Schools are meant to be environments promoting safe growth and self-expression; schools should be a place where students should exist without fear. However, the alarming rise of gun violence incidents in schools and educational institutes has shaken the nation. Students and Staff have starting ringing alarm bells that have carried worldwide.

     The devastating impact of school shootings compels us to take immediate action and find solutions that safeguard our schools from such malicious attacks.

     Understanding school violence can be a difficult topic. It is school violence where the incidents contained firearms on school grounds that have gained the most traction.

     As of October 30, 2023, there have been 70 active shooting incidents. In 2022, 51 school shootings were reported and counted for active shooters alone. In 2022, more than 6000 students were injured, killed, or dangerously threatened by firearms on school grounds. Over the past two decades, 311,000 children in more than 330 schools have been exposed to gun violence during school hours, according to a database collecting information about school violence.

     What about those who experienced the shootings, and lived to tell the tales? An 8-year-old who survived a shooting in a classroom next door has “changed”. His grandmother reports that he sits quietly, doesn’t eat much anymore, and just stares into space. He was a single room over where three of his friends were slaughtered by an active shooter.

     Experts have taken the trauma into consideration and began studies about the children. The trauma has a particularly long-lasting impact due to the fact most of the victims were still considered “children.” The Robb Elementary School Massacre had an 11-year-old student who only survived because she covered herself in her friends’ blood and played dead. She helped two of her other friends disguise themselves as already dead so even they may have had a chance of surviving as well.

     Most people think schools where shootings took place are unfit to reopen, and most are. A lot of schools end up torn to the studs and remodeled entirely. The hope to create a different environment for students to return to school even after being stuck in a metaphorical slaughterhouse for much longer than needed.

     Now, where does this kind of malicious behavior stem from? There are 4 main ideas about where this kind of behavior can come from. First: access to firearms. Most, if not all gun violence in schools is caused by a student or former student having access to a guardian’s firearms. Second: mental health. A lot of active shooters have been diagnosed with some kind of cognitive disorder, from Anxiety to Schizophrenia. Third: Social Isolation. There is a large belief that kids who are separated and isolated from their peers can take drastic measure to make those who have neglected them or hurt them pay. Revenge. Fourth: Exposure to violence on social media. Now, this one is a bit of a stretch in my opinion. I’ve grown up watching people shoot firearms, test weapons, play video games where the soul purpose is to eliminate the other team by killing them, yet I have no urge or intention to harm anyone on campus.

     Where can we try and stop this at the source? Advocate, Support, Secure, and Prepare.

     Advocate. Advocate for comprehensive gun control measures, such as stricter gun control laws, more in depth background checks, bans on assault rifles, and limitations on high-capacity magazines.

     Support. Promote the involvement of mental health professionals in schools. From social workers to counselors and therapists, providing counseling at a young age begins the intervention process and provides immediate support to students possibly struggling with their mental health.

     Secure. Encourage improved school security measures, including increased funding for security and resources regarding security, enhanced surveillance throughout campus, and tighter control on access to the building and campus.

     Prepare. As awful as it is to have to prepare for gun violence in buildings of education, it’s a must have. No one can entirely stop gun violence in schools, but its better for students and faculty to remain prepared incase the worst does come true. Timely interventions will be a major step in preventing the start of violence against schools.

     School gun violence is a deeply concerning issue that demands immediate attention and effective solutions. Protecting our schools requires in depth approached and that encompass a variety of situations regarding school shootings. By implementing a system like ASSP (Advocate, Support, Secure, and Prepare.) the projected number of violent situations in educational facility should rapidly decline. We can strive to create safe learning environments where every student can flourish without the shadow of violence looming over their future. It is a responsibility parents owe their children, and communities owe their students.