Homeschooling as a Solution to School Violence in the U.S.:
Exploring the Connection Between Pharmaceuticals and School Shootings

In recent years, school violence has become a growing concern across the United States, with an alarming increase in incidents ranging from bullying to mass shootings. Amidst debates on gun control and mental health, a less-discussed but significant factor is the role pharmaceuticals—particularly psychiatric medications—play in these violent episodes. Many of the individuals involved in school shootings were found to have been prescribed or were in the process of coming off psychotropic drugs, raising concerns about their potential side effects. In light of this troubling trend, homeschooling has emerged as a viable solution, offering a safer, healthier, and more effective educational environment for children. By removing students from the stress of traditional schools, insulating them from harmful pharmaceutical dependencies, and fostering a more holistic educational model, homeschooling can reduce the potential for violence while promoting better academic and emotional outcomes.

Pharmaceuticals and School Shootings: A Troubling Connection

The role of psychiatric drugs in the growing phenomenon of school shootings cannot be overlooked. Many of the perpetrators of mass shootings were either on medications for depression, anxiety, ADHD, or other mental health disorders, or had recently discontinued their use. Medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), commonly prescribed for depression, can have severe side effects, including increased aggression, suicidal ideation, and emotional instability, especially when stopped abruptly or mismanaged. The withdrawal symptoms from these drugs, which include heightened anxiety, mood swings, and violent impulses, can exacerbate underlying mental health conditions, creating a volatile situation.

These psychiatric medications are often overprescribed, particularly to children and teenagers. This demographic is highly vulnerable to the side effects of these drugs due to their developing brains and fluctuating hormone levels. The misuse or mismanagement of these medications, due to being completely unnecessary in the first place, unsupervised withdrawal, or unaddressed side effects, can lead to devastating consequences.

In several high-profile cases, including the Columbine and Sandy Hook shootings, the assailants had histories of psychiatric drug use. These tragic incidents have sparked concerns that the widespread reliance on medication to address behavioral and emotional issues in students may be a contributing factor to the violence seen in schools. In this context, homeschooling presents itself as a valuable alternative, offering a way to address issues that are often mislabeled as mental health problems. All without the reliance on pharmaceuticals that can carry such dangerous risks.

Homeschooling: A Safer, Healthier Alternative

One of the most significant advantages of homeschooling is that it removes children from the often toxic environments of traditional schools. Public and private schools can be breeding grounds for bullying, peer pressure, academic stress, and in some cases, violence. These negative influences contribute to anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges in students. The rigid structures, large class sizes, and high-pressure testing regimes often exacerbate these issues, leading to behavioral problems and the prescription of medications that, as previously discussed, can have dangerous side effects.

Homeschooling provides a much more flexible, personalized learning environment where parents can focus on the well-being of their children as much as their academic progress. Without the pressure of fitting into a standardized mold, homeschooled children often experience significantly more freedom to learn. Their social interactions are more controlled and positive, occurring in family settings or among varied age groups. This creates a more nurturing and less hostile environment, which naturally leads to better emotional stability and reduced incidences of violent behaviour.

Furthermore, homeschooled children are much less likely to be put on psychiatric drugs. In traditional schools, teachers and administrators may suggest medication as a quick fix for behavioural issues like hyperactivity or inattentiveness. However, homeschooling parents are typically more involved in their children’s day-to-day behaviour and can address underlying issues without resorting to medication. Whether it be food allergies, bullying, or even just having to sit still for far too long.  The absence of these powerful, potentially harmful drugs in homeschool environments reduces the risk of drug-induced aggression or emotional instability.

Academic and Emotional Benefits of Homeschooling

In addition to creating a safer and healthier environment, homeschooling has been shown to produce better academic outcomes than traditional schooling. Homeschooled children consistently score higher on standardized tests and are more likely to attend and succeed in college. The personalized attention they receive allows them to advance at their own pace, focus on areas of interest, and avoid the one-size-fits-all model that often leaves students in traditional schools either bored or overwhelmed.

Moreover, the flexibility of homeschooling allows for a more balanced lifestyle. Children can engage in extracurricular activities, explore creative pursuits, and spend more time outdoors—all of which contribute to a lower-stress environment and improved mental health. Unlike the rigid and often stressful schedule of traditional schools, homeschooling promotes a balanced approach to learning and personal development.

Avoiding the Dangers of Improper Drug Withdrawal

Another key benefit of homeschooling is the avoidance of the dangers associated with the improper withdrawal from psychiatric medications. When students in traditional schools are prescribed these drugs, they often face the risk of withdrawal if the medication is discontinued too quickly or without proper medical supervision. This can lead to severe mood swings, aggression, and in some cases, violence. Homeschooled students, on the other hand, are unlikely to be put on these medications in the first place.

Conclusion

The rise of violence in U.S. schools, particularly mass shootings, has many contributing factors, but the role of psychiatric medications should not be ignored. In an environment where drugs are often overprescribed, homeschooling offers a powerful alternative. By removing students from the stressful, often hostile environments of traditional schools, avoiding harmful pharmaceutical interventions, and creating a supportive, individualized educational experience, homeschooling can help reduce violence and promote healthier, more well-rounded students. Homeschooling is not only an educational choice; it’s a potential solution to some of the most pressing issues facing modern schooling today.

  

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Zach Bush, MD

9 comments

Great article! This is one of the main reasons I have always tried to provide home schooling for my children!

Sending your kids to school has become a horrifying prospect. They’ve ceased to be places of education and have evolved into indoctrination centres. If I had school-age kids, I wouldn’t let them anywhere near a school.

Interesting points brought up here. I noticed a few years ago that there was a common denominator in these horrible school shootings. It was not always in the accounts of the shootings on the first or second day but if you follow up on the accounts of these events you’ll almost every time see, “he was off his medication,” or “he had a history of psychiatric problems.”
It was not, “He had problems, went to a psychiatrist, got help and lived a better life.” It was, “He had problems, went to a psychiatrist, was turned into a killer, took it out on society.”
Rough. Really rough.

Peter Stevenson

Yes , just start looking. Do not react to what you see, just look. One will see the atrocities of psychiatry when one looks. Do not listen to the theories and what they say are results for the better. JUST LOOK. And shun them.

Totally agree, my future kids will definitely be home schooled

This is a wonderful article. I homeschooled my children through middle school and high school. We have to do better as a society for our future!

Home schooling is a great alternative, it’s just the affordability of it these days which is unfortunate.

Great article and right on the money.

EXACTLY! “One of the most significant advantages of homeschooling is that it removes children from the often toxic environments of traditional schools”

A mom friend of mine had her 8 year old forced onto ADHD medication. When she tried to get the teacher to remove him from meds, the school refused and told her she would have to withdraw him from their school. Home schooling was not an option for her family economically and with this on his record, I don’t believe other schools would accept him either. Children and parents should have the right of refusal of any medical intervention without reprisal.

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