Are school shootings the new trend today? What happened in former times when parents went through their routine to prepare themselves and their children to go to work, bring their kids to school, and come back home at the end of the day? Parents left their children in school without worrying that they would not come home because schools in those days were the safest place on earth but not anymore.
Many years ago, when I was in elementary school during the 1970s, the only issue I focused on, like the other students in the school building, was practicing and following instructions on how to conduct a fire safety drill at school. I did not give much consideration to it because I never believed that my school building was going to be on fire someday. I was only having fun going out of class as I practiced my fire drill skills, leaving the school building, and lining up outside with the rest of the class while I heard the ridiculous sound of the fire drill.
Another issue I remember at my school was gangsters intruding on the school’s property. They looked like a low-life group, and I knew they were trouble. The principal courageously walked towards them to chase them off the school grounds. They never came back. Luckily, they did not have weapons. The thought of an intruder coming onto our school property with a weapon never crossed my mind at that time. The only problem that scared us was the time when we misbehaved, got hit with a stick by a mean teacher, and were sent to the principal’s office.
Today, a new incident has become a frequent trend and we hear about it all over the news. It is worse than being hit by a teacher and sent to the principal’s office. School shootings have become terrifying and deadly in this nation. Schools have been preparing with drills as well. At The Brooklyn New School (BNS), where I am currently a student-teacher in Brooklyn, New York, my cooperating teachers and I have recently practiced a drill in case there was a shooting in that school for future incidents. This is an exceptional way to defend ourselves from being killed.
School shootings occur not only in elementary schools, but also in high schools, colleges, and universities. I remembered a time on December 6, 1989, when one of the worst shooting disasters happened at the University of Montreal. It was one of the deadliest incidents in Canadian history. I did not witness the incident on the school premises at the time when I was living in Montreal. Fourteen women were murdered and others were seriously injured. Not one man died. It is currently regarded as an anti-feminist attack. “The anniversary of the massacre is commemorated as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women” (Ecole Polytechnique massacre, page 1). A second incident occurred at Concordia University, where a mechanical engineering associate professor had disruptive behavior, killed four colleagues, and wounded staff members. The perpetrator was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Another shooting at Dawson College in Montreal occurred in 2006 where an 18-year-old female was killed and 19 others injured.
One solution to prevent school gun violence is that we must first acknowledge that school gun violence is a gun violence issue. School safety procedures have been offered for the past twenty years. The most common source of the guns used in school shooting incidents is at the shooters’ homes, at a relative’s or at a friend’s house. Almost 4.6 million American children live with loaded and unlocked guns. “Everytown, the AFT, and the NEA recommend that states enact and enforce secure firearm storage laws.” (Everytown, 2022). Public awareness programs should be promoted to encourage secure gun storage and behavior change. Firearms should never be in the possession of a minor. This will reduce unintentional shootings and save lives. Also, background checks are effective ways for keeping guns away from the hands of people who have a dangerous history. The state and federal governments should recommend doing a background check on all gun sales. This method will prevent potential shooters from easily purchasing guns.
Preschool and kindergarten-aged children do not fully understand what happens during a school shooting. At that age, experts suggest that parents or guardians should speak indirectly to their children about the hostile event. For example, they may say there was a person who lives far from here who did something that was extremely hurtful to other people. (Wood, 2022). This may help children eventually understand what went wrong in school.
“Children, like adults, often cycle through feelings of shock, anger, sadness, fear, and helplessness when they learn that people are dying unexpectedly and brutally at the hands of someone wielding guns.” (Fagan, 2022). Children may go through nightmares, shock, abrupt changes in their behavior, go through trauma, harm, and more. At this moment, parents should supervise their children’s conduct and suggest family therapy. Schools should distribute information about how to cope with the aftermath of a school shooting, advising the victims to seek help, not to be afraid to talk about their feelings and feel free to ask as many questions as possible.
School shootings could be very devastating. It is not recommended for school staff to carry guns to protect themselves and students in case of a shooting. “The National Association of School Resource Officers and a then-president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association have each indicated their opposition to arming teachers.” (Everytown, 2022). They lack the tactical knowledge of handling these weapons which law force personnel receive on a regular basis. A way to prevent active shooter incidents is to create a healthy school climate. Schools, communities, and law enforcement should take an approach to safety. That would also include addressing bullying, harassment, and physical violence in addition to security systems in schools. We should build a supportive school environment, involve students in being aware of social dynamics, and make educators work with students to make school surroundings safe. We should also practice effective lockdown drills to protect each other. These drills are recommended to be practiced at least four times a year. They may also save lives and are considered the best practice in crisis response.
References
École Polytechnique massacre. Wikipedia.
Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/École_Polytechnique_Massacre
Everytown Research & Policy. How to stop shootings and gun violence in schools. Retrieved from: https://everytownresearch.org/report/how-to-stop-shootings-and-gun-violence-in-schools
Fagan, Carolyn (2022, May). Another school shooting: What parents can do to help kids cope. Retrieved from: https://www.psycom.net/trauma/school-shooting-survivor-trauma
Wood, Sarah (2022, June). School shootings: How to help kids cope. – U.S. News & World Report.
