South High School Under Siege (Excerpt quoting Keesha McMillian) …
Do safety measures work? Schools across the country are installing hightech equipment, safety boxes, and surveillance equipment in an effort to increase school safety. But according to Keesha McMillian, a therapist at the Center for Families and Children in Cleveland Heights, talking with young people before they resort to violence may be the key. "I suggest they talk about their frustration with the family, or in the school system. They must become involved in the solutions. How do you process anger? Where do you release it? You can't respond violently every time you get angry. I think our youth need to be involved in social skills and activities," says McMillian, who counsels youth ages five through adulthood. One of the key links with youth violence across the country seems to be with young people who feel disconnected, or distraught over a situation. "Children always want to be a part of a group; no one wants to be an outsider;" McMillian explains. "The key is to allow them to see the difference not as good or bad, but as different. Everyone has something of value to contribute. You don't want the frustration to get to the
point where it turns to violence. I'm concerned about children having selfworth. When a youth takes another person's fife, he's just given up his. That means he doesn't value his own life, and in a moment of anger, they've changed the course of their entire life." South High School has reopened. The students have returned their classes amidst extra security and a veil of suspicion. Because of the willingness of
a girl to defy peer pressure and tell her mother of the horrendous plot, a tragedy was avoided. For the Cleveland community Columbine High School and South High School seem too close for comfort. Sadly, it almost happened in our neighborhood. Top of Page | 
