Sanctuary In Schools
Walking through the hallway a freshman is scrolling through their phone. As he turns the corner, he encounters a kid holding an assault rifle. “Better get out of here, things are about to get messy”. On Valentine’s day February 14th, 2018 a young man walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland Florida. The shooter walked into the school with no opposition and killed 17 students. He walked out of the school and was arrested hours later. This monstrosity had shocked the nation and the world as whole.
School shootings and other threats that affect schools flood the media far more than anyone would ever expect or want. We see too many deaths and tragedies today in the world. Youth are sent to school to better themselves, but how are they able to with the fear of another tragedy. After the most recent mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School there has been an outcry for change to protect the students. Students need protection to allow them to focus on school and not the thought of a potential threat. That protection needs to be closer than a phone call away. All Schools need to have trained security guards or school resource officers also known as SROs
Shortly after the catastrophe Governor Rick Scott visited the Parkland Florida area to talk and connect with those effected. He Rapidly created a plan to share with the state to protect schools and students. In his plan he doesn’t call for a gun ban but calls for a need in of school resource officers. He stated “Today, I am calling for a mandatory law enforcement officer in every public school. These law enforcement officers must either be sworn sheriff’s deputies or police officers and be present during all hours students are on campus” (National Association of School Resource Officers).
A school resource officer is a commissioned and sworn law enforcement officer. They are trained and carry fire arms (in most situations) on school campuses. They are always there to protect to schools and students. The three main roles of an SRO are educator, informal counselor/mentor, and law enforcement officer (NASRO). Many schools throughout Florida and the nation have school resource officers and have seen great benefits from having them there and a part of the school. After the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting there is a need for SROs or trained armed guards to be in all schools.
A study by Concordia University shows the correlation between feeling safe and learning. “”We found that students who felt safer were more attentive and efficient in the classroom. These students also reported fewer symptoms of depression, such as feeling unhappy and having difficulty enjoying themselves” (Côté-Lussier and Fitzpatrick). If the SROs or security guards complete their duties as educators, mentors, and law enforcement, it will not only increase the security of the schools but the academic success.
In June 2018, Broward County (where the shooting occurred) voted to have armed guards in every school (Mazzei). Broward County is setting a great example to other counties throughout the nation. Counties in Florida and specifically those close to Broward County should learn more about the steps being made by Broward to create safer schools. School Resource Officers and Armed Guards aren’t going to fix all the problems, but it is progress in the right direction.
Work Cited
Concordia University. “For teens, feeling safe at school means increased academic success: Research shows the impact of student bullying, depression on classroom engagement.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 August 2016. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160824135308.htm
MAZZEI, PATRICIA. “STUDENTS RETURN TO ARMED GUARDS AND LOCKDOWNS. (Cover Story).” New York Times, vol. 167, no. 58052, 12 Aug. 2018, pp. 1–16. EBSCOhost, dist.lib.usu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn& AN=131197384&site=ehost-live.
National Association of School Resource Officers. “Frequently Asked Questions”, NASRO.org, https://nasro.org/frequently-asked-questions/
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