-pilchuck-high-shooting
http://www.newsweek.com/2015/09/25/jaylen-ray-fryberg-marysville-pilchuck-high-school-shooting-372669.html