The most surprising statistic from the report is the one asserting that from “between 1999 and 2009, the percentage of students who reported a visitor sign-in requirement increased from 87 to 94 percent” (Robers, Zhang, Truman, Snyder 2012). Most school shootings are not a case where a heavily armed killer stands outside the structure and shoots toward it. The interior of a school appears to be the least safe place to be on the property considering that when “shootings occurred inside buildings, 14 (51.9%) took place in school classrooms and hallways (9 HS, 3 MS, 1 ES, 1 PreK-12), 3 in the school cafeteria (2 HS, 1 MS), 2 in school administrative offices, 2 in school board meeting rooms, and 2 in the school when no classes were in session” (Blair, J. Pete, and Schweit, Katherine W. 2014). What is most surprising about the entire section regarding security is how much security seems to be a priority and how ineffective it seems to be when put under the greatest pressure.
That in 81% of violent attacks targeted toward a specific school somebody had foreknowledge of the plan but did nothing to stop is perhaps the least surprising statistic. The basic, inescapable and rather sad truth is that schoolkids are giants when it comes to talking, but midgets when it comes to following through.
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"School Shootings in the US".
The only notably significance difference between on-camp and off-campus crime appears to be that there is a greater likelihood for any single individual to become a victim of some type of crime at school. The close proximity and familiarity and regularity of being around criminal types more easily avoided away from school likely accounts for this discrepancy.
The single greatest inherent challenge in preventing school and workplace violence appears to boil down to security. Ensuring not one single square foot of publically accessible property is not covered by a video surveillance is one very effective means of at least identifying criminal actors in order to punish and remove them.
- Blair, J. Pete, and Schweit, Katherine W. (2014). A Study of Active Shooter Incidents, 2000 – 2013. Texas State University and Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington D.C. 2014.
- Robers, S., Zhang, J., Truman, J., & Snyder, T. D. (2012, February). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2011. PsycEXTRA Dataset.
