Editorial: A chance for timely counseling

Friday, Aug. 15, 2003 | 8:53 a.m.

Many of the most serious categories of crime declined over the past year at Clark County schools, which enroll more than a quarter of a million students. There were fewer assaults, burglaries and robberies. Additionally, there were fewer citations for drug possession and fewer incidences of guns being confiscated. While crime statistics overall were up 3 percent, enrollments were up 5 percent, meaning the district showed an improvement.

More improvement can be expected in the coming years, owing to a new strategy by the Clark County School District Police. Beginning Aug. 25 the school police will have a greater presence at middle schools, thanks to a federal grant enabling the hiring of 31 additional officers. They will target truancy, bullying, fights and drugs. The district faces a statistical danger -- there will be a significant increase of incident reports coming from the middle schools. But we would rather have an additional few hundred reports of less serious incidents than one report of a high school student being seriously victimized by crime.

The philosophy behind the new initiative is that middle school is the turning point for many students. It's the age when they are most vulnerable to negative influences. Students, once in middle school, have left behind their smaller elementary schools and the security offered by familiar students and teachers. The larger middle school, with so many new kids and teachers, can be intimidating and many students set about seeking the recognition they had before. Often they make the wrong choices. They can easily fall under the influence of older students who gained recognition through bullying or drug and alcohol use. If they succumb, it can affect them through high school and beyond, perhaps for the rest of their lives.

It's at this age, however, before they have had a chance to become toughened or addicted, that students are also susceptible to intervention by adults. Teachers, school counselors and parents cannot by themselves do the job. We agree that police, working closely with school principals, must be a part of the team taking on this responsibility.