Empowering Prevention: Leveraging Online Surveys to Combat School Shootings

Shooting at school is every parent and teacher’s nightmare. Over the years, the number of mass shootings in schools has been increasing gradually despite efforts from the school administration and government to stop it. Recently, there was a shooting incident at a Christian elementary school in Nashville. According to the Gun Violence Archive, this was the 129th incidence this year. The previous week, a 28-year-old male was shot by the police after he attacked the Covenant School. He had a handgun and two rifles. In the tragedy, six people died including three children aged nine. The other victims were seniors. President Biden together with several lawmakers offered their condolences and encouraged everyone to do what they can to stop gun violence.

The Current State of School Shootings

In the last decade, more than 850 incidents of school shootings have been reported. And this number is increasing every day. 573 of these incidents happened on the grounds of a high, middle, elementary, and preschool leading to hundreds of people wounded or dead. Most of the victims in these cases were students. Online surveys and school shooting essays show that most mass shootings (where more than four people die after being shot) are quite common on school grounds. And these incidents impose trauma on students and the community at large. As a college student, you should read an essay on school shootings to not only learn about the subject but also how to protect yourself. You’ll also have an easy time writing your school shooting essay and getting good grades.

Surveys also show that incidences of gun violence affect class safety. School safety has a direct effect on learning outcomes and the social and emotional development of learners. Trauma affects students in many ways such as maintaining attention, getting good grades, and achieving one’s life goals. To address the issue of gun violence in schools, we need to come up with broader solutions.

The Benefits of Online Surveys

When it comes to reporting gun violence in schools, most researchers use online surveys to collect information. As a reader, you might be wondering how effective online surveys are.

Fast

Completing an online survey is shorter than traditional methods of research by an average of two-thirds. This is largely because information is gathered automatically. You don’t have to wait for participants to complete their questionnaires. Research experts have reported that they receive most of the responses in the first three days of their projects.

Cost-effective

By using online questionnaires, you’ll greatly minimize your research expenses. You won’t have to spend money on postage or allocate resources to input information into your database. Every response is processed automatically and you can access the results whenever you want.

Accurate

With education surveys, the margin of error is greatly minimized since participants input their responses into the database directly. Traditional research methods aren’t usually accurate since the effectiveness of the results relies on the attentiveness of the researcher to input the information correctly. Human error is likely to happen when individuals perform repetitive tasks.

Easy to analyze

You can analyze the results of an online survey in real time whenever you want. This means that you can learn, create graphs, share your results with others, and export data for more analysis.

Easy time for participants

Most people who can easily access the web prefer answering online surveys instead of using their phones. An online survey allows participants to complete the survey at a moment that suits them best. Plus, it takes a shorter time to complete it.

Easy to brand

With an online survey, you get the chance to style your brand in the reader’s mind and share with them the benefits that you provide. It can be styled to match your website using customized images, fonts, backgrounds, and logos. The survey provider should support mobile platforms to allow you to increase your reach across all platforms.

Utilizing Online Surveys for Prevention

To address the issue of gun violence in learning institutions, we need to accept the fact that school violence is a major part of the gun violence problem. While many safety plans have been proposed in the last two decades, only a few have addressed the issue of school shootings comprehensively. After spending many hours researching the problem and getting information from participants, here are some of the best ways to prevent school shootings:

Enact laws on firearm storage

In most school shooting incidents, the source of guns used is the shooter’s home or the homes of their close relatives or friends. This shouldn’t surprise you since the majority of children in the US live in homes with loaded and unlocked guns. To minimize incidences of school shootings, states need to enact laws on secure firearm storage. Apart from that, legislatures should promote programs that encourage adults to store their firearms safely. Adults should store their firearms securely especially when they are not using them to prevent unauthorized use. Under this law, the person who fails to secure their firearm is 100 percent responsible. Various research studies have shown that the average age of school shooters is 17 years old. And proper firearm storage has the potential of reducing unintentional shootings and suicide by nearly 78 percent among teenagers and children. Enforcing the law and promoting public awareness are essential components in ensuring that firearm storage laws work.

Revisit the age allowed purchasing firearms

While most active shooters in schools tend to be learners, only a few states have enacted laws that raise the age of individuals allowed to purchase firearms. The federal government together with the state needs to raise the age to possess or purchase handguns and shotguns to 21 to prevent easy access to firearms. Federal law states that you have to be 21 years old to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer. However, when it comes to purchasing a firearm from a private individual or online, you have to be 18 years old. Closing these gaps will make it harder for potential shooters to access firearms and bring them to school.

Conduct a background check on gun sales

The key to enforcing gun laws in the US is conducting background checks. This exercise will help in keeping firearms out of the hands of individuals with life-threatening histories. The federal government together with states need to pass laws that require background checks on every gun sale to prevent shooters from accessing firearms. According to the current federal law, background checks should be conducted when individuals try to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer to ensure that they are not prohibited from owning guns. However, the law does not demand background checks to be conducted when purchasing a gun from gun shows, unlicensed parties, or online sellers. Background checks play an important role in promoting school safety. Without conducting these checks, individuals will easily access firearms. And this will make it difficult to control school shooting incidences.

Conclusion

Apart from enacting laws and conducting background checks, schools need to create a conducive environment where learners can share the problems they are facing with their colleagues and tutors. Showing compassion for learners who are facing problems in school or at home and teaching them life skills will go a long way in helping them learn how to survive a school shooting and preventing them.