The issue of school safety is of paramount concern but what is lacking is clarity on the best course of action aimed at bolstering safety in public schools. We sought to answer the following research questions: What topics are addressed in school board policies related to arming employees? What outlying policy topics are addressed in school board…

Following high-profile school shootings, policymakers and educators seek ways to prevent such shootings, but there has been little research on school-level responses in the immediate aftermath of such events. This study examines how school-level security measures and practices changed after the 1999 Columbine shooting using a nationally…

The phenomenological research investigates the perceptions of principals on the use of multi-option response plans before, during, and after active shooter drills. The study discovers three central themes from eight Secondary principals. Active shooter drills in public schools are mandated by state legislation and create school culture challenges…

Security and intelligence agency concerns with universities range from the commissioning and protection of security-sensitive research, the ongoing recruitment of staff and students for covert security and intelligence work, as well as prominent counter-terrorist concerns. This is an ethically charged terrain of moral ambiguity which raises issues…

The present study examined variations in incidents of student insubordination and violence using an individual change model, which allowed for repeated observations of student behaviors in 148 Ohio schools at the initial status (2010) and over time (2010 and 2014). Findings were significant only at the initial status. As school size and total…

President Barack Obama's announcement last week of a wide-ranging anti-violence plan in response to the Newtown, Connecticut, school shootings comes as many districts are adopting new and sometimes dramatic measures--including arming teachers and volunteers--intended to prevent similar tragedies in their own schools. School safety experts warn…

Almost all U.S. college campuses ban concealed weapons. But in the aftermath of the tragic shooting deaths at Virginia Tech in 2007, the debate on whether guns should be permitted at colleges and universities has intensified. Dozens of states have considered proposals to lift bans on concealed weapons at colleges and universities, but so far none…

School shootings, such as Columbine, have prompted police executives to explore response tactics and preparedness efforts for combating active shooters. This qualitative exploratory case study focused on specific preparation initiatives that have been implemented for the purpose of dealing with active shooters. Being prepared is one of the only…

The "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" ("MMWR") Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data in the weekly "MMWR" are provisional, based on weekly reports to CDC by state health departments. This issue of "MMWR" contains the following studies: (1) Youth Risk Behavior…