Campus Violence Can be Curbed with Preventative Measures

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Author: Gladys Angle

The average college student is subject to a smorgasbord of mental health issues. The intersection of stress, sleeplessness, over-scheduling, unrealistic expectations and (for many) alcohol/drugs makes for a generic state of “crazy” across the board. A 2007 survey of college counseling centers headed by the University of Pittsburgh reported that 15 percent of students had been diagnosed with depression, compared to 5 percent of students in 2000. Another survey by the American College Health Association indicated that 49 percent of students in 2008 felt overwhelming anxiety. Many colleges, including Oxy, offer counseling services and mental health awareness events, but are the services offered sufficient?

UCLA administrators are certainly asking themselves this question in the aftermath of an Oct. 8 stabbing, in which 20-year-old student Damon Thompson slashed the throat of a fellow student in an Organic Chemistry lab. The victim is, luckily, in good condition and expected to make a full recovery. Thompson pleaded “not guilty” to an attempted murder charge and sits on a $3 million bail. One of Thompson’s professors had previously suggested he seek out psychological counseling. However, Thompson did not attend and the professor was informed that the school could not force someone into treatment.

Musing about whether or not this particular situation could have been avoided after it already occurred is unhelpful – as with Virginia Tech and Columbine, preventive measures tend to be considered after the fact, and university officials can only do so much at that point. In the UCLA case, the administrators’ hands were tied, since the student chose not to attend the counseling recommended to him prior to the actual attack. Though the nature of Thompson’s attack suggests an existing personality disorder (he calmly walked to the student information center after the incident and turned himself in), the isolating academic environment of UCLA could very well have complicated the situation.

My experience at Occidental thus far has been riddled with anxiety and nerve-racking amounts of work that never seem to stop piling up, though it grew more manageable as I learned how to cope with it. Were it not for the Multicultural Summer Institute, however, my first semester in fall 2007 would’ve been enough to send me back home within a few months. I’ve found my stress level to be considerably higher than most of my friends at larger, non-liberal-arts schools.

However, in the past couple of years, the school has really stepped up with regards to mental health. For example, Emmons and former student groups like Active Minds host events promoting awareness of one issue or another that occur regularly, giving students a sense of support within the community. What I believe to be most important, besides compassion from professors at a school that has students literally living in its library, is to continue building a system of connectedness. Events like the tragedy at UCLA presumably took place in a disconnected environment, one of the downsides of attending a very large school. Oxy’s high level of campus involvement coupled with its size should logically facilitate community, but many still get left out of the cliques that evolve early on in each person’s four-year run.

Perhaps creating support groups overseen by a certified facilitator could increase the likelihood of students discussing their emotional well-being. From what I’ve seen in the past with my peers, myself and my family, it’s easier to talk to someone you feel comfortable with rather than someone you have to make an appointment to see in an office. Simply meeting with a group to talk about feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious or exhausted from school could help to alleviate some of the internalized pressures students experience on a daily basis.

Opening up or even just listening to others lessens a feeling of panic, which permeates this time in our lives when we are expected to dutifully handle our business in preparation for complete autonomy. By extension, recognizing that people are there to help might encourage those with emotional hardships to let someone know so they can get psychiatric assistance before things get out of control.

Gladys Angle is a junior Theater major. She can be reached at cangle@oxy.edu.

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