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Urbana schools: student mental health a growing issue

Springfield News-Sun (Ohio) - 5/1/2016

May 01--A local school district says a recent violent outburst at an elementary school is part of a bigger trend -- an increase in mental health issues in students.

An upset student at East Elementary School in Urbana grabbed a pair of scissors in a classroom on Tuesday, Urbana City Schools Superintendent Charles Thiel said. Police were called to respond to the scene.

"At times students become so distraught that we have to implement or ask for police intervention," Thiel said.

The ages of students who are showing signs of mental health issues have gotten younger over the past few years, he said. Some of the behavior problems might be caused by economic issues that have impacted the community, he said.

"There's a lot of stress and strains on families today," he said.

Urbana teachers have been changing the way they interact with students, he said, to try to calm situations before they turn violent.

"We need to teach the students how to behave and that's one of the things that has changed over time is the amount of teaching for self control and self monitoring behavior," he said.

Parents are concerned about the violence as well.

"It's not just an issue here at our school," Christie Harrigan said. Her son is a fourth grader at East Elementary. "It's everywhere, it's across the country."

Her son was in the classroom during the incident on Tuesday, she said, but didn't feel scared.

Another parent who spoke to the Springfield News-Sun on the condition of anonymity said she was worried for the safety of her children and didn't feel the school was doing enough to stop violence.

The district has added a guidance counselor and a social worker in the past couple years to work with students and parents, Thiel said.

It will also add on-site counseling services to students next school year, he said, so children who need counseling won't have to travel or miss class.

Harrigan wants parents to take steps to help students as well, she said.

"I'm not sure what the best way to address it is," she said, but, "There's got to be something we can do to help kids."

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