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CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND A CULTURE OF CONNECTEDNESS

School shooters don’t simply “snap.” The circumstances that lead to violence are complex and far ranging, often the culmination of months and years of individual experiences. Accordingly, improving school safety cannot focus solely on mitigating incidents of violence. Successful efforts must improve the culture in which students live and learn. This includes developing students of strong character who are connected in meaningful ways to their peers, educators, and communities.

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CURATING A HEALTHIER AND SAFER APPROACH: ISSUES OF MENTAL HEALTH AND COUNSELING FOR OUR YOUNG

Although the presence of a mental illness may not be directly correlated to violence, trends with respect to youth mental illness are of great concern. Rates of youth depression, anxiety, self-harm, and most tragically, suicide are climbing. Approximately one in 10 children and youth in the United States experience a serious emotional disturbance (SED), yet only 20 percent of them receive the help they need.

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INTEGRATING MENTAL HEALTH, PRIMARY CARE, FAMILY SERVICES, AND COURT-ORDERED TREATMENT

Students often come to school with multiple complex health, mental health, and social service needs. Schools can play an important role in curating healthy environments that seek to prevent and mitigate the onset of health and mental health conditions. Developing and promoting models in which mental health and substance use screening, treatment, and support services are integrated into school and pediatric settings can help to ensure that children, youth, and adolescents with needs (along with their families) are identified earlier and gain access to treatment and other support services.

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CYBERBULLYING AND SCHOOL SAFETY

Students often come to school with multiple complex health, mental health, and social service needs. Schools can play an important role in curating healthy environments that seek to prevent and mitigate the onset of health and mental health conditions. Developing and promoting models in which mental health and substance use screening, treatment, and support services are integrated into school and pediatric settings can help to ensure that children, youth, and adolescents with needs (along with their families) are identified earlier and gain access to treatment and other support services.

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THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S “RETHINK SCHOOL DISCIPLINE” GUIDANCE

Teachers are often best positioned to identify and address disorderly conduct at school. They have an understanding of the students entrusted to their care and can see behavioral patterns on an ongoing basis. In partnership with principals and other school leaders, teachers can help correct—and where necessary, discipline—those behaviors that are unwelcome or unsafe for the school community. Maintaining order in schools is a key to keeping schools safe.

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EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDER LAWS

Too often following a mass shooting we learn that people who knew the shooter saw warning signs of potential violence but felt powerless to do anything. If the person has not yet broken any law and may not meet the mental health standards for involuntary commitment, what can be done? A number of states have attempted to answer this question, at least in part, through “extreme risk protection order” (ERPO) laws.

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USING SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORTING AND THREAT ASSESSMENTS TO ENHANCE SCHOOL SAFETY

Informed, alert communities play a critical role in keeping our nation safe. By reporting suspicious activities, individuals may be providing the information authorities need to stop an attack before it occurs. This is especially true in relation to school attacks. Studies have shown that, prior to the incident, most attackers engaged in behavior that caused others concern and that others knew about the attacker’s ideas or plan to attack.

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THE EFFICACY OF AGE RESTRICTIONS FOR FIREARM PURCHASES

This section provides an overview of federal and state laws that place age-related restrictions on the possession and purchase of firearms. Existing research does not demonstrate that laws imposing a minimum age for firearms purchases have a measurable impact on reducing homicides, suicides, or unintentional deaths.

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