After Florida school shooting, Dodge Co. sheriff says parents need to discipline their children

DODGE COUNTY -- The Dodge County sheriff is calling on parents to step up in the wake of the Florida school shooting and threats of violence at schools across the country.

Reflecting on report after report of threats of violence targeting schools in southeastern Wisconsin, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said the current conversations surrounding the fallout from the mass shooting that killed 17 at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida lack any real solutions.

"Guns are the topic about what's going to happen today. That's the quick and easy fix. The quick and easy fix is never something that's going to solve the problem long-term," said Schmidt.

In a column, Sheriff Schmidt said instead, the conversation needs to focus on how society got to this point in the first place.

"Children need to cope and deal with conflict and disappointment," said Schmidt. "I think that's being lost by today's students and without the parental guidance on how to cope with disappointment and conflict, they find their own ways to cope and that isn't always healthy and that can be dangerous."

Schmidt urged parents to keep better tabs on their children's activities and teach them to respect authority.

"They need to understand that it's OK to discipline their children as long as it's not abusive. Parents can't be Monday morning quarterbacking their teachers when their teachers are trying to discipline children," Schmidt said.

While Schmidt acknowledges these steps are easier said than done, he has plans to work with local schools to get the message across.

"We need to get back to some of the core family values that we saw 20-30 years ago," Schmidt said.

Sheriff Schmidt also blames cellphones for hindering young people's abilities to interact with others in an appropriate way.

Schmidt noted in his column "my point in writing this is not to place blame, but rather to start conversations on what truly is the root cause of violence in society." He said there is "no quick and easy solution" to preventing mass shootings and violence.

Below is Sheriff Schmidt's complete column: