School Safety and Gun Control: What Needs to be Done?
When parents choose a school for their children, one of the first thing they care about along with good education is the school safety. However, school shootings that have occurred in the last decade, concluding with the horrific shooting at a public high school in Parkland, FL two months ago, proved to parents, students, schools staff and the American community in general, that school safety has become a critical issue. Therefore, serious actions need to be taken to ensure students safety in public education. Although safety protocol and security measures at schools are important, that is only one side of the solution. Gun control may be the most important part which has worked successfully
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For example, in New York, strict gun laws are implemented. Robert J. Spitzer, a Professor, and chair of the Political Science Department at SUNY Cortland, takes The New York Safe Act as a study case in strict gun laws and he states: “Another significant portion of the new law requires certain categories of mental health professionals to report to state authorities any persons under their care who they believe are likely to engage in conduct that would result in serious harm to self or others” (7). However, what weakens this law as explained by a criminal justice reporter at Vox: “If a city or state passes strict gun control measures, people can simply cross a border to buy guns in a jurisdiction with laxer laws” (Lopez). Another study about gun control supports this view and points out that: “This lack of uniformity undermines the effectiveness of state gun control laws” (Hirsh 5), so it would be helpful to study other countries’ successful experiences in preventing gun violence. For example, after a mass shooting in 1996, Australia has applied firearms regulations that were effective in reducing homicide crimes. In a law Journal, Lauren Hirsh introduces the Australian-style gun control, she writes: “Under this uniform system, all firearm owners are required to obtain a license. In order to do so, an applicant must demonstrate a ‘genuine reason’ for owning, …show more content…
In his study: Public Mass Shooters and Firearms, Adam Lankford found that: “Many of the nations in this study that ranked highest in firearm ownership rates also ranked highly in public mass shooters per capita” (8). Opponents of gun control think it is against the constitution that gives the right to everyone to own a gun, while in fact; putting restrictions on getting firearms will not break this right. It is like having a traffic system, which no one can say it is violating the freedom to move. Many also said that there is no gaurantee that gun control will not stop the school shootings, but studies about gun control in other countries say something different. Another research article states: “We find that state prevalence of firearm ownership is significantly associated with state incidence of mass killings with firearms, school shootings, and mass shootings” Towers et al 7). Many community leaders believe that owning guns is an essential part of American culture and restricting it will make them lose their identity. Nadia E. Nedze points out in her paper: Concealed Carry: The Only Way to Discourage Mass School Shootings: “ It would likely violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendments ’rights to freedom from warrantless searches, security in our houses, and protection from deprivation of
In America there is 89 firearms per 100 people (Moore) so it is safe to say most people will come in contact with a firearm in their life time. But when you do will you know how to handle the situation? Guns can be deadly when abused and used incorrectly. There is a way to reduce the unnecessary deaths. Firearm safety is the important piece in reducing the deaths and firearm abuse and it should be made mandatory in schools.
On December 12, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School was invaded by an unstable, armed man. Earlier that year the principal of the school, Dawn Hochsprung, implemented a new security system that required all visitors to buzzed into the school by visual identification. Many schools have also put in similar security systems to have school doors locked at all times during the school day, helping insure students’ safety. For Sandy Hook this minor security system would not be enough. When the gunman arrived to the school, he shot his way through the front do...
It is a sad time in American history when one can easily recount recent school shootings in their own area. This ease stems from a sharp increase in the number of firearms brought into elementary and middle schools across the country, with an intense focus on the issue beginning after the shooting of 20 children from Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. Most school shooters are male, white, and often upper middle class. They are also more, often than not, under some type of mental stress that is causing them to create this type of violence in our communities. In fact, many school shooters are never suspected of doing any harm to their peers and teachers until it is much too late.
Three-section manuscript written by Rosalind Duplechain and Robert Morris, associates of education in the University of Georgia. The article is based from the field of education the document three subject terms throughout all three sections. The terms consist of safety measures in schools, school environment and its effect on school shooters, and school violence. Section one of the manuscript provides historical data of undocumented shootings that have taken place in schools within the United States. Section two lists numerous factors related to school shooters. Section three notes a series of strategies for making schools safer from shootings.
For many years, America has witnessed mass shootings within it’s borders. In 2015 alone, there were 372 mass shootings (Oldham). The question most Americans are faced with is: do we need more gun control or is gun control the problem? With more gun control, it can be made mandatory that protective devices are used on firearms to prevent accidental harm. Gun control creates mandatory laws such as the requirement for an individual to pass a background check before he/she is permitted to purchase a firearm. Gun control has also been proven to prevent suicides due to the increased difficulty of obtaining a firearm. Those who believe that gun control is the problem claim that by removing one 's firearms, you are endangering them to threats that
“It is estimated that there are 310 million non – military guns in America” (O’Brien and Stanton). Many people that own a firearm usually have more than one gun. Also, a majority of gun owners feel that owning a firearm is the best way to protect themselves at home. With the large number of guns said to be in America, there needs to be a way to prevent the number of frequently occurring mass shootings. The solution to this issue is called gun control. Gun control needs to be implied more in our society because gun related crimes are mostly committed by those diagnosed with mental illnesses, there is no contradiction with the second amendment, it has the ability to lower the amount of mass shootings in the United States, and universal background checks help prevent mass shootings.
