Experts say that Indiana's recent push to arm teachers and staff could protect students from active shooters but has 'major issues' that need to be addressed.
As the rate of school shootings increase, school districts are looking for new ways to keep kids safe. For some, that involves adding more guns on campus.that allow teachers to carry firearms, a move that experts say could improve response times but may also pose unnecessary risks to students and educators.
Three of the main advantages, Heinz said, encompass reduced response time, a heightened level of deterrence and enhanced safety protocols.For example, trained educators already on the scene can immediately intervene and protect students and fellow staff. Additionally, the presence of armed personnel on school grounds can dissuade potential shooters from targeting their school in the first place.
But the decision to arm teachers can also pose safety risks, negatively impact the school atmosphere and act as an unnecessary use of resources. Indiana's lawmakers gave districts the authority to allow teachers to carry firearms following the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting that killed 20 children and six others.
"We saw how tragically ineffective arming teachers can be in the March shooting at Nashville's Covenant School," Brown added."Several teachers were armed, yet they did not stop the shooter from killing three staff members and three children. The way to prevent shootings isn't adding more guns to our schools — it's by preventing people who wish to do harm from obtaining them in the first place.
To mitigate some of these concerns, Heinz said that teachers must be mentally fit and comprehensively trained, considering the mental and emotional toll of"Ultimately, the decision to arm teachers in Indiana should be made carefully, considering both local needs and national best practices. Comprehensive training, strict safety protocols, and ongoing evaluation are critical aspects of any policy that allows teachers to carry firearms," Heinz said.
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