About James H Burns
Since 1977 Jim Burns has been working with students who have learning disabilities and behavioral problems. He has almost 40 years of experience working as an administrator, teacher, college instructor, and seminar leader. He is committed to helping administrators, parents, and teachers establish standards of excellence and help them build successful relationships with their staff, students, and children. He has written and designed The Bully Proof Classroom, a graduate course that is now offered at The College of New Jersey, and La Salle University in Pennsylvania in partnership with The Regional Training Center. This course has been endorsed by the NJEA. He has also written “Anti Bullying 101.” A book that provides teachers, administrators, support staff and parent’s 101 tips on how to achieve permanent help in dealing with unruly behavior and can be used as part of any anti-bullying program. In May of 2015 Jim was awarded the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by Gratz College in recognition of his almost forty years of work in student behavior management and anti bullying. He is available for on sight in-services and keynotes.
Revenge: The Greatest Motivator
Why is it that every time a school shooting occurs that everyone who knows or knew the
perpetrator identifies him/her as a troubled person who was reclusive and exhibited all manner of
anti social behavior? Never fails. Here are some of the comments that have been made about
Adam Lanza the perpetrator who entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown
Connecticut and opened fire on December 15, 2012 killing 26 people, 20 of them were children.
"Adam Lanza has been a weird kid since we were five years old," said Tim Dalton, a neighbor
and former classmate, on Twitter. "As horrible as this was, I can't say I am surprised."
"This was a deeply disturbed kid," a family insider said. "He certainly had major issues. He was
subject to outbursts from what I recall."
A further family friend said he had acted as though he was immune to pain.
"A few years ago when he was on the baseball team, everyone had to be careful that he didn't fall
because he could get hurt and not feel it," said the friend. "Adam had a lot of mental problems."
"It was almost painful to have a conversation with him, because he felt so uncomfortable," said
Olivia DeVivo, who sat behind him in English. "I spent so much time in my English class
wondering what he was thinking."
"He didn't fit in with the other kids." "He was very, very shy. He wouldn't look you in the eyes
when he talked. He didn't really want to lock eyes with you for very long."
It's almost as if everybody knows, but nobody cares, or maybe they do care but really don't
know what to do. They continue to walk amongst us being spoken about as weird by neighbors
and family members who wish they could take a peak into their secret life and discover what
conclusions they have drawn about life. Who or what are they angry at, and what measures will
they take to get even with the world maybe for just being born.
Revenge: the greatest motivator known to mankind. It's been around since Cain and Abel
affecting those who have been victimized by life, either physically, emotionally, or mentally.
The problem is the victims get even with the wrong people.According to the United States Secret
Service since 1999 thirty seven of the school shootings that have occurred have been carried out
by those who were victims of bullying.
Bullies are motivated and driven by power, victims are motivated by revenge. Victims are
compilers. They compile information about people who have victimized them and about their
inabilities to speak or act with confidence. They do this until their cup just plain runs over. The
pain has to go somewhere which is why after the victim exacts his revenge he/she will usually
take their own life.
"There's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear. There's a man with a gun over
there. Telling me I've got to beware." For What It's Worth Buffalo Springfield