School Safety: Do School Safety Measures Improve Teacher Perceptions of Safety?

Abstract

In response to mass school shootings, most schools in the country have implemented and reinforced a variety of school safety measures, the most common being practice of lockdown procedures, increased security on school campuses, and active shooter training for staff members. As schools increase their efforts to prevent further tragedies, do teachers feel safer or better prepared for an active shooter situation on their campus? In this study, twelve teachers at Ridgeview High School were interviewed to find out the degree to which school safety measures have affected their perception of safety on the school campus. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which school safety measures implemented at Ridgeview High School affected teacher perceptions of safety, and determine which measures should be more widely implemented at other schools. This study includes suggestions for further training and additional school safety measures that may be implemented at Ridgeview High School as well as other schools.