School-Based Violence: A Call to Action for Trauma-Informed Care

School-based violence has become an alarming issue that affects not only students’ physical safety but also their emotional and psychological well-being. From fights and bullying to more severe acts of aggression, these experiences can leave lasting trauma that can disrupt relationships, learning, and development. Addressing this crisis requires more than disciplinary measures – it calls for a compassionate, trauma-informed approach that recognizes the deep impact of violence on children, adolescents, parents, and educators alike. Implementing trauma-informed care can be essential in creating safe, supportive environments where understanding, healing, and resilience replace harm and fear.

On February 28, 2020, the Pasadena Star News released an article advising the community that an active shooter drill at San Marino High School was canceled following parental objection and the ACLU raising concerns regarding the potential negative impact of such a drill—which, reportedly, would include San Marino Police Officers firing blank shots in four campus locations in an effort to help students “differentiate between gunshots and other sounds” (Gonzales, 2020, para. 3).

As a trauma specialist and licensed psychotherapist in Pasadena—and an alumna of San Marino High School—I am deeply disappointed that my former school would risk students’ mental health with such practices. When I attended San Marino, I never once feared for my safety; the only drills I experienced were for earthquakes, a natural event far different from the complex and deeply traumatic reality of school-based violence. At the time, the idea that someone might enter our campus with a gun was unimaginable. Sadly, times have changed, and today’s students are growing up in a world where the threat of school-based violence is a devastating reality. What was once unthinkable has become a traumatic experience that far too many students and families are forced to endure.

As a clinician, I appreciate that school districts are increasingly recognizing the need to address school-based violence and are motivated by a desire to equip students with the knowledge and preparedness to respond to potential threats. However, implementing these measures without the guidance and collaboration of licensed psychotherapists who specialize in trauma is deeply concerning and may, in fact, contribute to the very harm administrators seek to prevent. Rather than reducing the potential impact of a trauma response in the event of an attack, active shooter drills are increasingly associated with clinical levels of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress among students who previously had no history of, nor might ever have developed, such conditions (Chuck, 2019; Peterson et al., 2015; Shalchi, 2019).

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF SIMULATED VIOLENCE

Research has consistently demonstrated that participation in simulated acts of violence can lead to significant psychological harm for individuals, affecting both their immediate well-being and long-term mental health (Zhe & Nickerson, 2007). Arguably one of the most controversial studies in psychology, Dr. Philip Zimbardo’s 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment examined how social roles and situational forces can profoundly shape and distort human behavior (Haney et al., 1973). While Dr. Zombardo’s renowned study focused on the simulated prison environment and the power dynamics between the students portraying guards and inmates, it revealed a striking truth: even when the student participants fully understood that the scenario was simulated, they quickly internalized their assigned roles, leading to profound psychological consequences. Originally designed to run for 14 days, the experiment was abruptly terminated after only six days due to the alarming emotional and behavioral deterioration observed in both the “guards” and the “prisoners.”

Research increasingly shows that even voluntary participation in simulated high-stress situations can result in significant psychological harm. For instance, participants in military survival training exercises have exhibited severe trauma responses, underscoring how the body and mind can react as though the threat were real (Dimoulas et al., 2007; Lieberman et al., 2016; Taylor et al., 2011). Similarly, studies have found that many Americans with no direct exposure to or personal loss from the events of 9/11 developed symptoms meeting clinical criteria for PTSD simply through repeated exposure to media coverage of the attacks (Otto et al., 2007). In the same vein, emerging research on active shooter drills suggests that, rather than preparing students for potential violence, these simulations may actually heighten anxiety and distress, raising important concerns about their psychological cost and overall effectiveness.

In my own private practice, I have seen a sharp increase in traumatic stress responses in children and adolescents, some of whom report their symptoms are directly associated with the rollout of the active shooter drills on their school’s campus. Even though most students are advised that the event is a drill, they are reporting:

●      Severe distress

●      School avoidance and school refusal

●      Intrusive thoughts

●      Nightmares

●      Impairing levels of anxiety and depression

●      Fear of being separated from their parents

●      Refusal to sleep alone

●      School avoidance and school refusal

●      Intrusive thoughts

●      Nightmares

●      Impairing levels of anxiety and depression

●      Fear of being separated from their parents

●      Refusal to sleep alone

I am witnessing a growing prevalence of hypervigilance and emotional dysregulation among students, and, in some cases, full-blown post-traumatic stress. One of the most troubling consequences of this trauma is a marked decline in academic performance, which is hardly surprising. After all, it is difficult for a student to concentrate on an algebra quiz when they are preoccupied with fears about whether or not they will even live long enough to take it.

WHY SCHOOLS NEED TRAUMA-INFORMED INSTRUCTION

While I believe San Marino High School acted with good intentions, it appears there was a lack of awareness regarding the complexity of the issue and the potential psychological harm that firing blank rounds of simulated gunfire could cause students. Unfortunately, I have also observed that not all schools place sufficient emphasis on safeguarding the social and emotional well-being of their students.

In October 2019, while conducting a classroom observation in a third-grade class at a small private school in Pasadena, my visit unexpectedly coincided with an active shooter drill. Although I have had many clients share their personal experience of active shooter drills in sessions, I had not had the opportunity to observe the execution of such a drill personally. I was informed of the drill upon my arrival at the school and was advised that it would occur later in the morning. However, I could never have predicted the level of dysfunction that would ensue, nor the blatant disregard for the emotional dysregulation and confusion the children experienced following the drill. Not only was the drill an epic failure on a tactical level, but there was not a single moment dedicated to giving language to the children’s experience, answering their questions, providing them with relevant and age-appropriate information, affirming the adults responsible for their care are competent to manage a campus crisis, nor processing the feelings they may have been experiencing (Peterson et al., 2015).

