"The Crisis in Our Classrooms" by Laney McDowell

47.  That's how many school shootings have occurred so far in the United States this year. Guns are a leading cause of death among American children and teenagers, claiming an average of seven young lives every day. Yet each year, nothing seems to change. Across this country students practice active shooter drills alongside English and math classes as a seemingly normal part of their day. Parents send their kids to school each morning with a growing sense of fear as breaking news headlines constantly flash across their screens. Teachers and school staff are expected not only to educate but to protect kids from bullets. Despite this, the headlines continue alongside inaction. 

One reason this crisis persists is due to America's historically loose approach to gun laws. Unlike many other developed countries, the United States guarantees the right to bear arms under the second amendment, a right defended by some and criticized by others, that while constitutionally protected, has made it hard to enact meaningful gun control methods. Despite the fact that the majority of Americans believe in stricter gun laws, many lawmakers continue to block reforms. As a result, firearms remain widely accessible and background checks vary from state to state. There is not even a federal system in place to track school shootings. 

Unlike the United States, the United Kingdom enforces some of the strictest firearm regulations in the world. After the 1996 Dunblane Massacre, which took the lives of 16 students and a teacher, the UK banned most handguns and introduced a rigorous licensing system. To own a shotgun or rifle applicants must obtain a police issued license, pass background checks and interviews, and provide a valid reason for ownership, such as sport or farming. As a result, since then, the UK has not experienced a school shooting or major incident involving a gun. Meanwhile, in the U.S., over 390 school shootings have occurred since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, exposing more than 390,000 students in the U.S. to gun violence at school and claiming nearly 500 lives. The stark contrast between the U.S. and the UK shows the direct correlation between gun laws and school safety. 

The impact of school shootings goes far beyond immediate fear and tragedy; the trauma can affect students for a lifetime. Studies from Stanford and Northwestern Universities show a sharp increase in mental health struggles among those exposed to gun violence in school. Prescription rates for antidepressants and anti anxiety medications jump by over 25% in communities affected by school shootings and remain high for years afterward. Beyond medication, students who survive or witness these events can face long lasting psychological scars, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. These mental health challenges can affect attendance, academic performance, and future opportunities as students are less likely to graduate high school, go to college, and be employed in future years. 

Despite clear evidence of psychological harm some communities are unprepared to provide adequate mental health support to students. In some districts there are no full time counselors or psychologists. In others, funding is allocated to physical security upgrades like metal detectors while trauma counseling or therapy remain unfunded. For students dealing with chronic fear, grief, or survivors guilt, the prioritization of protection over healing can cause years of silent suffering. Nearly one in five students attending school in the United States utilize school based mental health services. Recent actions, such as cuts to the Department of Education, the freezing of $1 billion allocated for school-based mental health services, and major reductions to Medicaid have the power to take away these much needed and utilized resources. 

School shootings are not isolated tragedies, they are the result of preventable policy failures and a lack of national will to protect students where they should feel safe. While other countries have responded to gun violence with meaningful reform, the U.S. continues to debate as more lives are lost each day. The impact of inaction is measured not just in lives lost but in the lasting trauma that students carry with them for a lifetime. Change is possible, but only if leaders are willing to act. If we continue down this path the cost will not only be measured in numbers, but by the erosion of a generation’s sense of safety.