Keuka College opinions & editorials

Cultural Sensitivity and Safety Shouldn't be Mutually Exclusive

by Vicki Smith, professor and chair of occupational therapy, Keuka College

Published Apr 27, 2007

The tragic events at Virginia Tech have created an environment of reevaluation for parents, students, professors, college administrators, and society as a whole.

When an event of this magnitude happens, people react in very different ways. 
Since this event has touched so many lives, there are an infinite number of reactions. In order to make sense of such a tragic event, people attempt to seek an explanation by labeling others as “bad,”systems as failing, society as falling apart, a need for better gun control, and the list goes on and on. The study of people tells us that this is a natural reaction that people display in order to make sense of situations beyond their immediate understanding.

So how do we resolve for ourselves “who is to blame and what can we do?” As the details of events unfold regarding the young man who was pivotal in this event, it is clear that he had issues relating to mental illness. He was also Korean. We continue to be a developing country in terms of being sensitive to others in terms of disabilities and cultures. As I listen to the interviews of students from Virginia Tech, it appears there was confusion regarding his isolating behavior. Was it because of his culture, who he was, or his mental illness?  We teach our children and we as a society are developing our skills for non-discrimination and this is what happened. People respected who he was and let him live his life.

The next step in our country’s development regarding cultural and disability sensitivity calls for unbiased intervention that supports individuals in their times of need. There are many issues to sort out that can interfere with our ability to provide support. Confidentiality; rights of freedom; legal limitations, in this case of the college environment; and issues of being consenting adults are all put in place to protect an individual’s rights. I am not advocating their elimination. However, in this trend of individual rights, there needs to be balance on safety for the individuals involved and society as a whole. I have heard reactions from the media: better locks on doors, video monitoring in dorms and classes, better security on campuses. They will have no effect.

The individuals that create these tragic events are integrated parts of the community; such was the case of the Virginia Tech and Columbine high school shootings. It is time to look at the balance between individual rights and community and individual safety for colleges, high schools, and society as a whole in a non-reactive manner. This will require careful, timely debate and thought not only from legislators but professors, administrators and students. Let’s not lose what we have in terms of cultural sensitivity but continue to develop it in a way that fosters safety for everyone.  

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