Tuesday, February 11, 2025

A student’s thoughts on gun safety at school

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Commenting on the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the parade shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, and the terrifying experience of a school lockdown at her own high school a few years ago, Maddie Molotla of Evanston Township High School in Illinois shares her thoughts (and fears) about her safety from gun violence while she’s in school in The Evanstonian.

In an extensive op-ed, she claims that students “have no reason to feel safe from gun violence while in school” and says that she can only use the words dismay and hopelessness to describe her feelings every time she hears about another school shooting.

“As a high school student, I can easily say that I live in fear while at school due to the threat of gun violence,” she writes. “But I’m not scared to admit this because I am well aware that others share the same feeling.

“As a student in America, it’s almost as if you’re one of the least cared for groups in this country,” she continues. “Guns are more protected than we are, and we’re supposed to just be OK with it?”

Guns aren’t the only form of violence that threatens schools, either. In Frederick County, Maryland, on Sunday night, police learned of a bomb threat against Walkersville High School, reports Soleil Rivera in the Tuscarora High School student newspaper. The threat turned out to be not credible but can still terrorize students.

The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line is an anonymous reporting system used to report threats to the safety and/or well-being of students. Students, parents, faculty, staff, and members of communities throughout Maryland may use this anonymous, app- and web-based reporting system to share their concerns, such as:

  • Mental health crises
  • Bullying
  • School and community violence
  • Drug activity
  • Abuse
  • Harassment
  • Other issues affecting our Maryland students

The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line is a tool for proactively addressing harmful situations and helping students who need it. They are encouraged to report suspicious or troubling incidents and possibly save a life. The tip line uses various communication modes to support the reporting and routing of tips. It empowers Marylanders to create a culture of preparedness, prevention, and school safety.

Back in Maddie’s location, the Illinois Attorney General’s office supports the “School Violence Tipline,” which students can call to report threats of violence, abuse, or other mental health crises they may be experiencing. The Illinois tip line is available by calling 1 (800) 477-0024.

Paul Katulahttps://news.schoolsdo.org
Paul Katula is the executive editor of the Voxitatis Research Foundation, which publishes this blog. For more information, see the About page.

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