As back-to-school essentials are continuously stocked in stores all over the United States, there is one item in particular that caught my attention; bullet-resistant backpacks.
News outlets in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania report that office stores all over the city are selling backpacks with protective layering designed to better prepare students in the case of an active shooter.
But is this really the best way to combat armed individuals that enter our schools?
Since the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999 in which two students killed twelve students and one teacher, there have been over 240 school-related shootings in the United States.
This is an unacceptable number, and while bullet-proof bags may give parents and guardians some peace of mind as their children journey through the school day, it does not even attempt to prevent and limit fatal shootings in school settings.
The potential victims of active shooters are not the problem; the lack of gun control laws and the accessibility of mental health services and training are.
First of all, these backpacks cost hundreds of dollars. That automatically limits what families will be able to afford them, despite every family's hope of keeping their children safe while they are at school.
This could also create a platform for students to bully those who cannot afford these bags, just as bullying may occur with other items that determine status or show one's wealth.
Second, in most classrooms and school buildings, especially at the middle and elementary levels, students do not carry their backpacks with them throughout the day.
In the event of an active shooter, it is highly unlikely that students will think or even be advised to grab their bullet-resistant backpack as a form of protection. That goes into my next reason as to why these bags are not helpful.
Most safety plans that I have experienced when preparing to handle an active shooter state that the ultimate goal is to get somewhere safe which usually means outside of the building and away from the threat.
That being said, if a child has a bullet-proof backpack and knows there is an active shooter in their school/building, their gut instinct might tell them to grab their backpack and wait rather than run for escape if/when they have the chance.
These bags now have the potential to create defiance in an emergency situation in which students place value on their protective bags over potential escape.
Finally, these bags are designed to protect against bullets, however, when these backpacks are tested, handguns are the only guns used.
Most mass shootings, such as the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, involve assault rifles that shoot more bullets at faster rates. How are these backpacks really going to save our kids from active shooters when they are not being authentically tested?
It is time that we focus on regulating gun ownership and continue promoting mental health awareness and training in order to not only protect potential victims of shootings but prevent them too.
