On December 7, 2017, life changed at Aztec High School, Aztec, New Mexico. Life was normal at 8:00 a.m. with students and staff arriving, but little did we know that in fifteen minutes, our lives would be changed forever. As a school, we were very lucky! This is one teacher's perspective on what happened that day. No matter where you are in the school, this affects you. Social media plays into this because all kinds of reports are going over media immediately with untruths about the situation, m
Missy shares her lessons about listening, empathy, forgiveness, laughter, optimism, and kindness with today's youth. These lessons have enabled her to live a life of love and peace even after being a victim of the school shooting at Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky.
In recent years, school shootings have become all too common in America; it's time to discuss this growing epidemic. In addition to listing possible root causes and warning signs of school shootings, this book cites strategies for preventing, preparing for, and protecting oneself during a school shooting. It also discusses common effects of such a traumatic event and steps survivors can take to recover.
Tackling the difficult and charged topic of weaponized school violence, A Relentless Threat: Scholars Respond to Teens on Weaponized School Violence examines some of the root causes that lead teen shooters to make the decision to kill their teachers and peers. This research and commentary on gun violence in U.S. schools positions the reader to understand its historical and political context and to reflect on its social and emotional causes. The book explores potential solutions to this uniquely American phenomenon through a variety of scholarly lenses. With a focus on research and pragmatic solutions, these academics respond directly to individual teen voices in an effort to recognize those stakeholders most often dismissed. This book includes discussion on U.S. firearms policy, ostracism, bullying, social media, capitalizing on shooter events, and programs in schools to prevent violence. A Relentless Threat: Scholars Respond to Teens on Weaponized School Violence establishes the groundwork for the second book by the editors (Dress Rehearsals for Gun Violence: Confronting Trauma and Anxiety in America’s Schools) by examining how we got to this point and what actions may be taken to stop future rampage shootings in schools.
Shootings on campus have become one of the greatest and most frequent tragedies of our time. They endanger the welfare of students, teachers, and school staff, shatter communities, and provoke fierce debate about Second Amendment rights and gun control legislation. In this collection of articles, readers will encounter the best of The New York Times's reporting on this sad but common event, including a survey of the history of school shootings in the United States and reflections on why they've become a political hot-button topic. Through these pieces, readers are exposed to the many sides of the debate that rages against a backdrop of senseless violence against young people and educators.
The phenomena of mass shootings appear to be on the rise. Within the past decade, shootings have occurred in schools, religious institutions, concerts, movie theaters, and other public venues, as well as at home in the form of domestic mass shootings. This phenomenon is influenced by factors such as access to guns, mental illness, the desire for fame, revenge from being bullied, and copycat killing to name a few. Mass shootings are a serious problem for society and must be explored further in order to provide preventive solutions. The Handbook of Research on Mass Shootings and Multiple Victim Violence is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on contributing factors to gun violence, characteristics of shooters and victims, solutions for preventing incidents from occurring, and the impact these shootings have on the community. While highlighting topics such as school safety, cyberbullying, and mental illness, this publication is ideally designed for law enforcement, government officials, psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, politicians, policymakers, law makers, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the latest empirical findings of mass shootings in the United States.
School shootings are a tragic reality. And while they're not as common as they seem, they are still very real, and so is the fear, anxiety, and trauma that comes with them-even if you've never actually experienced one. This book will help grownups and kids better understand school shootings and encourage us to be prepared while reminding us that we should never let the fear of the what ifs take over our lives.
A comprehensive resource on what lockdown drills are, why they are necessary, and how best to conduct them. The first book to offer a comprehensive examination of lockdown drills in K–12 schools, Lockdown Drills balances research findings with practical applications and implications. Schildkraut and Nickerson, school safety experts with complementary backgrounds in criminology and school psychology, review the historical precedents for lockdown drills, distinguish school lockdowns from other emergency procedures (such as active shooter drills), explain why they are conducted, present evidence-based research on their effectiveness, and describe how to conduct them according to best practices. Proponents of lockdown drills as a life-saving necessity, the authors help to bring much-needed standardization to how these drills are studied and conducted. The authors present common arguments for and against the inclusion of lockdown drills in emergency preparedness efforts, balancing their discussion of the perceptions and psychological impacts of lockdown drills with scholarly research on the extent to which lockdown drills improve how effectively individuals respond to a potential threat. Placing lockdown drills in the larger context of school safety and preparedness, they examine the broader implications for policymakers. Finally, they emphasize that drills, of which lockdowns are only one type, are just a part of the complex school safety puzzle. Ensuring that schools are safe places for students and educators begins long before a crisis occurs and continues through the days, weeks, and years of recovery following a crisis.
