PRINTER'S NO. 3746
No. 705 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY DiGIROLAMO, DeWEESE, ADOLPH, BAKER, BALDWIN,
BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BROWNE, CAUSER, CLYMER, S. E. CORNELL,
CORRIGAN, CRAHALLA, CRUZ, DENLINGER, J. EVANS, FREEMAN,
GEIST, GEORGE, GINGRICH, GOOD, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARHAI,
HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, JAMES, KELLER,
LaGROTTA, LAUGHLIN, LEACH, LEDERER, LEH, LYNCH, MACKERETH,
MAJOR, MANDERINO, McGILL, S. MILLER, MUNDY, MUSTIO, NAILOR,
O'NEILL, PALLONE, PAYNE, PISTELLA, RAYMOND, READSHAW,
REICHLEY, ROEBUCK, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER,
SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, SURRA,
TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, WASHINGTON, WATERS, WATSON,
WOJNAROSKI AND YOUNGBLOOD, APRIL 14, 2004
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
APRIL 14, 2004
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the week of April 19 through 23, 2004, as
2 "Pennsylvania Safe Schools Week."
3 WHEREAS, April 20, 2004, marks the fifth anniversary of the
4 deadliest school shooting in United States history when 15
5 people were killed, including two young gunmen, 12 students and
6 one teacher, and 28 were injured at Columbine High School in
7 Littleton, Colorado; and
8 WHEREAS, Since that date acts of school-based violence have
9 affected communities throughout the nation, including several in
10 Pennsylvania; and
11 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has been in the forefront of efforts to
12 make schools safer and was one of the states chosen as a model
1 by the Colorado legislature when formulating its safe schools
2 package in the wake of the Columbine tragedy; and
3 WHEREAS, Specific legislative initiatives include
4 establishing a zero-tolerance policy for weapons possession on
5 school grounds and property, creating a State Office of Safe
6 Schools, providing targeted grants to assist school entities in
7 developing alternative education programs to remove the most
8 disruptive students from regular classrooms while giving the
9 students a second chance to improve their behavior, awarding
10 grants for specific use in the purchase of security equipment
11 and services and for comprehensive safety planning and providing
12 penalties for persons who seek unauthorized entry onto school
13 buses; and
14 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is continuing its safe schools
15 leadership role by advancing legislation to encourage schools to
16 implement antibullying programs and to provide for creation of a
17 State clearinghouse of materials related to bullying and
18 intimidation in schools; and
19 WHEREAS, Bullying in schools is a worldwide problem which can
20 have negative consequences for the general school climate; and
21 WHEREAS, Research has highlighted the negative effect of
22 bullying on the learning environment of our schools; and
23 WHEREAS, A 2001 National Institute of Child Health and Human
24 Development study found that more than 16% of school children in
25 the United States said they had been bullied by other students
26 during the school terms; and
27 WHEREAS, The National Association of School Psychologists and
28 the United States Department of Justice estimate that 160,000
29 students miss school every day, with 28 million missed days per
30 year, because of the fear of being bullied; and
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1 WHEREAS, Direct bullying seems to increase through the
2 elementary school years, peak in the middle school/junior high
3 school years and decline during the high school years; and
4 WHEREAS, Although direct physical assault seems to decrease
5 with age, verbal abuse appears to remain constant; and
6 WHEREAS, By age 24, 60% of children who bully will have had a
7 criminal conviction; and
8 WHEREAS, Bullying causes academic problems for 22% of fourth
9 through eighth graders; and
10 WHEREAS, There is little, if any, difference between bullying
11 in suburban, rural or inner-city schools; and
12 WHEREAS, Antibullying initiatives may serve to prevent future
13 acts of school violence; and
14 WHEREAS, The United States Secret Service and United States
15 Department of Education's Final Report and Findings of the Safe
16 School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School
17 Attacks in the United States, issued in 2002 and based on
18 studies of major school attacks, found that almost three-
19 quarters of attackers felt persecuted, bullied, threatened,
20 attacked or injured by others prior to a violent incident;
21 therefore be it
22 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives pause on the
23 anniversary of the Columbine school tragedy to memorialize the
24 persons lost or injured on that day and all persons affected by
25 school violence; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That members of the House of Representatives focus
27 on preventing school violence by visiting their local schools to
28 review existing programs and policies for promoting school
29 safety and by holding discussions with parents, community
30 leaders, local law enforcement authorities, teachers and school
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1 administrators to solicit additional suggestions for initiatives
2 to keep our classrooms safe environments in which teachers can
3 teach and students can learn; and be it further
4 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
5 week of April 19 through 23, 2004, as "Pennsylvania Safe Schools
6 Week" and renew its commitment to enhancing the learning
7 experiences of young people by ensuring safe and secure
8 classrooms.
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