More than half of America's teachers worry about a school shooting, about 1 out of 4 of them experienced a gun-related lockdown in the last school year, and 8% experienced more than one, a new Pew Research Center survey shows. Researchers surveyed more than 2,500 public school teachers to assess their sense of school safety and perception of the most effective prevention strategies, the Trace reports. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited gun violence as the leading cause of death of children in the United States, though data shows that children are most likely to be shot in their homes, not in school. Still, the increased likelihood of violence on school grounds has heightened the fears of many parents and educators.
Forty percent of all respondents felt that their schools were only fairly prepared for an active shooter, while 30% said preparations at their school were excellent. Respondents’ answers also differed according to where they teach, with teachers in urban settings less likely to feel that their schools were prepared for an active shooter than suburban and rural teachers. Of all the proposed solutions, nearly 70% of teachers surveyed felt that improving mental health screening would be highly effective in addressing school shootings, while 49% believed that having armed guards was highly effective. A third said there is a virtue in having metal detectors, while just 13% said allowing teachers and administrators to carry guns would be extremely effective in preventing school shootings. Some districts have proposed increased screening, bullet-resistant windows and backpacks, auto-locking doors, and other preventative efforts to increase safety.