Survey: Majority of US Teachers Oppose Carrying Firearms in Schools

A recent study found that 54% of instructors are concerned that permitting weapons in schools will reduce student safety, while 19% of K-12 teachers, or about 550,000 of the nation's 3 million, said they would want to bring weapons to school.

The RAND Corporation's October-November 2022 study also noted that 26% believe weapons neither increase nor decrease school safety, CBS News reported.

According to Education Week's tracker, at least 24 gunshot events in 2023 resulted in deaths or injuries on school grounds. Last week marked the first anniversary of the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, when 19 kids and two educators died.

How do *teachers* feel about arming teachers? Do they believe it would make schools safer? Or less safe?

We asked them.

Results from a new RAND survey... 🧵https://t.co/OtZyQNSjF3
— RAND (@RANDCorporation) May 31, 2023

The Giffords Law Center, which promotes gun control, noted that teachers may now lawfully carry weapons on school property in at least 27 states, either with special licenses or in certain situations, according to USA Today.

The National Rifle Association supported the measure. South Dakota became the first state to approve such legislation in 2013, just after the devastating Sandy Hook tragedy.

US Teachers Are More Concerned About Other Issues in School

While recent incidents of US mass shootings have generated concerns about how to protect pupils in schools, the study shows that teachers' main worry is bullying. According to Heather L. Schwartz, one of the authors of the RAND analysis and a policy researcher, bullying is educators' top safety concern, followed by conflicts and drug-related problems, despite the traction of anti-bullying initiatives, per WTOP News.

About 50% of respondents think physical security measures like locks, ID badges, cameras, and security guards positively affect school safety regarding gun violence. However, 5% believe these actions have negatively impacted the school's atmosphere.

As of Tuesday, the 150th day of the year, the number of mass shootings in the United States had resulted in 263 deaths, a record high for this early in the year.