ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Active shooter training is required in 40 states across the country, including in Florida. But some of these drills are surprisingly realistic, and mental health experts think they might actually be a root cause of stress and anxiety.
"The primary factors that we see that contribute to kids' rising anxiety and worry surrounding active shooter drills, include not having clear communication as to why it's happening in a developmentally appropriate level," Dr. Jennifer Katzenstein, the director of psychology, neuropsychology and social work at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, said.
A 2020 study released by advocacy group Everytown For Gun Safety analyzed 27.9 million tweets and 1454 Reddit posts from social media accounts connected to 114 schools in 33 states that held active shooter drills.
They found a 42 percent increase in anxiety and stress and a 39 percent increase in depression. Those numbers came from the rise in the use of words like; afraid, struggling and nervous linked to anxiety along with words like therapy, cope, irritability, suicidal linked to depression in the 90 days after drills were carried out.
"It's important that schools talk to parents about when the drill is happening, what it will look like, what their kids can expect," Katzenstein explained. "So that leading up to that drill, everyone knows what's going to happen. It isn't that it's completely abrupt, and out of nowhere, but making sure our kids know and are prepared that this is coming.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement, warning that although kids should participate on some level, high-intensity drills can cause psychological damage.
Safety experts say routine active shooter drills are an important tool and could make a difference for students and staff if they were to find themselves in an active shooting situation. Katzenstein says it's important to mold drills to consider different developmentally appropriate levels.
"Presenting that language in a way that provides the necessary information, but without providing such a detailed description," she said. "Especially for our younger kids who may not understand, they may not see the big picture."