Much of the public discussion on preventing school shootings is about whether and how to limit people’s access to firearms. But other strategies can reduce the risk for violence.
Two mourners embrace at a memorial for those killed in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in 2018.
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Some Americans hoped the Parkland shooting in 2018 would herald a turning point for gun violence in schools. Shootings, and deaths, have continued – and gotten more frequent.
The TikTok social media app has raised concerns about cybersecurity and online safety.
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Nir Kshetri, University of North Carolina – Greensboro
School officials are becoming increasingly wary of TikTok amid concerns that the app poses a risk to student safety and privacy and makes the nation vulnerable to spies.
A school sign wishing students a Happy New Year stands outside Richneck Elementary School on Jan. 7, 2023, in Newport News, Virginia, where a 6-year-old boy reportedly shot his teacher after an altercation.
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Calls for tougher laws against assaults on teachers have been thwarted by efforts to keep kids in school.
In this photo from 2016, students pass through a security checkpoint at William Hackett Middle School in Albany, N.Y., with guards, bag inspections and a metal detector.
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Surveillance cameras, metal detectors, door-locking systems and armed guards have not prevented school shootings. A school safety scholar examines other possible approaches.
School counselors like Jacquelyn Indrisano, left, can help students feel welcome and safe at school.
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School violence prevention requires professionals – counselors, psychologists and social workers – who know how to create an emotionally safe environment. Those staffers are in very short supply.
Students may self-report distress when given the opportunity.
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Waiting for kids to show signs of distress has little value, says a researcher who is pushing schools to take a more proactive approach toward student mental health.
Restrictive gun laws bring down the murder rate.
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Putting guns in the hands of schoolteachers is a popular idea among gun-owners and conservatives, but research suggests it may pose more problems than it solves.
So far, there have been 222 school shootings in 2021.
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Teachers say school districts have left them in the lurch in the wake of attacks by students. Some admit they resort to violence themselves to send a message to students who might want to test them.
Rape and other forms of violence in and around schools reflect a broader problem in the country.
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At the heart of the issue for school children, parents, caregivers and teachers is to confront from a very young age the question of sex, sexuality and gender.
Black parents are having to call off work to deal with their children’s minor infractions at school.
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Decisions on whether to allow corporal punishment in school have been largely local.
Despite the country’s political response to violence against women and girls, school-going girls struggle with male violence in and out of school.
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Pupils who are victimised at school tend to perform poorly academically, are regularly absent from school, suffer psychological trauma and may eventually drop out of school.
Research shows small acts of kindness can make a big difference in classrooms.
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‘Behavior vaccines’ – practices meant to improve safety and well-being – have been around for years. An educational psychologist says they are particularly important for schools to adopt now.
Roughly half of public schools have a police presence.
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