Students are desensitized to the dangers of gun violence in schools, which could have catastrophic effects. 

School shootings have been a part of the American public school system for decades now. To many students, school shootings have gone from a scary possibility to just a routine and unnecessary drill. It has desensitized the youth have been so desensitized because of how often it has occurred in the nation.

In a survey of many students under the age of 18, an astonishing 66% of students do not consider a school shooting a personal threat. This is mostly attributed to the fact that the Columbine shooting of 1999 was the first large shooting for this generation, which is why this topic seems distant. Furthermore, another 68% of students believe that shootings have been overly covered in the media, adding to the desensitization.

When shootings are discussed, many questions come to mind. What if it is a mental illness? Do students believe this is the cause? Is the school to blame for not having adequate resources for students? 83% of surveyed students agreed that school shooting drills are ineffective because of schools prioritizing reaction over prevention. Another 10% believe that improved mental health services in school would lessen the number of cases that American schools often face. This overexposure to this kind of event has negative impacts, causing more desensitization.

One student heartbreakingly recounted how “It has created a lot of anxiety for me and my friends, especially since the majority of the classroom walls are glass and the VB shooting was a block away from our middle school. However, some kids still see drills as a joke, which really frustrates me, and I’ve kind of become numb to shootings on the news because there’s so many and lawmakers are never going to do anything about it.”

Some people are deeply afraid of this occurring, and it’s usually those who were directly affected by similar experiences. Others have expressed frustration and a sense of lost hope, stating, “We don’t really cope with it. We’re upset when it happens, but they happen so frequently that there isn’t much of a point. How can we get over something when it’s just going to happen again?” 

All students want to better themselves and others to create a safer environment for everyone, but it’s hard to do that when children are told to suppress any anxiety they have. These standards need to change, because desensitization becomes an excuse for more tragic events to occur, which will further break today’s generation.