Introduction
Texas is one of the states that are most affected by the issue of school shootings. In recent years, there has been an increase in the incidence of shootings at schools. The recent 2022 Uvalde shooting took the lives of 21 people, which is an unprecedented number for a school shooting in Texas.
After the Uvalde shooting happened, the Texas local government introduced some new universal safety measures that are required to be introduced in all Texas schools. However, the majority of the decisions regarding safety are still not fixed on the Texas state level but are transferred to school districts and schools themselves. Therefore, the Texas government must adopt universal rigid safety rules that all Texas schools must implement as the school shooting issue requires a state approach.
The Importance of the Policy Issue
The issue of school shootings has vital importance as it leads to life losses, causes collective trauma, and contributes to a mental health crisis among school students. The state’s safety is measured first and foremost by the safety of children. When parents have to be worried about their children, this damages the reputation and image of Texas as a secure place to live and learn. Moreover, the educational environment in all schools is inevitably disrupted whenever a school shooting takes place (Jagodzinski 192). Fear and anxiety paralyze the community, which affects all community spheres and members, not just the schools.
Compared to other policy issues in Texas, this issue is more urgent to address as it is concerned directly with the health and safety of Texas children. Healthcare, immigration, and economic development are also essential, but people’s lives do not depend on them directly. The safety of the residents must be addressed first and foremost before other problems are solved. Until Texas changes its policy regarding school shootings, community members will not be able to feel safe.
The Solution to the Policy Issue
The solution to this policy issue lies in unifying and fortifying safety measures for all schools in Texas, setting as many universal strict safety control measures on the state level as possible. Schools are still free to set their safety protocols (Mendez). Schools can make their own decisions determining who can carry a gun on the school territory: “Districts determine the policies and do not have uniform requirements” (Mendez par. 5). This can lead to safety breaches; therefore, a universal protocol regarding gun control in schools is needed.
Another component includes all schools’ universal mental health counseling programs (Jeynes 44). Texas government should increase funding and establish universal programs regarding students’ mental health that are aimed at preventing school shooting cases.
Conclusion
To conclude, the issue of school safety amid growing cases of school shootings is a problem of paramount importance and must be addressed by the Texas government. A universal, comprehensive approach is needed to set unified safety rules and protocols for all schools. This approach must include stricter rules regarding gun control in schools and mental health counseling programs that will be established in all Texas schools.
Works Cited
Jagodzinski, Lawrence C. “School Safety Upgrades and Perceptions of Safety Protocols in Prevention of School Shootings.” School Violence in International Contexts, edited by Rosemary Papa, Springer International Publishing, 2019, pp. 185-197.
Jeynes, William H. Reducing School Shootings. Springer International Publishing, 2021.
Mendez, Maria. “Texas Has Some Safety Requirements for Public Schools – but Leaves Most of the Particulars up to Education Officials.” The Texas Tribune, 2022. Web.
CRAP Rubric
1. Lawrence C, Jagodzinski – “School Safety Upgrades and Perceptions of Safety Protocols in Prevention of School Shootings.”
- Currency: The book was published in 2019, so it is recent enough.
- Reliability: The book provides reliable information regarding school shootings issue in the US.
- Authority: The book was written by professional researchers of the field.
- Purpose: The book is free from bias and the information is objective and impartial.
2. Jeynes’ Reducing School Shootings.
- Currency: The book was published in 2021, thus, the information is current and relevant.
- Reliability: The book provides relevant information on how school shootings can be reduced.
- Authority: The author is a reliable researcher who can be trusted.
- Purpose: The author is unbiased and provides objective information.
3. Maria Mendez article
- Currency: The article was written in 2022 and the information is current.
- Reliability: The article provides reliable information on Texas school safety policies.
- Authority: The author is a professional expert in Texas public policies.
- Purpose: The author provides an objective and unbiased insight into Texas policies.