School Safety and Gun Control: What Needs to be Done? When parents choose a school for their children, one of the first thing they care about along with good education is the school safety. However, school shootings that have occurred in the last decade, concluding with the horrific shooting at a public high school in Parkland, FL two months ago, proved to parents, students, schools staff and the American community in general, that school safety has become a critical issue. Therefore, serious actions need to be taken to ensure students safety in public education. Although safety protocol and security measures at schools are important, that is only one side of the solution. Gun control may be the most important part which has worked successfully …show more content…
in other countries to decrease gun violence at schools. Meanwhile, looking at the other factors that incite the attacker like mental health and media and working with those could also reduce the risk of the violence. Since the last school shooting that took place in Florida, the talk about school safety became a priority and it raised the doubts about how safe the American educational environment is. Some argue that it is the media images that create this sense of no security, but the most recent collected data by NCES about school safety and crime reported that: “During the 2015–16 school year, there were 1,600 reported firearm possession incidents at schools in the United States, and the rate of firearm possession incidents was 3 per 100,000 students” (9). This high rate of crimes at school campuses hinders the quality of the learning process and it is proven in a study by Brandon Carroll that when students feel insecure, their academic achievement is highly affected. Despite other factors that may cause violence at school, easy access to guns, found to be 51%, is the major cause of firearm violence in schools, as reported in a questionnaire by patents of middle school parents (Price et al 1). This is supported by the statistics by NCES that states: “Since the beginning of 2018, there have 63 dead or injured in school shootings, according to the tracker's latest figures. They have almost all been committed by teenagers or young adults, often with links to the school”. This fact reflects two main problems: gun accessibility and teenagers psychological problems. However, mental health problems can not cause a person to commit a crime without having access to firearms. Hence, Gun availability to those ill teenagers is the big dilemma that needs a solution. Since gun control is a political and federal issue that depends on lawmakers and politicians, schools have adapted a variety of security measures that can make them a safer environment, but to what extent are they effective? In a study of visual security measures, Emily E. Tanner-Smith observes that: “Some security utilization patterns had detrimental effects on students’ academic performance, attendance, and postsecondary aspirations” (19). Schools have been using different strategies that aim at protecting students from any unexpected attack like hiring more security guards and using cameras and security detectors. Schools also became more cautious and use precautionary measure with visitors and strangers by asking them to sign in or show an ID. Besides, safety drills are one of the regular routines that help students be aware and know how to react to any threat or violence. In spite of the sense of security these measures reflect, applying these measures in a school needs to be accompanied with the understanding of the school system and the students’ needs and characteristics. For example, identification of visitors may be ineffective if the predator is one of the school’s previous students or staff. In reality, an analysis of US school shooting data (1840-2015) has found that: “70% of the shooters are students or former students” (8). Despite that these measures might help in some places, it still can not prevent the attack from happening; it can only decrease the victims. That is why many researchers, school staff, and parents believe that the decision that can play a vital role in protecting student at the school is to keep guns out of the hands of the children. Looking to other countries or states’ experiences with gun control can shed light on the effectiveness of this method.
For example, in New York, strict gun laws are implemented. Robert J. Spitzer, a Professor, and chair of the Political Science Department at SUNY Cortland, takes The New York Safe Act as a study case in strict gun laws and he states: “Another significant portion of the new law requires certain categories of mental health professionals to report to state authorities any persons under their care who they believe are likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to self or others” (7). However, what weakens this law as explained by a criminal justice reporter at Vox: “If a city or state passes strict gun control measures, people can simply cross a border to buy guns in a jurisdiction with laxer laws” (Lopez). Another study about gun control supports this view and points out that: “This lack of uniformity undermines the effectiveness of state gun control laws” (Hirsh 5), so it would be helpful to study other countries’ successful experiences in preventing gun violence. For example, after a mass shooting in 1996, Australia has applied firearms regulations that were effective in reducing homicide crimes. In a law Journal, Lauren Hirsh introduces the Australian-style gun control, she writes: “Under this uniform system, all firearm owners are required to obtain a license. In order to do so, an applicant must demonstrate a ‘genuine reason’ for owning, …show more content…
possessing or using a firearm” (8), and it also asks for registration: “All firearms and licenses are required to be registered on the National Register of Firearms” (9). Another country that took the same path is Switzerland. As reported in an article in Washington Post, Rick Noack, a foreign affairs reporter explains: “Swiss authorities have a list of about 2,000 individuals they suspect of being willing to commit shootings. All of them are frequently approached by authorities, along with psychologists, and are forced to hand over their weapons immediately or are barred from purchasing new ones”. With theses recommended laws, gun control is considered as one large piece of the puzzle, and it still needs other parts that go with it. On the other hand, although stopping gun violence at schools and educational institutes is not an easy jump, it is a challenge that the American society would need to work with and overcome.
