How can school shooting be prevented

Matthew Lynch. Related articles More from author. Learning Apps for year olds September 16, By Matthew Lynch. Medical professionals can partner with specific, local mental health providers to establish clear communication, consultation, and referral pathways for at-risk patients. To reduce the risk for individuals with emotional and behavioral challenges to become violent, programs and policies should have the following aims:. For information on preventing school shootings, click here for sensible policy recommendations to reduce access to guns for youth, especially youth with mental illness.

Blog Make a Gift. Preventing School Shootings Comprehensive strategies are required to prevent school shootings. In fact, they do not really go away completely, ever. These examples underscore that we need a nationwide plan for prevention. A Comprehensive Threat Assessment - As we discuss prevention programs, we need to first look at indicators elicited by the perpetrators of major school shootings. The FBI's school threat assessment report by Mary Ellen O'Toole details these motivations and how each school can perform threat assessments.

The report cites two primary motivations which occurred in a majority of school shooters. In essence, these primary indicators highlight a relational weakness among school shooters -- not in capacity necessarily but in their daily experience. Also, when a school conducts its own threat assessment, it can be a moving target and potentially biased; as a result, schools and districts should perform an equity audit to deconstruct how discrimination or privilege function in each setting.

Benefits of Adult Relationships - What might also help out is a relationship officer, part-time or full-time, in every school in America. These could be easily funded in areas across the country with that capacity.

For all other schools, we need to consider educational donors across this land as well as potential state and federal dollars that could supplement some of this cost for schools that do not have as much financial capacity, while volunteers could also increase what they already do.

These dedicated relationships-building opportunities would extend the reach of anti-bullying programs and the fine work of schools and district leaders. Also, active shooter drills are indeed helpful once an event starts, but my argument again is that we will need interventions beforehand as well. Strengths Based Supports - Lastly, and complementing a school's effective threat assessment, we have a large opportunity ahead that we can provide a new type of supports to distressed students: strengths-based supports.

These are already used with business leaders. If school leaders actively seek to build strengths in each distressed student, rather than just working in corrective areas, this can help propel these students in positive directions.

And we might give a more optimistic focus towards the circumstances that trouble each young person. Listen Many students 12 percent were very adamant about teachers paying more attention to them.

They think that teachers don't have to go to great lengths to find the potential problems - they just need to be more in tune with their classes. Teachers don't need to befriend their students, just be aware of them. Security Safety precautions are another popular student suggestion, with 11 percent listing increased security measures as their main concern. Many believed that metal detectors or other checks as students enter the building would help decrease school shootings.

Responses ranged in severity from instituting lock downs to simply having an evacuation plan. Education Another suggestion was to address the issue of school violence in schools more openly 5 percent. Students believe that being better informed about gun safety and the consequences of violence both legally and emotionally will help prevent school violence.

They cite many different reasons for this treatment, including race, athletic ability, popularity, social cliques, academic performance and socio-economic status.

Students believe that if teachers stop favoring one group or another there will be less cause for resentment among students, which translates to fewer instances of violence. In examining the school and community characteristics for those students who appear to come from the more dangerous schools, we looked at geographic location, urban city and students' rating of the crime in their neighborhood, comparing the estimated marginal means of their responses.

More In This Section Click to expose navigation links on mobile. Potential Violence Which Students are Dangerous? What Schools are Unsafe?

Can We Prevent School Shootings? Fifty-four percent of the respondents said they would tell an adult, but there were some variations in the likelihood they would report such an incident: Younger students are more significantly more likely to tell someone than older students.

African-American, Hispanic and other minority students are less likely to tell than white students. Students with a high quality of life index are more likely to tell an adult than those with a low quality of life index 63 percent cf. Media usage seems to have somewhat of an impact; 59 percent of those whose media usage is low would tell, but only 51 percent of those whose media usage is high would.

Those who perceive their schools to be extremely safe or very safe are far more likely to confide in an adult than those who believe their schools are not safe. If they overheard another student talking about shootings someone at school, 80 percent said they are most likely to tell a teacher. African-American students are more likely to tell a teacher than white, Hispanic or minority students.

Rural and suburban students are more likely to confide in a teacher than urban students. Students who spend the least amount of time using media are more likely to tell a teacher.

Students who have a low alienation index are also more apt 83 percent to confide in a teacher than those who have a high or medium alienation index. Students who perceive their schools as being unsafe are less likely to tell a teacher than those who perceive their schools to be extremely or very safe. What the students told us about how to stop school violence: Care The most popular response 23 percent was that students wanted their teachers to care about them and become emotionally involved in their lives.

Examples of responses: Just show support, and make sure there is a positive environment for all students in class. At least pretend to give a crap about us and where our lives are going instead of, 'Oh hurry up, we need to get through all this work before the end of the year Show the students love and care and let them know that they can talk to them whenever they feel the need to.

Besides acting as a teacher towards students, they could be a friend or mentor and help students that they think are at risk of being violent. I think a teacher should not consider themselves solely sic a teacher but also a leader. Even though a student would never admit it, they look up to their teachers as role models. I think that being a nice and caring person as well as a good example setter is a key quality to being a good teacher.

Examples of responses: Absolutely nothing. Honestly, if a kid wants to shoot someone, they're sic not going to be stupid enough to warn every one first. They would do it out of surprise. The human being is a very strong thing when it stands alone and someone with the help of others.