Real Stories

The SPEAK UP New Mexico Campaign is rooted in the knowledge that students themselves have the power to make their schools and communities safer places. Below are the stories of just a few of many young people who are using their voices to create change and prevent violence.

Missy Jenkins

On December 1, 1997, then 15-year old Missy Jenkins was seriously wounded in the shooting at Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky, which resulted in three students' deaths. Missy spent five months recuperating in a hospital and remains paralyzed from the waist down. She later discovered that her neighbor and friend had known of the shooter's plans beforehand, but did nothing. Missy has since become active in promoting the SPEAK UP message to young people across the country to help prevent tragedies like the one that occurred at her high school.

Matt Atkinson

Matt Atkinson was a senior at Green Bay East High School in Wisconsin in 2006. Two of his friends were involved in a plan to attack his school. He found out about their plans and was faced with a difficult decision -- tell on his friends or let a terrible tragedy occur at his school. He chose to speak up. Matt went to a staff member and told what he knew. Authorities later removed various guns, ammunition, bombs and suicide notes from one of his friends' homes. Matt's brave decision prevented terrible events from occurring at his school.

Josh Stevens

Josh was 15-years-old when his friend Andy Williams told him about his plan to attack his school. Josh assumed he was just joking. The next day Andy brought a gun to school and opened fire, killing 2 students and wounding 13 others. Josh says that not reporting Andy's threat was a mistake he will regret for the rest of his life.

Crystal Miller

Crystal was a junior at Columbine High School in 1999, the year that two students opened fire on the school and killed twelve of her classmates and one teacher. She was in the library studying for a test when two boys rushed in with guns and she hid there under a table while they shot many people around her. Crystal survived because the attackers ran out of ammunition. The events of that day changed her life. Crystal now travels around the country full-time, telling her story at schools, community centers and churches. She is committed to empowering young people and giving them tools to prevent similar tragedies in their own communities.

Statistics

Will They Tell? Weapons Reporting by Middle-School Youth

Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, June 2007

70% of youth responded they would report another student who brought a weapon to school
83% said they would report another student if they could do it anonymously
70% would report a friend if they could do it anonymously
Over 50% said they would definitely or probably report even if people might think they were a snitch or a tattletale
Only 3.3% said they would never report a weapon threat

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 2007

1,032,527 high school students across America take a weapon to school at least once every 30 days
962,526 high school students feel too unsafe to even go to school at least once every 30 days
5.2% of high school students (9.0% of males) carry a gun at least once every 30 days
1.36 million high school students are threatened or injured with a weapon on school property at least once every year

Safe School Initiative

developed by the US Secret Service and US Department of Education 2002

In 81% of school shootings, at least one other person had information about the attacker’s plans beforehand

Benenson Strategy Group survey for PAX

July 24, 2001

52% of students know of an incident where someone brought a weapon to school. Of those, 61% did nothing about it
52% of students have heard of a threat of weapons-related violence in school. Of those, 56% did nothing about it
13% of students know of someone who has brought a gun to school. Of those, 67% did nothing about it
52% of students could get a gun if they wanted one. 35% could get one in less than a week. 15% could get one in less than a day