How new Biden order could make active shooter drills less traumatic for kids

Sep 26, 2024

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Jake Maslo (Editor)

With the jury still out on the effectiveness of active shooter drills in American schools, President Joe Biden is taking action to at least make them less traumatic. He’s signing an executive order on Thursday, Sept. 26, to study how these drills may traumatize students and educators in an effort to “maximize effectiveness” and minimize any harm.

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Active shooter or “lockdown drills” have been commonplace in schools throughout the United States ever since the Columbine massacre in 1999. Some tactics used in the drills include actors dressed as gunmen and fake blood. However, Everytown found in a 2020 report that active shooter drills often traumatize students with little evidence that they save lives.

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Some school districts are already getting rid of graphic school shooting depictions. New York, home to the nation’s largest school district, banned the use of realistic active shooter drills in July. The new rules for this school year mean schools can no longer use actors, props, and violent depictions. Schools are now required to use “trauma informed” and “age appropriate” procedures.

New York’s move and President Biden’s order come as parents, doctors, and even lawmakers have said graphically detailed mock scenes do not actually prepare kids for actual shootings, instead they argue that they create a culture of fear and anxiety.

Biden’s directive also involves establishing a new task force to look into the dangers of so-called “machine-gun-conversion-devices,” which can turn a semiautomatic pistol into a fully automatic gun.

The task force will also examine the growing number of 3D-printed guns that are harder to track than conventional guns because barcodes are reportedly easier to remove from the firearms. The findings will have to be reported back to the president in 90 days.

The White House’s announcement comes on the heels of a mass shooting at a nightclub in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 21, in which four people were killed and 17 others were injured.

Tags: Death, Education, Ghost guns, Gun control, Gun laws, Gun safety, Gun sales, Gun violence, Guns, Joe Biden, Mass shootings, School Shooting, schools, shooting, Weapons, White House

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

WHILE THERE IS ONGOING DEBATE ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS– PRESIDENT BIDEN IS TAKING ACTION TO AT LEAST MAKE THEM LESS TRAUMATIC FOR STUDENTS.

HE’S SIGNING AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THURSDAY TO STUDY HOW THESE DRILLS MAY TRAUMATIZE STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS IN AN EFFORT TO “MAXIMIZE” EFFECTIVENESS” AND MINIMIZE ANY HARM.

ACTIVE SHOOTER OR “LOCKDOWN DRILLS” HAVE BEEN COMMON IN SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE U-S SINCE THE COLUMBINE MASSACRE IN 1999.

SOME TACTICS USED IN DRILLS INCLUDE ACTORS DRESSED AS GUNMEN AND FAKE BLOOD.

BUT EVERYTOWN REVEALED IN A 2020 REPORT ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS OFTEN TRAUMATIZE STUDENTS WITH LITTLE EVIDENCE THEY SAVE LIVES.

SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE ALREADY GETTING RID OF GRAPHIC SCHOOL SHOOTING DEPICTIONS. NEW YORK, THE NATION’S LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT, BANNED THE USE OF REALISTIC ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS THIS SUMMER.

THE NEW RULES FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR MEAN SCHOOLS CAN NO LONGER USE ACTORS, PROPS AND VIOLENT DEPICTIONS.

SCHOOLS ARE NOW REQUIRED TO USE “TRAUMA INFORMED” AND “AGE APPROPRIATE” PROCEDURES.

NEW YORK’S MOVE AND BIDEN’S ORDER COME AS PARENTS, DOCTORS AND OTHERS SAY GRAPHICALLY DETAILED MOCK SCENES DO NOT ACTUALLY PREPARE KIDS FOR ACTUAL SHOOTINGS– INSTEAD THEY CREATE A CULTURE OF FEAR AND ANXIETY.

BIDEN’S DIRECTIVE ALSO INVOLVES ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO LOOK INTO THE DANGERS OF SO-CALLED “MACHINE-GUN-CONVERSION DEVICES,” WHICH CAN TURN A SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL INTO A FULLY AUTOMATIC GUN.

IT WILL ALSO EXAMINE THE GROWING NUMBER OF 3-D PRINTED GUNS, WHICH ARE HARDER TO TRACK THAN CONVENTION FIREARMS.

THE FINDINGS MUST BE REPORTED BACK TO THE PRESIDENT IN 90 DAYS.

THE WHITE HOUSE’S ANNOUNCEMENT COMES ON THE HEELS OF A MASS SHOOTING AT A NIGHTCLUB IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, THAT LEFT FOUR PEOPLE DEAD AND MORE THAN A DOZEN OTHERS INJURED LAST WEEKEND.