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Firearm injuries have become the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens, according to … [+] the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Threats or actual incidents of school violence have become a standard element of K-12 students’ educational experience. I have written two recent articles addressing the impact of ongoing school violence on students and school staff and statistics regarding the increasing trends in school shootings. This final third article explores organizations established to help keep K-12 schools and communities safe.
An American Academy of Pediatrics article written by Clemson University researchers offers a clear and direct synopsis of school shootings in the United States and labels gun violence in America a public health crisis. In a brief video, lead author Luke J. Rapa, Ph.D., narrates a study synopsis and affirms there has been a significant increase in school shootings between 2017 and 2022. According to his team’s research, in those five academic years, 794 U.S. school shootings represented a significant increase in incidents over the prior 15 years. Firearm injuries, inflicted by oneself or by others, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have become “the leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1-19.”
Organizations Seek To Keep K-12 Schools And Communities Safe
The CDC’s three-pronged approach to preventing firearm injuries shifts the focus “from individual responsibility to community solutions.” These organizations offer community resources and support.
As the academic year concludes, school leaders will spend time this summer reviewing safety data and preparing plans for the 2024-25 school year. Understanding measures in place and based on best practices is critical for school leaders and communities.
Valuable school violence data is collected and analyzed through a variety of organizations. The School Survey on Crime and Safety, managed by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, collects data on crime and violence in U.S. public K-12 schools. The 2021-22 academic year report, released in January 2024, contains data on school violence incidents reported by a sampling of 4,800 public, public charter, and certain public magnet schools. The report also addresses existing school security measures, staffing and training, available mental health services, and parent and community involvement The data can help all Americans understand what is happening in our schools.
The National Center for School Safety, based at the University of Michigan School of Public Health partners with community and safety leaders to develop and deliver a variety of free training seminars and resources. You may want to explore the NCSS series of podcasts related to firearm injuries and school violence.
School leaders and law enforcement partner for threat assessment to detect and analyze early warning … [+] signs of school violence.
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Threat Assessment—Looking To Prevent Danger At Its Source
School safety must be more than playing whack-a-mole in addressing violent events as they occur. School safety is more than surface-level prevention. It is eliminating the danger at its source.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, representing eight national law enforcement organizations, released the “Ten Essential Actions to Improve School Safety” report. The report recommends measures to promote physical safety and emotional security through prevention and rapid response, including comprehensive school safety assessments, facility security upgrades, promoting a positive and healthy school climate, anonymous reporting systems, coordination with first responders, drills, and school-based law enforcement, among others. The full publication can be found here.
One crucial strategy recommended in the COPS report addresses threat assessment practices. Threat assessment, used to detect and analyze early warning signs of violence, is an important prevention component of school safety. A threat assessment overview provided by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services defines threat assessment as “a fact-based process relying primarily on an appraisal of behaviors to identify potentially dangerous or violent situations, and to address them in a professional and timely manner.”
As the first state to do so, Virginia’s General Assembly enacted legislation in 2013 mandating threat assessment teams for Virginia’s public schools. According to Everytown, which labels itself the largest gun violence prevention organization in America, as of January 2024, nine states now require K-12 threat assessment policies and procedures. This interactive map provides state-related stories and data where you can explore practices in your state and region.
In partnership with NCSS, the University of Virginia has developed a toolkit to help train school threat assessment teams.
School Engaged Organizations
Numerous school-engaged organizations are available for people who want to learn more.
The National School Board Association’s Center for Safe Schools offers a compilation of resources addressing healthy whole child, crisis management, and infrastructure resources. The National Association of School Psychologists states school psychologists are “uniquely positioned to advocate for evidence-based initiatives” and offers communities a rich library of school safety and crisis resources. Similarly, the U.S. federal government’s SchoolSafety.gov site provides schools with resources and guidance to promote physically and emotionally safe learning environments.
Speaking from a place of profound loss and advocacy, the Safe and Sound Schools organization, founded by parents who lost children in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, is a nonprofit resource center that promotes a comprehensive, holistic approach to school safety. The organization’s Framework for Comprehensive School Safety Planning and Development addresses mental and behavioral health; health and wellness; safety and security; operations and emergency management; leadership, law, and policy; and culture, climate, and community. The organization is resolute in its mission to “ensure the safest possible learning environment for the youth of our nation.”
Deeply Human Consequences
Michele Gay, co-founder and executive director of Safe and Sound Schools, speaks about Sandy Hook … [+] and school safety at the Reading/Berks School Nurses, Counselors and Psychologists Conference. Her daughter, Josephine, was killed at Sandy Hook. The event was held at the Reading Hospital’s School of Health Sciences. Photo by Lauren A. Little 10/8/2018 (Photo By Lauren A. Little/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)
MediaNews Group via Getty Images
In all school safety considerations, there are deep human consequences. The threat is so real that organizations like UNICEF have released guidance advising How to Talk to Your Children About School Shootings. In recovery, survivors and their communities rally, write to each other, and mark anniversaries by locking hands to form a human chain to mark the anniversary of the Covenant School (Tennessee) tragedy.
This well-crafted argument by members of the Huguenot High School community in Richmond, Virginia, asks the public and the media to see beyond tragedy and statistics (such as their own school violence experience in 2023) and appreciate the many remarkable stories found in our students and schools. The strength of these young people is remarkable as they stand strong against trauma. The HHS community will forever be marked by violence, but these young people do not want to be defined by it.
It is important to understand the lifelong impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences, one of which is experiencing or witnessing violence in the community or home. Beyond potential physical injuries, exposure to violence may lead to memory, mental health, and well-being repercussions and have negative effects on educational outcomes and job potential. The consequences are felt throughout children’s lives, homes, schools, and communities.
There is also a significant financial price for such trauma, as the CDC notes “violence and injury cost the United States tens of billions of dollars each year in medical and lost productivity costs.”
School Safety Issues Must Be Discussed
Talk to state legislators, school leaders, and local law enforcement personnel about existing school … [+] safety procedures in your schools.
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School violence leaves a lasting impression on our children and educators. But we can work together to find community-specific solutions. These issues must be discussed. Families should know about school crisis prevention and mitigation plans.
Ask your state legislators and school leaders about existing safety and violence prevention strategies. Ask local law enforcement personnel, including school resource officers, about their roles in school safety. They are vital to the safety of students and staff and should be glad to talk about their training and plans.
You can start the conversation by reviewing the National PTA’s Safety website, addressing all aspects of school safety, and talking with your local leaders about the PTA’s 20 Questions Every Parent Should Ask.
When you are informed and engaged, you can help keep children and schools safe.
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