Protecting our Schools from Mass Shootings
Six adults and twenty students would soon lose their lives due to one man with crazy unexpected intentions (N.pg.). With all the hustle and bustle of the morning air, who would've ever thought that the security of a small elementary school needed to be safer than ever. Newtown’s safety was under no one’s control because of less security and staff who were not prepared at the time (Sandy Hook Families). So how can the security become fixed when its already known as “safe and secure”? Some ways that could completely help are looking at school safety now, mental health institutes, and gun control so that all of the students, staff, and visitors will be more secure when entering school. In order
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The safety of the complex is the most crucial part as is the foundation of school shootings. The foundation for the problem could start by from adding security guards, improve student to counselor relationships, and adding metal detectors to the entrances. 5 tips to Improving School Safety and Security by Discovery Software stated that “Improved school safety and security doesn’t have to cost huge amounts of capital improvements that make our schools feel more like jail.” This belief is one that seems to retrogress because though everyone needs the security the whole doesn’t need the feeling of being stuck forever. But the feeling of being stuck in school doesn’t have to happen …show more content…
The process of adding more guards and adding more detectors to school buildings will just add on to the stress of students going to school. Also by adding all the equipment it will make it feel more like a jail anyway because they already have a set lunch, certain amount of bathroom passes and a bell dismisses them from all their classes. So even by adding the following safety measures the schools are not becoming more “safe and secure” (“5
Improvement in security will also contribute to a safe environment. High schools should implement the use of metal detectors as well as random searches. Although, it may be tedious to remove all metal and coins from your pockets, it will ensure safety. This security measure can be specific to each school. An example being to make the checks random throughout the week or only require it for students to have a late arrival. Random searches can also be specified such as only searching lockers or classrooms. Motion sensored cameras can also be a very effective with safety. In many school’s cameras are only in the hallways and lunchroom, but what happens when violence occurs in a classroom? All evidence will be based off hearsay. This is not an effective way of assessing the incident considering there are 3 sides to every story. Adding motion cameras to classrooms will make evidence accurate. Not only will student-student altercations be recorded, but teacher-student altercations will be recorded. Security guards themselves should also be improved. Security guards should be posted in hallways upon children arrival, during passing periods, and upon school dismissal. Security guards should also be fit enough for the job. “The results indicated that utilization of multiple security measures reduced the likelihood of exposure to property
This shooting was the worst in United States history, and it left families speechless and people in disarray. Two teens committed the treacherous actions of that day. The speculations were that they did this because of bullying, goth culture, or music or video games; these though were all just theories and were never proven(history). After this event, schools, venues, and events have endured grand security increases in the danger of shooters or other violence. Throughout my school days, I have wondered why we do the silly lock down drills at school, but in reality, lives could be saved in the event of an actual attack on my school. I realized this my eight grade year at Guntown Middle School. There was an unidentified man on campus, a code red lock down would amerce. I still remember sitting under my desk, shaking, and almost to tears. I did not want to be remembered as just another statistic if it was a shooter. But it had been our lucky day, the man who had stirred up all the commotion was just looking for the school’s office. Those fears I experienced however, would stay with me. We all believe that we are invincible and that it would never be us. However, with the world as it is today, no one is safe. I have been affected by the Columbine shooting through security changes in schools that I
You hear almost every day another school goes into lock down or some crazy lunatic takes a gun to school its every tragic to hear of students and teachers getting shot. You hear of parents so afraid to send their child to school or not knowing when they drop their son or daughter off it will be there last. What if we can take preventive measures to help prevent a troubled individual or make them think twice about taking a gun to school? There are many things that schools can do to secure the students inside and are being implemented, but who are the students always around? And who sees the students more than anyone else? The teachers and I believe we can do the most good by arming them with guns after the proper training and
Unfortunately, the notion of schools being a safe place is no longer a trend across American schools. Disturbing mass shootings in the U.S continue to shock the media. A school shooting is when someone attacks a school using a gun. The Secret Service says these shootings are "deliberately selected as the location for the attack". The reasons massacres occur in schools is because of poor security, violence in video games/media, and bullying. Shockingly the U.S. has the most school shootings than any other country in the world. According to the FBI, mass shootings occur, on average, every 2 weeks in the U.S. While the cause of school shootings are sometimes unpredictable, it is a growing issue and they need to be prevented. Most shooters don’t have mental issues, they have a plan to kill, so there is no singular cause that creates violent people. On April 16th, 2007, the most deadly school massacre occurred. Seung-Hui Cho killed thirty-two students at Virginia-Tech. As Americans, we no longer should turn on the news and witness these gruesome murders. We try to make sense of these murders, but it’s ineffectual. There are measures we can take as a society to help. The number one question in a school massacre is, "why would a person that has a capable sense of mind even do that?” It is our moral responsibility to fix these issues. In order to stop this problem, we need to find its roots.
“How many more school shootings do we need before we start talking about this as a social problem, and not merely a random collection of isolated incidents?” said Jackson Katz, activist against violent acts.This quote perfectly shows that school security needs to be improved and taken more seriously.There have been 275 school shootings since Columbine.The virginia tech massacre is the largest modern shooting in U.S history with 32 killed and 17 wounded.If precautions were taken this could have been prevented.25% of teenagers are exposed to hate related graffiti within school grounds.Schools now are filled with drug dealing,wepons,and acts of violence.There needs to be a solution to this growing problem. I believe every school should have metal detectors,an on guard police officer, a closing metal door,a K9 unit, and faculty are required to wear IDs.I believe if add just one of these security measures the school will be safer than it had before.
