(Un)Conventional Ideas to Prevent School Shootings
In late 2000, I remember being a sophomore debating the topic: establishing a safe educational environment in grades K-12 justifies infringement of students’ civil liberties1.
Metal detectors as an intervention were once a controversial discussion point. Now? Students are buzzed into schools, often passing through metal detectors in the presence of armed resource officers. If you have kids in school, you know the security protocols look different from when you were young.
Yet yesterday, a shooter shot through the locked doors at an elementary school in Nashville before murdering children and staff. The usual debates and talking points will ensue, but what is the state of current ideas and what unconventional ideas are we not considering?
Considerations among those conventional solutions can/should continue to be explored.
Beyond these, other unconventional or under-considered interventions to explore include:
Threat assessment teams: Establish multidisciplinary teams of school staff, mental health professionals, and local law enforcement to assess potential threats, identify at-risk individuals, and develop intervention strategies. This focused approach allows for early identification and intervention of potential issues. I’ve served on teams like this and they can circumvent clogged communication streams that typically plague bureaucracies.
Anonymous reporting: Related to #1, develop a way to allow students, staff, and people in the community, to anonymously report suspicious behavior, potential threats, or signs of mental health issues. This encourages reporting and allows for proactive intervention inside and outside the school.
Enhanced mental health support: Expand access to mental health resources, including counseling services and mental health professionals, to help identify and address potential issues before they escalate into violence. A strong support system, which should include mental health training among non-clinicians, can help prevent crises.
Media guidelines: Encourage responsible media coverage to discourage contagion and exploitative harm to communities
Panic buttons: staff can quickly signal emergency. I know of at least one district that uses wearable devices for this purpose.
Non-lethal defense tools: Equip teachers and staff with non-lethal defense tools, to provide a last line of defense against a potential shooter. The tradeoff between concerns about accidents/misuse and remaining defenseless while supervising children is under-discussed.
https://debate-motions.info/other-tournament-motions/lincoln-douglas-debate-topics/