In the article “I’m A School Psychologist — And I Think Teachers Should Be Armed,” the author Michal Golberg (2018) argues that the policies guiding the protection of schools and their students from attacks should be changed. The main idea of the article is explored based on the author’s experience of dealing with the consequences of a school shooting in Florida, which was carried out in 2017.
First of all, Goldberg (2018) had to assist the students in their recovery from the trauma, and he highlights several aspects that should be added to the current defense strategy of lockdown drills, no tolerance for bullying, and empathy development. Next, Goldberg (2018) advocates for allowing to carry of weapons to law-abiding educators as a way of strengthening the school’s self-defense. This suggestion is based on the author’s personal experience of being a concealed weapon carrier and on several studies and surveys that highlight self-defense can help prevent such crimes. The goal is to deter potential shooters from committing violence in fear of facing resistance from the staff and aiding the students to ensure that they do not feel defenseless. The author concludes by stating that an active defense strategy in the form of training and arming teachers can help reduce the student’s trauma and prevent school shootings in some cases.
Reference
Goldberg, M. W. (2018). I’m A School Psychologist — And I Think Teachers Should Be Armed. The Forward. Web.