Attitudes About Active Shooter Drills and School Safety Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States

Understanding student attitudes toward emergency preparedness drills (“drills”) in response to an active shooter is critical to developing best practices and guidance for schools implementing them. We utilized a national sample of middle and high school students and young adults ( N = 1,901) to examine perceptions of school actions when conducting drills including notifications before drills, debriefing, and simulated gunfire. Respondents broadly agreed that drills do not create unnecessary anxiety and should continue to be implemented. Nearly half of respondents reported feeling unprepared in the event of an active shooter, indicating a need to improve drill procedures and training. Debriefing following drills was associated with less drill-related anxiety, feeling more prepared, and taking drills seriously. Notifying before drills and simulating gunshots did not affect responses, especially after controlling for debriefing. Results support more focus on quality debriefing following active shooter drills and that debriefs can have operational and socio-emotional advantages.