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

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.

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.

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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.