SHOULD SCHOOLS BE CONDUCTING LOCKDOWN DRILLS? by Jaclyn Schildkraut, Kathryn Grogan, & Amanda Nabors June 2020
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SHOULD SCHOOLS BE CONDUCTING LOCKDOWN DRILLS? by Jaclyn Schildkraut, Kathryn Grogan, & Amanda Nabors June 2020 Mass shootings in schools, includ- available research and best practices, such experiences are traumatizing. ing the 2012 attack at Sandy Hook to provide better context to answer The other main argument raised by Elementary School in Newtown, such a question. advocates is that by teaching students Connecticut, and the 2018 attack how to respond to active shooters, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Concerns Over Drills schools are also training potential School in Parkland, Florida, prompt assailants because a considerable calls for improved safety and security Much of the concern over lockdowns proportion of school-shooting perpe- practices to help prevent future attacks follows news reports of school drills trators are themselves students (Wilkie, or, in the event that one occurs, including activities that have raised 2019). Such an argument, however, minimize the loss of life. Following issues concerning the safety and fails to acknowledge the efficacy of a the 1999 shooting at Columbine psychological well-being of students, locked door — the number-one life- High School in Littleton, Colorado, faculty, and staff. For example, Indiana saver in school shootings, and a major lockdown drills were introduced as teachers were shot with plastic pellets focus of lockdown drills (Martaindale a response strategy for educational during one training exercise (Zraick, et al., 2017; Sandy Hook Advisory institutions faced with a similar situa- 2019). High school students in Ohio Commission, 2015). Locked doors tion. Today, 95 percent of U.S. schools were exposed to sounds of simulated can be highly effective in stopping perform lockdown drills as part of their gunfire (Richter, 2019). Other schools perpetrators, as even an assailant who emergency response plans each year have used fake blood and crisis actors knows that people are securing their (Musu-Gillette et al., 2018), though the to make the exercises seem more real- classrooms would be unlikely to be number required varies by state.1 istic for participants (Aronowitz, 2014; able to breach a locked door before Pierpoint, 2019). In some instances, law enforcement arrives (Schildkraut & Recently, calls to end these practices students even have been injured Muschert, 2019). have been raised by Everytown for during such drills (Schell, 2019). Gun Safety (2020) in a joint statement with the American Federation of Advocates calling for an end to these Adding to the Confusion Teachers and the National Education practices often focus their argu- Further confusing the debate over Association, as well as by former pres- ments on two key points. The first is lockdown drills is a consistent idential candidate Andrew Yang (n.d.) that lockdown drills are traumatizing muddling of terminology. Lockdown and others. The question of whether students (e.g., Everytown for Gun drills and active shooter drills are typi- to end the practice of lockdown Safety, 2020). Advocates making this cally discussed as if they were one and drills, however, should be decided argument often focus on stories of the same. In reality, the term “active based on evidence rather than these drills going wrong, or point shooter” refers to “one or more indi- emotion. Accordingly, this research to the daily prevalence of students viduals actively engaged in killing or brief summarizes arguments for and facing lockdowns (e.g., Rich & Cox, attempting to kill people in a populated against lockdown drills, as well as 2018), but do not cite peer-reviewed area” (Federal Bureau of Investigation, research studies to back claims that 1 For example, New York State requires schools to conduct four lockdown drills annually (New York State Education Law, Title 1, Article 17 § 807). Should Schools Be Conducting Lockdown Drills? page 1 2019, p. 2). In practices for respond- Researching Lockdown Nickerson (2020) found not only that ing to such situations, individuals Drills student perceptions of preparedness often are taught to run, hide, or fight increased after training and follow-up Despite the widespread use of lock- (see, for example, Federal Emergency practice, but also that similar attitudes down drills, research on the impact Management Agency [FEMA], 2018; improved among faculty, staff, and of such practices is sparse. A hand- administrative participants. Moreover, Ready.gov, n.d.). Lockdowns, on the ful of studies have evaluated various following the training, skill mastery other hand, are used when there facets of lockdown drills broadly was achieved for three out of four is any active threat inside a school (e.g., for