Move FM Global News

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Reflecting the rising number of related incidents around the U.S., the outcomes of a survey by the A Pew Research Center showed that most teachers are concerned about the occurrence of a shooting at their school.

The survey of some 2,500 teachers, which was conducted from October 17 to November 14, 2023, and released late last week, showed that more than half were, at the minimum, somewhat concerned, and 18 percent were extremely or apprehensive about the possibility of a school shooting.

With the number of school shootings rising in recent years, gun control and school safety have become major political and social issues in the U.S.

The K-12 School Shooting Database website showed that between 2021 and 2022, there were 912 school shootings, more than three times as many as any other three-year period in four decades of data being collected.

According to the survey, 31 percent of urban school teachers experienced a gun-related lockdown in the 2022-2023 school year, 10 percentage points higher than teachers in both suburban and rural schools.

In addition, only 30 percent of teachers said their school had done an excellent or very good job preparing them for an active shooter, and more than 60 percent said improved mental health screening and treatment for children and adults would be extremely or very effective at preventing shootings, while 50 percent said having police officers or armed security would be highly effective.

The survey showed that more than 25 percent of teachers who consider themselves Republican and only three percent who said they were Democrat believed that allowing teachers and school staff to carry weapons would be highly effective in stopping school shootings.