How should we prepare for school shootings?

Americans have a lot to be paranoid about these days: the climate, the economy, cost of living. However, there is one uniquely American problem that weighs on the minds of parents and students and that is, of course, school shootings. Post-pandemic America has seen a dramatic climb in the number of these tragedies. Where should we begin to solve these issues and how should we help prepare for such terrible acts of mass shootings?

As someone who finds it necessary to keep up with what politicians in Congress plan for our country’s future, I don’t understand why school shootings have fallen by the wayside, particularly because this became such a huge discussion after Sandy Hook, Columbine, etc.

The fact that these problems seem to worsen even after the passing of acts made to protect us from them, I believe that we should start by demanding better from our government as this hopefully forces them to do more. 

First, we need to create a positive environment in our school systems. Belittling, bullying, and ostracizing are common issues for people who might choose this sort of violence. 37% of school shooters attack due to personal disputes with classmates, by far the largest reason for such attacks on school grounds. Schools should pick up on and decrease/eliminate problematic behavior. This could be threats of violence, hatred between classmates, and violence between classmates. Students make up 43% of school shooters, so this is the most important. 

Next, we need more mental health support. Much of the psychological issues of a school shooter develop over a lifetime of experiences. Violence at home (kid abuse or other violence) has been shown to influence young people. They’re more likely to solve their disputes with violence. Along with this, homophobia can be a reason for such violence. 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ students have been threatened or injured by weapons on school property. These are unnatural responses and a primary reason why therapy and support are needed to help these kids feel safe and help the potentially violent students learn how to act appropriately to disagreements or personal differences.  

Third, physical security is essential. The majority of school shootings are done by students, but, shockingly, 57% of shootings aren’t currently attending that school. This is why the need for physical security is also important. The system that Sutton currently uses for entering the building is one I like. You probably know this but to enter Sutton High School during the school day you need to press a button that allows someone at the front desk to see you and let you in. This system is great because it allows you to see the person wanting to open the door before they’re allowed in.

Police officers are also very important on school properties because they allow responders to immediately fight the issue and allow a professional to handle situations they have trained for in a safe, efficient manner.

Other important features to defending a school are cameras and emergency drills. Cameras in the event of an emergency are very useful in locating a suspect. While drills prepare staff and students for those emergencies to best protect themselves. 

Finally, while school shootings become more and more common, the effect that they leave on millions of Americans makes us all feel more and more depressed and frightened. But I remain hopeful that many more Americans will be saved from these massacres due to better planning and better ways to help people.