perceptions of safety and/or steps in the lockdown practice: lock- or other location (Keyes & Deffner, preparedness, see Baer et al., 2014; ing doors, turning off lights, and not 2015). Drills preparing for lockdowns Perkins, 2018; Huskey & Connell, responding to door knocks; consis- teach people to lock the doors, turn 2020; and Peterson et al., 2015; for the tent with other studies, near-mastery off the lights, move out of the line effectiveness of drills on response, was achieved for remaining silent and of sight of the corridor window, and see Jonson et al., 2018), but few out of sight (Schildkraut & Nickerson, maintain silence until the situation is have examined the direct impact of 2020). So, although more research resolved by law enforcement (Keyes these practices on students. Zhe and on lockdown drills is needed, there is Nickerson (2007) found that students & Deffner, 2015; Rygg, 2015). some early evidence to suggest that who went through lockdown training these practices do not unduly trau- Another complicating aspect of the and then participated in a lockdown matize youth and do help in preparing terminology is that drills often are drill retained knowledge about how to students and staff for emergencies. confused with exercises. Drills typi- respond without inducing anxiety or cally are performed by single entities, significantly changing their perceptions such as schools, to test a specific of school safety. Dickson and Vargo Best Practices for procedure or function (FEMA, (2017) found that several sessions Lockdown Drills of behavior skills training (which 2020). Such practices have been Despite the limited research, the included instruction, modeling of commonplace in schools since the National Association of School skills, and practice of those skills) in “duck-and-cover” drills of the 1950s Psychologists (NASP) has offered a lockdown drill resulted in kinder- that were designed to teach and guidance around best practices for garten students’ mastery of six out of test procedures for use in the event conducting lockdown drills. NASP seven steps in the lockdown process. of a nuclear bomb explosion (Pruitt, (2017) recommends, for example, 2019). Since then, drills have been More recently, Schildkraut and that drills be carefully planned and added for fires (Carella, 2008) and colleagues (2020) found that that a school safety team be involved natural disasters such as tornadoes participating in lockdown drills in such preparations. Similarly, NASP (2017) recommends giving consider- (Hoekstra, Nichols, & Gruntfest, and training improved feelings of ation to the needs of students with 2014) and earthquakes (Simpson, preparedness, with students report- disabilities or mental health concerns 2002). Exercises, on the other ing a greater familiarity with how to respond when lockdowns and who may be impacted by participat- hand, involve multiple agencies and other emergency calls are made ing in a drill. Moreover, drills should involve testing the internal capabil- (e.g., calls to lock down, evacuate, never be unannounced, and partic- ities of each group as well as their shelter, or hold-in-place). Student ipants should be debriefed at the interagency cooperation (FEMA, perceptions of safety decreased over conclusion (NASP, 2017). In a later 2020). Exercises take considerably time, though other factors, includ- guidance document, NASP (2018) more planning and may be costly ing exposure to community-based recommends trauma mitigation to implement, whereas drills can violence, may have contributed to during actual emergencies (real lock- easily be incorporated into the daily the decline (Schildkraut et al., 2020). downs), which can be incorporated operations of schools and often Still, the decline was small, partic- into the drill phase to ensure such require less in the way of financial ularly in comparison to the gains practices are put into place when resources (National Association of made in feelings of preparedness. needed. Such mitigation includes School Psychologists [NASP], 2017). In a follow-up study, Schildkraut and providing clear information and Should Schools Be Conducting Lockdown Drills? page 2 directions, maintaining a controlled in such practices. Although state and 1. What are the long-term effects response to keep students calm, local statutes should be specific in of lockdown drills on students, and evaluating the lockdown itself to defining the parameters of the drills faculty, and staff? identify opportunities for improve- being required, few statutes currently ment or needed resources. are very specific. 2. To what extent can specific lock- down procedures and practices In this challenging context, school be identified that maximize skill Conclusion districts need to distinguish between mastery and minimize trauma? Since the Parkland massacre and lockdown drills and active