Gun violence continues to be a serious issue in the U.S., and 95% of American public schools practice lockdown drills to prepare students for school shootings. Some schools go as far as to have fake shooting scenarios played out during drills.
โI donโt support school shooting drills. There is no evidence suggesting that school shooting drills prepare students or staff in the event of a shooting. However, Carlmontโs drills are fairly reasonable. Many schools perform terrifying โsimulationsโ which we donโt see at Carlmont,โ said Samantha Kim, Carlmontโs Students Demand Action president.
Kimโs sentiment around the harmful effects of lockdown drills is supported by a study by Everytown and Georgia Tech that explains that drills lead to a 39-42% increase in stress, anxiety, and depression but were still helpful in preparing students for emergencies.
โThis research, paired with the lack of strong evidence that drills save lives, suggests that proactive school safety strategies may be both more effective and less detrimental to mental health than drills,โ the study said.
These โproactive school safety strategiesโ include reforming drills to prevent harm to studentsโ and teachersโ mental health, while addressing the ethical issues surrounding drilling students for a rare possibility of experiencing a school shooting, according to the study.
โSchools have to weigh the impacts of traumatizing students and staff with the likely minuscule benefits of drills,โ Kim said. โHowever, drills probably provide students, staff, and parents with a sense of control and preparedness, and I canโt blame administrators for choosing to perform drills.โ
The risk of a school shooting factors into how important students consider lockdown drills.
โI donโt think people take them seriously because although we know they can definitely happen, itโs not something that we need to worry about as much as other stuff,โ said sophomore Anya Mele.
And whether or not drills effectively prepare students for school shootings, San Carlos has safe storage ordinances and other gun control legislation proven to be effective preventative measures against these situations.
โI think itโs far more logical to try to prevent shootings rather than mitigate the impacts, and that responsibility lies with lawmakers, not schools,โ Kim said.
Moms Demand Action, a branch of the organization Everytown, started in 2012 as a way for parents to advocate for more gun safety in schools. It started shortly after the Sandy Hook school shooting and has expanded to be part of the largest gun safety organization in the U.S.
โItโs more about better school-based interventions to keep schools safe. Part of that is the overall safety climate at school, like more mental health support or โsee something, say something,'โ said Joan Kazerounian, the California Student Liaison Lead at Moms Demand Action. โPlanning and communication about safe storage, Extreme Risk or Red Flag laws, and making a threat assessment at each school are also important. The studentโs and teacherโs observations and knowledge should be keenly listened to while making safety plans.โ
While drills are often used, a safety plan that students are aware of is a lot more important, according to Kazerounian, and it is often a misconception that students are responsible for preparing themselves for situations through drills when legislators are responsible for keeping communities safe.
According to Carlmont administrators, a new Say Something program will be implemented shortly, providing a way for students to report suspicious behavior to the school, and Carlmont will continue to work with the Belmont Police Department to keep the school safe.
