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How Students Want to Solve America’s School Shooting Problem

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Let’s take a quick look at history. There were more than 1300 school shootings in the U.S. since 1970. And the death toll is somewhere around 150. The U.S. has the highest occurrence of school shootings. So much so, that it is often considered a uniquely American crisis.

It has become such a rampant issue that students are willing to take the matters into their own hands. It is not normal to go to school and live in fear of being shot to death. Just so a person can get an education. So, students have come up with quite a few initiatives to tackle the crisis.

School Shootings and their Effect on Students

Schools are a place of knowledge. Most people acquire education, not for the sake of knowledge, but so that they may lead a better life. But, it’s not an easy task. When you keep thinking about whether you will live to see the future.

School shootings have a huge mental effect on a person. It is not possible to lead a normal life if you’re constantly afraid of being shot. Gun control in the United States is a pretty loose law. To get a better understanding, you may look at these gun control essays, which might clear your confusion. The legal age to buy a firearm in the U.S. is only 18 years. Which contributes to a lot of shooting problems. Especially concerning schools and students.

These are some of the impacts that school shootings have on students and the general population.

  • Mental Trauma: Students who witness a school shooting experience trauma that can have long-term implications. Which may include mental health consequences and educational hurdles for a student.
  • Repulsive Behavior Toward School: Students might often develop the habit of skipping school for safety reasons. After a school shooting, the number of absentees in the school rise by a great number.
  • Declining Mental Health: As stated earlier, the impending sense of doom is not a light burden to carry in one’s mind. This has a variety of negative impacts on students’ minds. Especially the preteens. They might develop anxiety or depression.
  • Bad Academics: In a recent study, it has been shown that exposure to school shootings create a huge drop in the overall test marks of a school.
  • Increased Expenses: This concerns students in an indirect manner. School shootings are shown to create a 3.5% increase in the spending of the school. This might often deprive students of getting other necessary services if the school does not have sufficient funds.

How Students Can Solve School Shootings?

The topic has been on the table for way too long. And no effective step has been taken by the authorities that managed to prevent a school shooting to a greater degree. This can be proven by the statistics alone.

So, students have often decided to take the matter into their own hands. Below are some of the regulations that students believe, could help in the prevention of school shootings.

  1. Modify Age Requirement for Firearms: The legal age for buying a firearm in the U.S. is only 18 years old. Half of the school shootings were carried out by current or former students. They are between 18 and 20. So if the legal age for buying a firearm is increased. This may reduce the possibility of shooters getting their hands on a firearm. Which in turn will reduce shootings.
  2. Organize Mental Health Checks on Students: Most shooters are not of sound mental health. So if a mental health check is performed on all students once a month. It may bring to the surface students who are suffering from a frantic mental health condition.
  3. Keeping Parents Liable for Gun Storage: Some school shooters use their parents’ guns to conduct the shooting. For example, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley used his father’s gun. Parents should keep their firearms stored securely away from their children. In such cases, the parents should face partial blame for the occurrence, which will force them to store their firearms properly.
  4. School Searches: Conduct random searches of students’ belongings. Especially before they enter school. Yes, this would take quite an amount of time, but when the lives of students are at stake. It does seem feasible. This would give shooters an extra layer of hurdles. Which might discourage them to do such a crime.

Conclusion

School shootings are quite rampant on U.S. soil. And the numbers are only increasing. So drastic measures must be taken as soon as possible. To ensure the future of the country.

As the current laws and regulations are falling short. It is time authorities pay heed to some of the solutions provided by the victims themselves. With the hope that it may bring an end to such nightmares.

Author: The vivid and exhaustive character of each of Connie Elser‘s pieces has made him famous among readers. His research efforts are evident in everything he writes. This has received a lot of positive feedback from readers across the board.

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