Article
Training students to respond to shootings on campus: Is it worth it?
Journal of Threat Assessment and Management
(2015)
Abstract
Public safety departments have been tasked with training staff, faculty, and students to respond to an active shooting event if it were to occur on campus. There has been an increase in student training videos and drills on college campuses, even though the impact of these programs has not been evaluated. This study takes an initial look at a training video designed to prepare students to respond to a shooter on campus, comparing it with a control video about school shootings. Students who watched either video felt more afraid that a shooting would occur on campus, in addition to feeling more prepared to respond. The training video increased feelings of preparedness over the control video, but also increased feelings of fear among female students. The implications of active shooter training on student mental health and school culture are discussed.
Keywords
- program evaluation,
- school shooting,
- school violence,
- violence prevention
Disciplines
Publication Date
2015
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tam0000042
Citation Information
Jillian K. Peterson, E. Sackrison and A. Polland. "Training students to respond to shootings on campus: Is it worth it?" Journal of Threat Assessment and Management (2015) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jillian-peterson/1/