Trump’s idea of arming teachers with guns will not prevent school shootings

Similar day-to-day risks involving arming teachers could be that he/she unintentionally discharges the firearm or have their guns taken by an angry student while trying to break-up a fight.

Business Standard News : President Donald Trump’s proposal to arm teachers has sparked substantial public debate.

As researchers of consumer culture and lead authors of a recent study of how Americans use and view firearms for self-defense, we argue that while carrying a gun may reduce the risk of being powerless during an attack, it also introduces substantial and overlooked risks to the carrier and others.

Where bullets land

• One of the biggest risks involved with arming teachers would be missing the target – literally. Despite the fact that police must undergo extensive professional training, particularly for high-pressure situations, one study notes that police involved in gunfights shoot with an accuracy rate of just 18 percent.
• Assuming teachers can achieve the same level of accuracy as police, and that an armed teacher was able to get into position to fire, just one in five or six bullets would hit the shooter. The other four or five bullets would hit something or someone else. While an armed and trained teacher may be able to stop a shooter, the teacher may also shoot an innocent person.

Why might they miss the target?

• Our recent study about people who keep and use handguns for self-defence can help to explain why someone using a gun against an attacker has difficulty hitting their target.
• Over 24 months, the research team monitored 6,879 threads in four online discussion forums focused on armed self-defence. One author completed concealed handgun license training. Two contributing authors attended the annual NRA convention. The lead authors attended two gun shows and interviewed two police officers and nine civilians who keep and/or carry handguns for self-defence.
• Individuals in our study expressed concern about effectively using their training during an actual event. They spoke of the possibility of “freezing up” or clumsily drawing their weapons. Many, including police and military personnel, acknowledge that the fear and chaos caused by a threatening situation produce involuntary physical responses, such as a racing heart and loss of fine motor skills. They believe these responses could impede their ability to accurately fire and could expose themselves and bystanders to the risk of being shot. They engaged in regular rehearsals in an attempt to address these concerns.