According to Alfred University, only half of the students would tell an adult if they overheard other students talking about shooting someone at school. As chilling as this may sound, there is more. From January 1, 2009, to May 2018, there have been at least 288 school shootings in the US alone. Thus, learning how to stop school shootings has become a priority in many states. That applies to the US and worldwide alike.
Furthermore, 80% of half of the respondents said they are likely to tell a teacher if they overheard another student. Parents come second, principal third, guidance counselor fourth, and school security guard or police officer ranked fifth.
Students feel unprotected and believe that teachers and other school staff should care more about them. It also plays a role when it comes to bullying. Students fall victim to bullies and don’t think they can communicate their issues to teachers. That’s a crucial segment of ordinary students turned school shooters.
In essence, most students said that the teacher should attend more to the issues students are facing. Additionally, teachers must intervene and take a more active role in their students’ lives. Still, as many as 13% stated that nobody could do anything to stop school shootings.
In a nutshell, school shootings constitute attacks at an educational institution. It happens in primary schools, secondary schools, and universities. The act involves the use of firearms, with people usually being either hurt or killed.
In a different EP Wired piece, we discuss advice on what to do in a school shooting. However, in this article, we will examine how we can prevent it from ever taking place.
Are School Shootings Preventable?
Experts regularly claim that it’s better to act preventively than deal with the consequences. It’s cheaper, smarter, and―in the case of school shootings―saves lives.
It seems like a no-brainer, but the topic is much more nuanced than it appears at first sight. It’s more complicated and depends on who you ask, the teachers, students, principals, or law enforcement. Some feel encouraged to act preventively, while others aren’t alarmed even with clear signs.
Addressing particular mindsets and emotional states could be vital when attempting to prevent this heinous act.
Discussing the topic of wow to stop school shootings is all about learning to be emotionally intelligent. Also, it entails noticing symptoms and warnings during school hours and recess. Most school staff forget all about checking on their students during lunch breaks and extracurricular activities.
It is precisely in these places that bullies torment their peers and make their lives miserable. If teachers and other school staff could only keep a lookout for this behavior, schools would deter a large portion of school shootings.
In the study above, some students said that school shooters are mentally unstable. Moreover, they claimed that schools couldn’t stop others from wearing hats when they aren’t supposed to. How then can they prevent a school shooting?
Just like most other behavior, people can prevent this type of action. The key is to find out early enough and act accordingly. Parents need to get involved, as well, because many school shootings happen with their firearms.
Stop School Shootings in a Few Simple Steps
We won’t dive too deep into various researches and expert opinions about the legislation part. Yet, governments must upgrade their gun control laws and restrict firearm access for minors and students.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at what you―as an individual and community―can do to prevent school shootings.
According to Everytown Research, as many as 58% of shooters were associated with the school. They were former or current students, faculty, staff, or school resource officers.
Bearing in mind the fact that you probably knew the shooters before the attack, there is a lot that you can do. Keeping an inclusive mind and talking to as many pupils as possible could be a game-changer. And you can be either a teacher, a school guard, or a student to do that.
As for the guns the shooters used in the shootings, 48% were not securely stored. It then begs the question, what are parents doing? How come the children had such easy access? The response to these questions is twofold.
Firstly, parents should restrict access to guns in the household. And secondly, the government should impose stricter regulations to support parents in this regard.
If any of these two steps lack, then we can’t expect real change.
Guns, Assessments, and Mental Health
Intervening before the person commits an act of violence is crucial. For this reason, creating evidence-based threat assessment programs is one step closer to safer schools. These programs can help schools identify students at risk of implementing violent acts. Offering them the help they need will likely turn them away from doing what they intended.
But what happens if a school is low on mental health experts? In this case, the staff should seek funds to employ psychologists and therapists. They are probably the only experts who could help youth at risk and reduce the potential for future attacks.
18-to-20-year-olds commit firearm homicides at a rate four times higher than adults 21 and older. That’s why it’s so baffling that the US government still hasn’t raised the minimum age to purchase or possess handguns. Doing so would significantly decrease the likelihood of future school shootings.
The Take-Away
Not to sound utopian, but it’s genuinely possible to stop school shootings from happening. However, most people are still stuck with the mindset of accepting these horrendous acts as a given.
Therefore, they aren’t even trying to understand or work on prevention.
In summary, here’s a quick digest of the main points from this article on how to stop school shootings:
- As a student, teacher, or school guard, keep an inclusive mind and talk to as many students and staff as possible.
- Notice the warning signs and report them immediately.
- Advocate for restricting gun access for students and minors.
- Increase awareness among adults and children about firearm storage.
- Raise the minimum age to purchase firearms.
- Establish threat assessment