For twenty minutes, I watched as the teacher hurriedly ushered children into a cabinet to hide, taped butcher paper over the classroom windows, stacked desks in a misguided attempt to barricade the doors, and wedged a chair leg under the handles to keep them from opening. Despite these frantic efforts, both doors were easily pushed open with a simple turn of the handle, exposing the futility of the exercise. Yet, when the drill ended, the only instruction given to the students was, “Please reset the classroom and continue working.”

Later in the week, when I met with the client’s parents to discuss my observations, I learned that my client’s younger sibling, who attends kindergarten at the same school, was told that the class was simply “playing a game of hide-and-seek.” The younger child was so confused by the messages received that we spent a significant part of the session processing the children’s experience during the drill. Both of these children are extremely bright for their age—the younger child reported, “No one was looking for us—and if someone had a gun and were going to shoot kids, then we would not want them to find us.” At just five years old, this child clearly understood that the active shooter drill was not aligned with the goal of hide-and-seek, which is for the person who is “it” to find those who are hiding. As a trauma expert, I was so upset by what I observed during my classroom visit that, when speaking with the head of the school, I offered to facilitate an assembly for parents and children to directly address questions and concerns regarding campus violence, free of charge. I extended a second offer via email a few days later. To date, I have received no response.

COLLABORATIVE CARE FOR STUDENTS

\Placing academic achievement above a child’s emotional well-being is never a sustainable or effective long-term strategy (Shalchi, 2019). However, placing a high value on a child’s emotional wellness will support their efforts to thrive, not only academically, but in all areas of life. While I acknowledge that part of the problem at this particular school may stem from inadequate training, a much deeper concern must be addressed: educators conducting exercises that can profoundly affect the psychological well-being of the students entrusted to their care. In most professions, a clearly defined scope of practice outlines the services a professional is qualified and competent to provide. However, the scope of practice extends beyond academic credentials or licensing - it encompasses an understanding of one’s professional limits and the ethical responsibility to avoid causing harm.

Practicing within one’s professional scope also requires that individual service providers have a fundamental understanding of their own limitations with regard to education, training, and experience. Providing a responsible and appropriate standard of care to others requires the ability to recognize when a presenting issue may need a higher level of care or a provider with specialized training and experience. In other words, simply having the professional authority to do something does not necessarily make it appropriate or ethical.

School-based violence is an important issue that impacts families across the nation, and the majority of the missteps in managing this crisis are a product of well-meaning educators and administrators who have stepped outside their own professional lane (Zhe & Nickerson, 2007). Addressing the crisis of campus violence in a responsible manner requires a trauma-informed lens and a collaborative effort across professional domains to ensure that our smallest humans are protected in every way imaginable.

Additionally, both parents and children should have the right to make informed decisions about participating in such drills or simulations and be allowed to decline without fear of judgment or stigma. Informed consent is an essential aspect of psychological safety, particularly when activities have the potential to evoke distress or trauma. Ultimately, we all share the same goal—to ensure that children feel both safe and empowered at school. Achieving this requires a commitment not only to their intellectual development, but also to the protection and nurturing of their emotional well-being.

References

Chuck, E. (2019, April 14). Active shooter drills are scaring kids and may not protect them: Some schools are taking a new approach. NBC News. Retrieved from www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/active-shooter-drills-are-scaring-kids-may-not-protect-them-n992941.

Dimoulas, E., Steffian, L., Steffian, G., Doran, A., Rasmusson, A. M., & Morgan, C. A. (2007). Dissociation during intense military stress is related to subsequent somatic symptoms in women. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 4(2), 66-73. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2922349.

Gonzalez, R. (2020, February 28). Shooting drill at San Marino High canceled after ACLU raises concerns. Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved from www.pasadenastarnews.com/2020/02/28/shooting-drill-at-san-marino-high-canceled-after-aclu-raises-concerns.

Haney, C., Banks, W. C., & Zimbardo, P. G. (1973). A study of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison. Naval Research Review, 30, 4-17. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235356446_A_Study_of_Prisoners_and_Guards_in_a_Simulated_Prison.

Lieberman, H. R., Farina, E. K., Caldwell, J., Williams, K. W., Thompson, L. A., Niro, P. J., Grohmann, K. A., & McClung, J. P. (2016). Cognitive function, stress hormones, heart rate and nutritional status during simulated captivity in military survival training. Physiology & Behavior, 165, 86-97. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.06.037.

Peterson, J., Sackrison, E., & Polland, A. (2015). Training students to respond to shootings on campus: Is it worth it? Journal of Threat Assessment & Management, 2(2), 1227-138. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1037/tam0000042.

Otto, M. W., Henin, A., Hirshfeld-Becher, D. R., Pollack, M. H., Biederman, J., Rosenbaum, J. F. (2007). Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms following media exposure to tragic events: Impact of 9/11 on children at risk for anxiety disorders. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 21(7), 888-902. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2006.10.008.

Shalchi, H. (2019, August 19). Psychological effects of active shooter drills in schools. Baylor College of Medicine. Retrieved from www.bcm.edu/news/psychiatry-and-behavior/psychological-effect-of-active-shooter-drills.

Taylor, M. K., Stanfill, K. E., Padilla, G. A., Markham, A. E., Ward, M. D., Koehler, M. M., Anglero, A., & Adams, B. D. (2011). Effect of psychological skills training during military survival school: A randomized, controlled field study. Military Medicine, 176(12), 1362-1368. doi: 10.7205/milmed-d-11-00149.

Zhe, E., & Nickerson, A. B. (2007). Effects of an intruder crisis drill on children’s knowledge, anxiety, and perceptions of school safety. School Psychology Review, 36(3), 501-508. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-15262-011.