Dive Brief:
- A recent U.S. study of 54,000 middle and high school students in Maryland revealed that while security officers and cameras outside of a school building make them feel safer, cameras inside have the opposite effect, reports Reuters.
- Interestingly, black students were less likely to be bothered by a preponderance of indoor school cameras. Experts speculate this finding may dovetail with the trend of black youth recording interactions.
- With no solid research to support inside-school cameras protecting students from school shootings, administrators are advised to weigh the cost effectiveness of such "hard" measures with "soft" ones, such as investing in more student mental health supports.
Dive Insight:
With polls showing that parents worry whether their children are unsafe in school, the debate continues among school leaders as to the best mix of hard (security officers, cameras, and metal detectors) versus soft security measures, such as hiring more mental health professionals in schools. The public is in favor of more school security officers, but concerns abound that such officers tend to criminalize relatively minor infractions, such as talking back to teachers, especially among black and Hispanic students.
The debate around arming teachers as a potential solution has been particularly heated. Some experts feel it could be an effective measure if implemented correctly. Some parents, though, feel that armed teachers could be almost as much of a threat to student safety as active shooters. Many teachers are also opposed to the idea, pointing out that they already have way too much responsibility without adding being an armed guard, essentially, to the mix.
As districts rethink the physical school buildings themselves, support is also growing for addressing root causes of violence and protecting students through "soft" security measures. These include hiring more school guidance counselors, therapists, and addiction counselors as a way of making students feel included and cared for, and to identify and solve student mental health issues early. And currently there is an imbalance between the approaches, with schools officially having more security guards than counselors.
