HOUSTON – Multiple Houston area schools were forced to either go into lockdown or secure mode due to threats or violence on campuses Wednesday.
At Alief ISD’s Elsik High School, a student was taken into custody after he was caught waving around a kitchen knife in a hallway.
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At Houston ISD’s Sterling High School, a fight between two students led to one of the students being stabbed. The student believed to be responsible was taken into custody while the victim was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
At Spring High School, a gun was found in the theater area. The student involved was identified, detained and will face disciplinary and criminal charges, according to the school.
Several other schools around Houston also reported threats on Wednesday.
A professor at the University of Houston, April Peters, says these threats are disrupting the learning process and causing fear among students.
“It’s very disruptive. I think we’re in a climate where students are often afraid to come to school,” Peters said.
Peters, who was also a teacher and principal before becoming a professor, says the threats are just as distracting to the teachers as they are to the students.
“It can be quite the distraction not only for the students, but for the adults who are wanting to keep themselves safe, but also are charged with keeping students safe,” she said.
She says parents need to talk with their kids about these sort of events.
“What are they writing? What are they thinking? The things that they’re not communicating that maybe we could have a hint of. Check what’s going on in their social media accounts and in their use of tablets and other devices where they’re communicating that way,” she said. “We’ve got to make sure that we’re vigilant about understanding who our children are and being preventive and if there are firearms or other kinds of weaponry in the house, that those things are not accessible to young people.”
Peters also had some question schools could ask themselves as well that could be helpful in preventing some of these incidents.
“I think one thing that schools need to think about is how do we make the environment more safe? I know that’s a constant concern for schools, so I’m not suggesting that they’re not doing that. But are there devices, are there ways in which we can communicate and get help? Is there enough law enforcement present on each campus? Lots of times, you know, folks are shifting from campus to campus. And then is there enough counseling? Are there enough adults? Are we building in supports in the school day and communicating with home in ways that are not just academic so that we can address issues that come up and support children, support young people? Because I think that’s the root of so much of this,” she said.