School safety and security survey to be conducted

The shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas devastated the community. New efforts to assess how those who work with youth in Indiana feel about safety are underway.

Since the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, Indiana has experienced six school shooting events.  A database compiled by the Washington Post also estimates the number of Hoosier students impacted at those events at over 4,000.

The Indiana Youth Institute is using the data to outline how serious the situation is and to gather information from teachers and other youth workers.

IYI President and CEO Tami Silverman said this summer the group will survey professionals about school security.

“What would you wish would be done in your classroom?  What training, what equipment, what protections, what policies, what legislation?  Any of those things,” Silverman said.

The impact of school shootings and the trauma on youth can be harmful to their health and academics. Silverman said that trauma spreads.

“And then you start thinking about what effect that has on their community, their families and even students around the country that weren’t present,” Silverman said.

IYI cites data from the National Survey of Children’s Health that 76.6 percent of Indiana parents say they agree their child is safe at school. That number is higher than the national average, but falls short of a goal of 95 percent of respondents.

Results of the survey will be shared with  participants and offered to community leaders and policy makers.

Organizations that would like to participate can contact IYI.