As the year 2018 comes closer to an end, we have seen a dramatic increase in the  need for school security come into play. Through school violence and school shootings, a large emphasis has been placed on the importance in keeping students safe and protected in a learning environment.

According to The Daily Beast, there have been 10 massive school shootings each year in the United States which have caused an average of 375 deaths. These significant numbers have sparked outrage among many individuals and groups of people and encouraged many to fight for school safety.

One way that many groups have decided to fight for school safety is to fight against the weapon itself. Many organizations have been made to fight against the NRA, protest gun control, and even demand for the second amendment to be repealed.

Through all the objection of the weapon, many still believe that the real issue isn’t the gun itself, but the individual holding the gun. But, is that true?

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, only 2 states require mental health education and requirements in schools. The issue of mental health has been consuming teenagers rapidly and dangerously.

According to livescience.com, 1 in 5 teenagers on average deal with mental health issues. These issues can lead to sadness, anxiety, violence, and more. Having someone to talk to and express their feelings to can make the difference in someone’s life, maybe even save someone’s life.

In a claim made by the Los Angeles Times, at least 59 percent of the last 185 shootings have been carried out by an individual either diagnosed with a mental disorder or had signs of a mental disorder.

Even according to the Mental Health Watchdog, at least 36 school shootings have been performed by someone on a psychiatric medication. So some may wonder, are the medications that we take safe? Do we know exactly what they do to our minds?

Some people believe that we have become so blinded by the action of the weapon, we forget why the weapon got into the hands of the shooter in the first place. It is important as a society that we put a greater emphasis on the importance of staying mentally healthy and realize the issue of psychological instability.

Graduate of Harvard Andres Alonso said, “The safety of children always comes first.”