Schools should be safe places for young people, educators, school staff, and community members, and policies and practices can help create learning environments where kids thrive. Gun violence in U.S. schools has prompted calls for increased school safety measures; however, which policies contribute to safe school environments is often a topic of…

The recent increase in school shootings has brought about an urgency to renew efforts to understand and reduce them. In this article, the Division for Emotional and Behavioral Health reviews what is known about school shootings, including data related to incidence and shooter profiles. In addition, we describe responses to shootings, accompanied…

This article summarizes the accomplishments of research on school safety in the past quarter century, identifies important gaps, and indicates promising directions for further progress. Although closely related, there are distinguishable bodies of research on physical and psychological safety. Physical safety research concerns the prevention of…

This article discusses the March 21, 2005, shootings at Red Lake High School that brought to light an issue of whether school security personnel should be armed. Among the what-ifs being asked after the shootings at Red Lake High is one with uncomfortable implications for many school leaders: What if the two security guards posted near the…

Contends that no issue has captured more forcefully the attention of the public than the increasing presence of weapons on school campuses. Discusses prevention and intervention strategies that show promise in stemming this national crisis. Includes a chart with both long- and short-term strategies for teachers and administrators. (CFR)