To summarize, school shootings shouldn’t be taken lightly. One quick threat can lead to a nationwide memorial day. We can learn from our past with Columbine to treat all of our peers with respect if not kindness and from Sandy Hook to learn how to better protect our children. Columbine, 1999, 24 survivors . Sandy Hook, 2012, 12 survivors.
It is no doubt that when a school shooting occurs it shakes our nation to the core. When we send our children off to school daily there is a level of security that we expect, and rightfully so. Schools are supposed to be a safe-haven not a place of fear or dread. Unfortunately, for many students when their day at school begins so does their nightmare. Since school-aged children are already filled with anxiety, emotions, and hormones when you add any type of negative experiences such as, rejection, violence or being picked on you can quickly have a recipe for delinquent behavior. It is terrifying to think that one day your child is sent off to school and that is the day one of their peers decides to carry out an act of violence. Schools are dangerous, but not in the way we imagine.
During the past few years, the number of school shootings has increased markedly. In 2013, there were 19 school shootings that occurred, taking so many innocent lives. Some may remember the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14th, 2013. It was the second deadliest massacre shooting in United States history, behind the 2007 Virginia Tech Massacre. Adam Lanza shot twenty children, six staff, his mother, and himself that day. School shootings are tragic. Violence continues to increase with these shootings, as well as with violence within the schools among the students. The big question is, how do we protect ourselves from these horrible occurrences? How do teachers protect the innocent lives of their students? One common suggestion is for the teachers and administration to be armed. The premise is that if the school staff has possession of firearms this would discourage shooters, thereby making the schools much safer. However, it is my belief that teachers should not be able to have access to weapons. There should never be any type firearm on a school property, excluding trained security personnel, such as police officers and security guards.
Thirteen people were killed at Columbine High School in 1999, thirty-three died during the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, and twenty-seven people, twenty of whom were children no older than seven, were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 (Kirk). These name only a few of the larger and most well-known school shooting incidences. In total, 297 people have lost their lives due to school-based shootings since 1980 (Kirk). Although this number may be small in comparison to death by guns overall, these instances are completely unwarranted and it is likely that they could have been avoided or at the very least reduced. These people, college and high school students, teachers, and even children, might still be alive today if our
Even with the presence of the recent shooting in Florida, the entire culture of school security has transformed since the 1999 Columbine school shooting. The Columbine massacre was the time when two teens opened fire on other students, killing 13people and injuring more than 20 others before shooting themselves and committing suicide. It was the worst high school shooting in the United States history and initiated a national discussion on gun control and school safety. Since then, the issue of gun violence and school shooting has dominated school safety concern. Also, the incidence initiated a revolution to the school security measures. Todays, schools are far more secure than
Teaching at a typical small town school in rural America one day, shots ring out. Active shooter drills come to mind, but what do we do, where do we go, how many students are present? Panic sets in. Thoughts of hiding, running, calling out for help and screaming all flash across the forefront of the mind when a person can be seen walking down the hall with a large gun in hand. No one ever thinks it could happen in a town, school, or church like ours but when the act is committed everyone feels the betrayal. Although schools from elementary to universities have adopted drills for active shooters and have routes with plans drawn up we never know how we will truly react until the time comes. Armed guards stand at the ready at most entryway doors but they are only one person and can not be everywhere always. In a recent study of active shooters for the Federal Bureau of Investigations, J.Pete Blair and Katherine W. Schweit have said, “The second most common incident locations were in educational environments…and the study results established that …these incidents involved some of the highest casualty numbers” (20). Crime is always a threat to education and defending our students nationwide should be a priority. The trouble begins with the fact that the school shootings are becoming more regular. Allowing teachers to be armed gives administration, faculty and students a more successful chance at survival against an active shooter in our education systems.
At this point in time, safety is the most critical issue in our schools. In America, we have had somewhere around 19 school shootings since January 2018. We can not deny that within three months of this year, there has been an alarming rate of school shootings. As an educator, I do not want to accept a “do nothing” approach.
With the continuous appearances in media, violence in schools appears to be an uprising issue. The natural reaction of society is to increase school safety; but are current methods really effective? To help with safety issues, Davenport West high school has tried enacting new rules, increasing security, and enforcing hall passes.
In recent times, several mass shootings have occurred in several places. Sadly, public schools in America have been venues for these mass shootings. How do we reduce these shootings? How do we ensure that the lives of our kids are safe? These are the questions parents all over America are asking. A lot of suggestions have been made to the government concerning the issue of mass shootings. Some say government have to ban the purchase of guns, others say there should be background checks, while others say teachers and staff should be armed. It is currently being argued if the government should arm public school officials and faculty.
Since 1992, 387 school shootings have occurred. In addition, 323 students have died in documented shootings over the past 15 years. 323 innocent lives were taken. 323 hearts were stolen from families. 323 futures of America disappeared forever, and school violence rates have only been climbing. Since 2012, school crimes have risen 52 dead students per 1000 students. Children five to fourteen are five times more likely to be murdered in the U.S. and the facts are here to prove it. 28 children brutally murdered at Sandy Hook in 2012, and all because they had no defense. Virginia Tech had 33 fatalities in 2007, and they are University’s with security. The question has been asked, what should we do about these incidents to stop them from happening again? Should we make all firearms illegal? That wouldn’t help, guns would still be on the streets, just like drugs. Should we barricade schools and not permit anyone to enter or leave during school? Then we ask, what if the shooter is inside? How would people get out, and how would the police get in? So still, the question is asked, what would be the fastest and safest method to protect America’s children? One solid answer would be arming teachers and school employees. If we did this, there would be an immediate response in case of emergency, and school predators would be more intimidated to enter school grounds