On Friday, September 20, 2024 students were walking into school and reading about threats to several Anne Arundel County Public Schools and other schools in Maryland.  School shootings are a reality in the United States. Students, families and school staff are living in constant fear. They do not know when or if it will happen at their school, but they know it could at any time. We are calling on the federal government to provide guidelines and funding for schools to create safer school environments, which include mental health services to students living under the constant threat of gun violence.

Schools are inconsistent in their response to this crisis. Data shows most, but not all, are having active shooter drills. In elementary school my son participated in active shooter drills. However, he is in his second year of middle school and has not had one. During threats some schools have strict lock downs and others do not.  Federal guidelines would provide schools with the appropriate policies and procedures to increase the safety of students. Funding can also provide them with the means to purchase metal detectors and other tools to assist with creating a safe environment.

Students are scared to go to school and parents are scared to send them.  Researchers have demonstrated that consistent hyperarousal has a long-term impact on mental and physical health. We cannot continue to ignore the impact of living in a country where school shootings and threats of violence are daily. Mental health services would not only help students cope with their feelings but provide another way to identify and stop students from committing acts of gun violence.

Data from 2009 – 2018 ranked the U.S. as number one in the world with 288 school shootings. The next country was Mexico with 8. I have been unable to find more recent data. The Gun Violence Archive does show that from August 1, 2024 to September 23, 2024, there were 187 incidents involving a gun on school properties across the U.S.

We are raising a generation of traumatized children.  Trained Secret Service agents are unable to stop Presidents from being shot and we are leaving this in the hands of untrained parents and school administrators. Children, families, and schools feel powerless. There needs to be action now.