Guns are one of the leading causes of death for American kids and teens. According to EdWeek, “there have been 46 school shootings this year that resulted in injuries or deaths”. Unfortunately, these are only the statistics for this year, but there are more from past years. Why is this still a recurring issue? As 2022 comes to an end, what will we do, as a country, to lower the number of school shootings?

One cause of this issue is that weapons are stored in homes and improperly stored. According to the Sandy Hook Promise, “an estimated 4.6 million American children live in a home where at least one gun is kept loaded and unlocked”. Some parents who own a weapon in their house believe their children don’t know where it is stored. Taking precautions to store weapons in homes properly can help lower the amount of school violence. Another leading root to this problem is failing to report a concern ahead of time. Sandy Hook Promise shared that “in 4 out of 5 shootings, at least one other person had knowledge of the attacker’s plan but failed to report it”. In another school study, “the Secret Service and Department of Education found that 93% of school shooters planned the attack in advance”. Remembering to report something you hear or see plays a big factor in keeping the lives of many safe.

After interviewing the Dean of Counseling & Wellness, Ms. Bascom, she shared her thoughts on the school shootings in the United States. She explained, “it’s heartbreaking and sad that school shootings have become common; these tragic events are a scary issue. We come to school to learn, but now students and their parents are concerned for their safety”. All these school shootings occurring in the United States can impact a student’s mental health and ability to focus in school because they constantly fear and wonder if something terrible could happen. Bascom shared that “school shootings have become a new fear and concern that students back then didn’t have. When it comes to lockdown or shelter in place drills, some students see it as a common practice, but now they are becoming real”. She mentioned that knowing how to stay safe and having the mindset of needing to hide, run, and get away from danger is essential. Some safety protocols that Bascom suggests to students that they should remember in these kinds of situations are to stay calm, listen, see what is going on, and report any concerns to help prevent problems like this. Lastly, Bascom shared some things that we can do to help put an end to this issue, “raising awareness around mental health concerns, addressing issues as they come up, and making sure that people don’t feel like bringing a weapon onto a school campus is something they feel they should do.” Ms. Bascom mentions that “our school will react at a level 10 and hope for a 0” when it comes to these kinds of situations. She encourages students that if they hear or see something, say something. It is important to consider this when we can prevent a tragedy before it occurs.