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I dunno. It's hard to say. Crack was all the rage in the 80s when I was growing up ("Just say no!") and I'm sure that was scary to my parents too. This seems worse to me because it's so much more out of our control (at least you can teach your kids to stay off drugs) and "times" definitely seem different - the fact that the kids at Sandy Hook regularly practice lock-down drills took me by surprise.

I feel like its not safe. I feel like family values are a thing of the past. DH and I had a long talk this weekend about what values we want our son to have and how we would work to instill those values in him. I also think the entertainment industry needs to be looked at closely, the violence children are exposed to nowadays is obscene.

@littlek: I 100% agree with you

I don't know... it certainly feels that way, but as others have noted I think there are more factors at play - and certainly the 24 hour news cycle and internet contribute to us having so much more information. Obviously that can be both good and bad.

At the same time, yes, I think we are desensitized to violence. I cringe when my nephews are allowed violent video games and the like and I disagree when my siblings claim that their kids are responsible enough to handle that kind of thing. For me, it's not about the ability of the individual to deal with such violence. It's more about the fact that our kids don't need that kind of thing to be normalized. I think it's unhealthy. But, that's probably another rant for another time.

I don't necessarily think so. I think we're more aware now because we have families to think about. Kids don't really think beyond themselves. I do think media feeds off of the public's paranoia, too.

Just had this conversation with my mom. She doesn't remember anything like this happening when she was a kid. She was born in the 50's and "black folk" were still looked down upon. Crimes similar to this have been happening for centuries. I believe there was less media coverage, we lived in an area where it was less common and the weapons of choice were no less violent just different.
Here is a link if found that lists the History of School Shootings in the United States
http://www.k12academics.com/school-shootings/history-school-shootings-united-states

Doesn't make it any easier to digest. It sickens me to think what was going though those kids minds & the minds of the children that have to go back to school today.

Edit: did not use "black folk" as a racial slur. It was used to emphasize a time in history.

I grew up in the era of Crack in NYC...so no I don't think it's more dangerous--I just think it's different. Mass shootings are more common, but so is 24/7 media coverage--which we didn't have when I was a kid.

I'm not sure if maybe since I was younger I didn't notice things as much...so it's hard for me to say.

I think in a lot of ways, we are more aware of everything that is going on...whether that is from being adults who are more concerned/worried/paranoid than kids. Also, I think the media allows us to know a lot more about these things than maybe was known in the past.

I was in 9th grade when the Columbine shooting happened, and I remember being really worried about that happening at my school. Now my niece is in 7th grade and they do regular lock-down drills. We didn't have any drills beyond fire drills and tornado drills. It makes me sad that she has to grow up with that, but I am glad that her school is proactive.

I do think there is a break down in family values in this day and age. I hope to raise my children to care about other people and to have respect for everyone. I think a lot of parents either think they don't have time for things like this or are too preoccupied with their own lives/problems.

@Mrs. Jacks: You pretty much hit the nail on the head. I agree.

Not sure. There will always be bad people but the vast majority of people are good. I think that's something that will always hold true. I think there are some factors that can lead people down a bad path and while we have a ways to go in being a supportive society I think we are improving so are a bit safer in that aspect. But there's more people than decades before so I guess more chance of violence. I'm not sure.

@Mrs. Jacks: Unfortunately this year lone gun men have killed more people in the USA then lightening. Lets hope that doesn't hold true for future years.

I think that violence has spread into middle America and is more prevalent there now than it was when I was a child.

I agree with PPs in that I don't think society is more dangerous than when I was younger. I just think we are forced to hear about and face the danger much more than (way) back then because of the round-the-clock availability of news and media coverage. The constant media saturation makes us all hyper-aware and raises our alert levels, and I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing!