ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the idea of blame and the extent to which parents and teachers can prevent school shootings and/or be held responsible for preventing them, looking at the blame placed on Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold’s parents by the media and participants. It expands the conversation to discuss the complexities of parenting and the difficulties of getting resources or services when a parent or a teacher recognizes a child needs help. The chapter indicates the need for further literature and training around threat assessment for teachers while also maintaining the need for a boundary in the teacher–student relationship. Participants recognized their limitations for preventing school violence both on what they are able to do and what they want to do. They indicated a desire to provide a caring relationship and direct students toward appropriate resources but not diagnose or be responsible for the mental health of their students. The shared trauma of a school shooting experienced by teachers and students needs more research. This chapter concludes with participants addressing bullying and mental health at Columbine in 1999 and addressing the need for national gun reform and the culture of violence in the United States.
