Violence in Schools and What Parents Can do to Help
By Dean Honeycutt
Mitchell County
As I think about the new year it would be easy to write one of those feel-good articles about change and being the better you. We all like those warm fuzzy feel-good articles. And to be honest with you they are much easier to write. We tend to have a problem tackling the more difficult subjects like sin and repentance. In fact, be Bible warns us about those who have itching ears. 2 Timothy 4:3–4 3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
“Itching ears” in this context refers to those who want to tell people what they want to hear as opposed to preachers or teachers confronting sin and depravity. It is by no means a joy of mine to address these issues of moral decay but that is where the Spirit of God moves me. It is not that I like to bring the subject up, but I cannot but speak the truth in love.
In October I wrote on the subject “Are we abounding in sin?” illustrating an obvious decline in respect for human life. Citing a recent hit and run by two teens in a car laughing about striking a retired police officer riding a bicycle resulting in his death. The two teens had zero compassion for the man they hit. They were not sorry for what they had done, only sorry they had gotten caught.
We can reference many disturbing and almost unbelievable news articles about the sinfulness of man. However, journalists and reporters will not use the word sin or depravity. The New York Post December 16, 2023, opinion article written by Naomi Riley writes It is time for a ‘broken windows’ policy for schools referring to a 1990s policing strategy in New York where low-level crimes were prosecuted with high penalties. The policy deterred crime by showing would-be criminals that law enforcement was serious about crime and people would think twice about committing a crime.
Riley draws our attention to the unprecedented rise in violence in our public schools. In North Carolina crime and violence spiked twenty-four percent as, new data was presented on March 1, 2023, to the N.C. State Board of Education. (Carolina Journal; Crime and violence spike 24% in NC public high schools, March 3, 2023, by David Bass) Sadly, we are losing good teachers in our schools because of a lack of discipline. Whatever happened to a good butt-busting?
Riley shares recent acts of violence in our public schools. The most horrific and disturbing is 16-year-old Jonathan Garcia. Garcia attacked his teacher in her classroom at Eldorado High School. The brutal attack lasted for an hour and a half and details of this act of violence are so disturbing I will not write about them here. Garcia was sentenced to 16 to 40 years in prison.
We have replaced stern disciplinary actions with counseling sessions and hugs. When I was a child, and I did something wrong I did not get a counseling session I got a spanking. Many educators blame COVID restrictions as the reason for the uptick in violence in schools. Society always finds a way to avoid and blame our sinful actions without going to the root of the problem. We know the root of the problem is sin. Sin is the reason for the breakdown of the family and the root cause of violence in our nation. Until we get to the root cause of the problem, we will not see the necessary change.
True change starts with repentance from sin. We are never told to reform, but we are told to “be transformed by the renewing of our mind that we may prove, what is that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Most people approach problems in our society by trying to reform. But we cannot reform sin. Sin must be crucified and die in ourselves. Romans 6:1–2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? A person who is dead to sin will want to live for the Lord.”
As a Christian parent, what can we do to help? We can pray and repent, asking God to bring revival to our sinful nation. We can be proactive in our children’s school and be supportive of teachers. Show up to school activities and introduce yourself to your child’s teacher. Elect Christian school board representatives. Reach out to families who are struggling with the good news of Jesus Christ. Be inclusive of those families who do not seem to fit in. Invite them to church and include them in community events. Showing the love of Christ will go a long way in preventing problems. Vacation Bible schools and Christian youth groups are a wonderful way to introduce a child and his family to Jesus Christ.
We know that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and salvation is the only true deterrent to sinful actions. So where do we start? Start with your friends and family. A heart that loves the Lord wants to please the Lord.
Happy New Year,
Pastor Dean Honeycutt
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Pastor Dean Honeycutt shepherds Snow Hill Baptist Church in Bakersville, NC. He may be reached at 828-385-0213, snowhillbaptist@gmail.com, or visit their website at www.snowhillbaptist.com.
You can read more good Christian news from Dean HERE.
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