With the number of school shootings increasing exponentially, schools across the country are going to great lengths to prevent shootings and implement more safety precautions. 

     As school shootings become more of a prevalent issue in today’s world, companies are scrambling to find new solutions. Window Film Depot advertises a bulletproof window film option, specialized for preventing mass shootings. They share a concerning perspective: “While security measures like locking doors during school hours are necessary to overall safety, they neglect the fact that these aggressors are armed and usually able to gain entry by damaging glass windows and doors”. 

According to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, preventing school shootings begins with cultivating a safe, supportive, school environment by training school staff and promoting the inclusion of mental health resources into everyday school life. They also highlight the importance of addressing risks by closing the gap between the access to and the need for mental health resources.

Finding ways to help students feel safe is always a priority, though many times students don’t feel anything helps. A study at Alfred University showed that 12% of students feel that there’s nothing staff and teachers can do to prevent these horrific events; that they are inevitable in the world we live in today in the U.S.

     Here at Hellgate High School, students can find a lockdown initiation mechanism on every floor, as well as a call and emergency response hotline button in every classroom. This has proven to be helpful in the past, and provides great support for the coming years.

     At Hellgate, administrators aim for a balance of support, reassurance, and open-mindedness with safety. Equipped with four counselors, a school psychologist, and many social workers, Hellgate demonstrates and shares a healthy relationship between students and the much needed normalization of asking for help.