Retrieved from: https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/school-shootings-how-to-help-kids-cope
VOICES OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS 
The issue of violence in schools is a serious one, and this critical but painful issue must be addressed. Fortunately, school violence can be prevented if teachers, students, administrators, and all community members participate. I am convinced that for school violence to be stopped, we need to address the factors that put people at risk or protect them from it first. You are completely right to point out that “one solution to prevent school gun violence is that we must first acknowledge that school gun violence is a gun violence issue.” I, too, believe that a significant contribution to school violence and gun violence exists.
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Thank you for addressing this important issue, Lidia. As someone who’s been connected to NYC schools in a variety of capacities for over 55 years, I find it just heartbreaking that this topic needs to be addressed at all but, of course it does since, as you point out, these incidents are, sadly, becoming more and more common. I really appreciate all of the clear, concrete suggestions you offer here. I’m especially pleased to read that professional organizations are opposing arming teachers as a solution since that’s clearly a ludicrous, dangerous, and ineffective idea. I also find it to be an idea that is quite insulting to teachers’ professionalism, yet many people in America do think this is the solution. I’m so glad you’ve offered smart counter-suggestions here that are grounded in research and in an understanding of child development.
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I too remember my first “active shooter drill” as a student-teacher, something I never had to do when I myself was an elementary student, and it was one of the saddest experiences I have ever had. This issue you have written about here, is to me the most frustrating issue plaguing America today. In your post, you mentioned a number of common sense changes we can make to ensure the safety of our school aged children, changes that people have been asking for for years. Unfortunately for all of us, we live in a country that apparently values guns over children. It is a devastating epidemic that is sadly being accepted as the new normal. As you pointed out, there are other examples of school shootings in other countries, yet those events are rare, where in our country school shootings are becoming as common as snow days. At this point, I am so disheartened I have thrown my hands up. After Sandy Hook and Uvalde, where elementary students who never did any harm to any one were victims of shootings, I had assumed this is where our country would draw the line and say “enough is enough.” Yet time and time again I am left disappointed. There are a lot of questions that Americans need to ask themselves, the number one being what is more important? Our children or our guns?
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Reading about school shootings or hearing about them is so terrifying. Just like you said Lidia what happened to practice only fire drills? Even I as a mother get worried sometimes about dropping off my children when I hear about school shootings, especially in elementary schools. My daughter once asked me why people are so mean and why they want to kill innocent children. Comments like this break my heart because they are so young to understand what really is going on. All this violence happens because of mental issues. Even though these shootings are happening in schools I don’t agree with the idea of giving teachers firearms in case of violence. Addressing these issues can start with creating a healthy and educational environment. All of this should start from home.
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You have touched on a very sensitive topic here, Lidia. A topic that, unfortunately, has devastated many parents and educators since it became our tragic reality. Needless to say, our country is in desperate need of strict gun reform. If Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, Uvalde, and many other tragedies weren’t enough, I don`t even know what will be anymore. I don`t want to go political and discuss what, in my opinion, needs to be done on a national level. But I absolutely agree with you on your suggestions about gun violence prevention in schools. A safe and supportive environment in schools is crucial! While it might not completely fix the issue, professional educators and knowledgeable school administration can significantly contribute to reducing bullying, harassment, and physical violence in school settings. Thank you for bringing up this topic. Even though it is sad to even think about it, we have to talk about it and bring attention to this huge and tragic issue.
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Your topic for your blog is something really important to address. This year alone there was a tragic and devastating shooting event. When I first found out about the Uvalde shooting on social media my skin went cold. I was in shock and I was angered at seeing that many innocent people died. These people were not ordinary people but children who are innocent and have not even had a chance to see the world. I cannot imagine what those families were and are going through because even though the world has forgotten it, the families haven’t. As a mother of three-year-old it is hard for me to trust the education system. Even though I am aspiring to become a teacher, it is hard for me to fully trust because I wouldn’t want my child or myself to ever experience that. Today it is scary being an educator because you are basically risking your life to teach. I agree with you that we as educators have to implement safe and effective measures and for parents to prepare their children on violence. Young children like kindergarten for example don’t really grasp the drills as something serious and it is important to teach them that it is important.
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Sadly, school shootings are starting to become the new norm. School is supposed to be a safe haven for children to get an education now, parents have to deal with the thoughts of their child not returning home, and the loved ones and families of educators are hoping that they return home safely. I remember growing up only doing fire drills. It’s mind-blowing that we are practicing a drill in case there’s an active shooter in the school. I have yet to receive proper training on how to properly deal with a situation like this. Of course, with common logic you’re supposed to remain calm but, how are you supposed to keep calm and 30 students calm at the same time. I really hope school gun violence ends.
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