In his study: Public Mass Shooters and Firearms, Adam Lankford found that: “Many of the nations in this study that ranked highest in firearm ownership rates also ranked highly in public mass shooters per capita” (8). Opponents of gun control think it is against the constitution that gives the right to everyone to own a gun, while in fact; putting restrictions on getting firearms will not break this right. It is like having a traffic system, which no one can say it is violating the freedom to move. Many also said that there is no gaurantee that gun control will not stop the school shootings, but studies about gun control in other countries say something different. Another research article states: “We find that state prevalence of firearm ownership is significantly associated with state incidence of mass killings with firearms, school shootings, and mass shootings” Towers et al 7). Many community leaders believe that owning guns is an essential part of American culture and restricting it will make them lose their identity. Nadia E. Nedze points out in her paper: Concealed Carry: The Only Way to Discourage Mass School Shootings: “ It would likely violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendments ’rights to freedom from warrantless searches, security in our houses, and protection from deprivation of
property or privacy without due process” (4). But thinking about children safety and wellbeing requires broad vision and valuable sacrifices, and this may take more time and work which can gradually bring change in the American culture. With the safety measures and programs, public schools are adapting, media, parents and the local communities play a major role in preventing school shootings. The indicator 21 reports: “The percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported that they had access to a loaded gun without adult permission, either at school or away from school, during the current school year decreased from 7 percent in 2007 to 4 percent in 2015” (9). Therefore, parents with firearms need to have a healthy conversation with their kids about the use of these weapons and how much danger it can cause. They also need to take care of their children’s mental health and talk to a specialist or a school counselor if they notice a tendency towards violence or a desire to take revenge on the community. It is also important for media when it covers school shooting to consult a psychologist to make sure they do not promote the idea or normalize it. Likewise, the focus should be on the victims rather than the shooter. Towers et al study states:”There is also the possibility that the stressed individuals may have, consciously or sub-consciously, been inspired to act on previously suppressed urges by exposure to details of similar events.” (2). In the same context, electronic games that promote violence and encourage committing crimes need to be regulated especially among teenagers who have high rage and high levels of sensitivity and insecurity. To ensure a secure and safe educational environment in the states, effective measures needs to be taken. In this sense, many other countries have introduced restrictions on firearms which have reduced gun violence and mass shooting in schools. Although schools in the US have applied security systems and safety measures to prevent such violence, more work needs to be done on changing American gun culture. Parents, media, and lawmakers can help bring safety to American schools through their care and constant work.
In the article “Gun Control Can Prevent School Shootings,” Bennett shares the effects of gun violence in the past, present, and future. The Sandy Hook shooting occurred on December 14, 2012 when twenty children and six adult staff members were killed. Barely a month after the shooting, eleven of the families affected by the shooting went to meet privately with Joe Biden, and members from the Congress and cabinet. Bennett stated, “They were preparing to wade into some of the roughest waters in American politics: the gun debate.” President Obama gave a speech in Connecticut vowing to fight for change. And as Bennett put it, “Members of Congress started acting as parents instead of politicians.” Bennett explained to the families that they couldn't get rid of assault weapons or high capacity ammunition magazines, no matter how bad the shooting was. The families got angry and stated they did not want to know what they couldn't do, but what they could do to honor their children.
In America there is 89 firearms per 100 people (Moore) so it is safe to say most people will come in contact with a firearm in their life time. But when you do will you know how to handle the situation? Guns can be deadly when abused and used incorrectly. There is a way to reduce the unnecessary deaths. Firearm safety is the important piece in reducing the deaths and firearm abuse and it should be made mandatory in schools.
On December 12, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School was invaded by an unstable, armed man. Earlier that year the principal of the school, Dawn Hochsprung, implemented a new security system that required all visitors to buzzed into the school by visual identification. Many schools have also put in similar security systems to have school doors locked at all times during the school day, helping insure students’ safety. For Sandy Hook this minor security system would not be enough. When the gunman arrived to the school, he shot his way through the front do...
In this article Emmett Tyrell informs us about gun violence in schools and what the NRA has proposed to stop the gun violence, and mass shootings across America. While the gun control debate rages, many schools have become war zones, and all school zones are vulnerable. The National Rifle Association's has come up with a 225-page report contains dozens of recommendations to improve safety in our nation’s schools. The NRA’s National School Shield program will train and enable school personnel to carry firearms to protect our nation’s children.
Throughout the years of education, kids go to school to get an education, to hang with friends, to get excise, and many other things. America should have armed officers in in public schools. Since kids are spending a majority of their time throughout the day and year at school, they should feel safe in that environment. That can soon change with school security falling behind with this current growth of school shooting. Schools shootings have begun occurring more often in the United States from elementary schools all the way up to colleges. How should school systems fix this problem? One solution that could be the most effective is having multiple armed officers in schools. Let’s begin with some major school shootings that were lacking armed officers, when the resource officer successfully stopped a potential shooting, and reasons why we should have an armed officer.
