098: Do school shooter trainings help (or hurt) children?

A few months ago a listener in my own home town reached out because a potentially incendiary device had been found on the elementary school property, and many parents were demanding disaster drill training in response.  The listener wanted to know whether there is any research on whether these drills are actually effective in preparing children for these situations, and whether it’s possible that they might actually cause psychological damage. &nbsp; In this episode we review the (scant) evidence available on drills themselves, and also take a broader look at the kinds of measures used in schools in the name of keeping our children safe – but which may actually have the opposite from intended effect. &nbsp; Jump to highlights 01:21 Introduction to the topic and Dr. Ben Fisher, researcher on school safety, security, and discipline 02:47 Acknowledging the recent mass shootings before starting the conversation 04:26 Putting school violence in context: schools have gotten safer over the past two decades 07:20 Parental fear versus student fear: why the two groups respond so differently 10:19 The Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994 and the start of zero-tolerance policies 13:56 A study of 850 schools found security cameras had zero effect on crime outcomes 18:49 What research on SROs shows: null to negative effects, especially for low-income students and students of color 21:07 The academic cost: schools with SROs show worse academic outcomes for students 28:07 Diving into lockdown drills, and how thin the research really is 37:55 "Leakage": how averted school shootings usually come down to a student telling a trusted adult 39:22 Social Bond Theory and why strong relationships in school reduce violence and misbehavior 41:08 How security personnel can weaken teacher-student relationships 43:32 Authoritative school climate: fair discipline plus strong relationships lowers fear and victimization 46:03 How zero-tolerance policies disproportionately push out students of color and boost school stats 48:39 Restorative justice: promising in principle, but easy to implement poorly 52:19 Why restorative justice needs to be locally driven &nbsp; References Addington, L.A. 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