In the article “Gun Control Can Prevent School Shootings,” Bennett shares the effects of gun violence in the past, present, and future. The Sandy Hook shooting occurred on December 14, 2012 when twenty children and six adult staff members were killed. Barely a month after the shooting, eleven of the families affected by the shooting went to meet privately with Joe Biden, and members from the Congress and cabinet. Bennett stated, “They were preparing to wade into some of the roughest waters in American politics: the gun debate.” President Obama gave a speech in Connecticut vowing to fight for change. And as Bennett put it, “Members of Congress started acting as parents instead of politicians.” Bennett explained to the families that they couldn't get rid of assault weapons or high capacity ammunition magazines, no matter how bad the shooting was. The families got angry and stated they did not want to know what they couldn't do, but what they could do to honor their children.
Parents and teachers need to be concerned of the lives in danger. “Since 2013, there have been at least 205 school shootings in America — an average of nearly one a week.” States every town research, a support fund for gun safety. This statistic could be your neighbor, children, or friends school down the street from home. Or, as a teacher this school could be the one you work in every day.
Throughout the years of education, kids go to school to get an education, to hang with friends, to get excise, and many other things. America should have armed officers in in public schools. Since kids are spending a majority of their time throughout the day and year at school, they should feel safe in that environment. That can soon change with school security falling behind with this current growth of school shooting. Schools shootings have begun occurring more often in the United States from elementary schools all the way up to colleges. How should school systems fix this problem? One solution that could be the most effective is having multiple armed officers in schools. Let’s begin with some major school shootings that were lacking armed officers, when the resource officer successfully stopped a potential shooting, and reasons why we should have an armed officer.
Step 1: How do we ensure the safety of the students while at school? Before the 1990’s, there was not as much worry about students having a gun used for hunting in their vehicle on school property. It wasn’t uncommon for a student to have one, since they hunted before school. This tolerance drastically changed as a result of the mass school shootings that have occurred in the recent past. The Gun Free-Schools Act of 1994 mandates students who bring a gun to school will be expelled for at least one year (Dunn, 2002). School districts soon adopted policies to follow this act. School safety has been a concern for not only family members, but school officials across the nation. Two ways districts have been actively keeping students safe are having
If a teacher carries a firearm when a shooter unexpectedly enters a school, not only will they keep their students safe and protected, but also they will show perseverance when they secure the students lives if they are in danger. When President Obama is telling a speech anywhere around the world, isn’t he guarded? People with guns guard him. Why can’t teachers guard the most precious children to our parents? This question is asked all around the country. This controversial topic has many Americans wanting answers. Teachers carrying firearms in school will keep the children safe and protected because it puts fear in criminals and the teachers are fully trusted with the children.
Gun control is an awfully big issue in the United States today. Many people in America don’t agree with the gun control laws that they have today. Gun control laws only take guns and freedom away from law-abiding citizens. Many citizens have their own reasons for owning a gun. Why would the government want to make it harder for people to own a gun? People that own guns aren’t very likely to be attacked by criminals. Owning a handgun is one of the best ways of protection when used correctly. The second amendment states “the right to bear arms”; does this grant everyone the right to own a gun? Gun control laws have not been proven to do anything for citizens. Gun control laws just make it harder for the good guy average Joe to own a gun. Gun control laws are not a good idea, and are taking part in the loss of our freedom that was given to us.
There are many different views concerning the possession of weapons and firearms on school property and the actions that should be taken to better protect the children attending school. Many people seem to either clearly be for or against these ideas of this policy. Furthermore, people either feel it is necessary to arm the staff of the school to stop potential threats and others believe that guns have no place in schools unless they are carried by the protecting police officer of the schools. First, The National Rifle Association in Colorado has recently supported Colorado’s push for all K-12 teachers to have a concealed carry permit to carry on school grounds.
In today’s world some students of all ages have experienced the tragedy and devastation of mass school shootings. Kids go to school in order to receive education; they shouldn’t have to worry about their safety. Today in America, there are numerous amounts of shootings that occur on school grounds. It has been recorded that “the number of school shootings in 2015 has climbed to 52, with 30 people dead and 53 others injured” (Rt.com). Schools need to step up their security and ensure the safety and well being of their student body.
In recent years, tragedies have been visited upon schools across the country. From Kentucky to Oregon to Colorado, the notion of schools as safe havens has been shattered by the sound of gunfire. These acts are not limited to any geographic regions or family backgrounds, nor do they have a single catalyst. Those who have committed such heinous acts have done so for different reasons, at different times, in different schools. But these acts of school violence have at least one thing in common- they have spurred all of us to take a look at what can be done to better protect children and teachers at school. Protecting our children is not simply a matter of public policy. It is a matter of strengthening basic values, of teaching children right from wrong, of instilling in them respect for others. We each have a responsibility to work to end youth violence and to keep schools safe for children and for those who teach them. Youth violence in many schools has reached universal proportions. It is not only happening in our high schools, it has also made its way into our elementary and middle schools. Everyone seems to have a different perspective on why there is such a problem with school safety. Some say it is the parents’ fault, some say it is the media, and others blame the schools. Yet, the question still remains. What can be done to make schools safer for the children and staff? One thing we need to do is learn to listen to our children and observe their behavior. According ...