It is a sad time in American history when one can easily recount recent school shootings in their own area. This ease stems from a sharp increase in the number of firearms brought into elementary and middle schools across the country, with an intense focus on the issue beginning after the shooting of 20 children from Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. Most school shooters are male, white, and often upper middle class. They are also more, often than not, under some type of mental stress that is causing them to create this type of violence in our communities. In fact, many school shooters are never suspected of doing any harm to their peers and teachers until it is much too late.
“A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” The right of all Americans to bear arms is a right the Founding Fathers held to equal importance as the Constitution itself. Gun control laws directly violate this right and therefore should not even be under consideration. Even if that issue is overlooked, gun control advocates state that in order to reduce firearm related violence, gun control laws must be implemented to remove the violence caused by firearms. Although this may seem reasonable, the consequences of such laws are ironically counterproductive; they exacerbate the problem instead of fixing it. Besides the fact that the American Constitution guarantees its citizens the right to bear arms, the idea of restricting gun ownership in order to reduce firearm-related violence would ultimately fail given the previous experiments of gun control in England and in numerous states.
Although most security measures passively make schools safer, it is not nearly enough to prevent an individual who intends on creating mass violence from completing his or her task. State representatives, national organizations, school staff, and parents need to come together to figure out the most reliable ways to prevent an active shooter situation from occurring in their schools. One solution that has been active is many schools have partnered with local law enforcement agencies to provide a police officers to patrol school grounds....
Three-section manuscript written by Rosalind Duplechain and Robert Morris, associates of education in the University of Georgia. The article is based from the field of education the document three subject terms throughout all three sections. The terms consist of safety measures in schools, school environment and its effect on school shooters, and school violence. Section one of the manuscript provides historical data of undocumented shootings that have taken place in schools within the United States. Section two lists numerous factors related to school shooters. Section three notes a series of strategies for making schools safer from shootings.
Parents and teachers need to be concerned of the lives in danger. “Since 2013, there have been at least 205 school shootings in America — an average of nearly one a week.” States every town research, a support fund for gun safety. This statistic could be your neighbor, children, or friends school down the street from home. Or, as a teacher this school could be the one you work in every day.
In today’s world some students of all ages have experienced the tragedy and devastation of mass school shootings. Kids go to school in order to receive education; they shouldn’t have to worry about their safety. Today in America, there are numerous amounts of shootings that occur on school grounds. It has been recorded that “the number of school shootings in 2015 has climbed to 52, with 30 people dead and 53 others injured” (Rt.com). Schools need to step up their security and ensure the safety and well being of their student body.
In recent years, tragedies have been visited upon schools across the country. From Kentucky to Oregon to Colorado, the notion of schools as safe havens has been shattered by the sound of gunfire. These acts are not limited to any geographic regions or family backgrounds, nor do they have a single catalyst. Those who have committed such heinous acts have done so for different reasons, at different times, in different schools. But these acts of school violence have at least one thing in common- they have spurred all of us to take a look at what can be done to better protect children and teachers at school. Protecting our children is not simply a matter of public policy. It is a matter of strengthening basic values, of teaching children right from wrong, of instilling in them respect for others. We each have a responsibility to work to end youth violence and to keep schools safe for children and for those who teach them. Youth violence in many schools has reached universal proportions. It is not only happening in our high schools, it has also made its way into our elementary and middle schools. Everyone seems to have a different perspective on why there is such a problem with school safety. Some say it is the parents’ fault, some say it is the media, and others blame the schools. Yet, the question still remains. What can be done to make schools safer for the children and staff? One thing we need to do is learn to listen to our children and observe their behavior. According ...
Step 1: How do we ensure the safety of the students while at school? Before the 1990’s, there was not as much worry about students having a gun used for hunting in their vehicle on school property. It wasn’t uncommon for a student to have one, since they hunted before school. This tolerance drastically changed as a result of the mass school shootings that have occurred in the recent past. The Gun Free-Schools Act of 1994 mandates students who bring a gun to school will be expelled for at least one year (Dunn, 2002). School districts soon adopted policies to follow this act. School safety has been a concern for not only family members, but school officials across the nation. Two ways districts have been actively keeping students safe are having
There are many different views concerning the possession of weapons and firearms on school property and the actions that should be taken to better protect the children attending school. Many people seem to either clearly be for or against these ideas of this policy. Furthermore, people either feel it is necessary to arm the staff of the school to stop potential threats and others believe that guns have no place in schools unless they are carried by the protecting police officer of the schools. First, The National Rifle Association in Colorado has recently supported Colorado’s push for all K-12 teachers to have a concealed carry permit to carry on school grounds.
If a teacher carries a firearm when a shooter unexpectedly enters a school, not only will they keep their students safe and protected, but also they will show perseverance when they secure the students lives if they are in danger. When President Obama is telling a speech anywhere around the world, isn’t he guarded? People with guns guard him. Why can’t teachers guard the most precious children to our parents? This question is asked all around the country. This controversial topic has many Americans wanting answers. Teachers carrying firearms in school will keep the children safe and protected because it puts fear in criminals and the teachers are fully trusted with the children.