The Department of Education is instrumental in stopping gun violence in schools. School communities must be provided with tools to prevent school-based gun violence—and that starts with President Joe Biden naming Dr. Miguel Cardona as the new Secretary of Education. The U.S. Department of Education can help stop gun violence before it begins by supporting evidence-based interventions.
Here are some things the Department of Education can do to address our nation’s gun violence crisis:
- Fund the distribution of safe gun storage information, like Be SMART materials, to entire school communities.
- Incorporate Extreme Risk laws into schools, so that educators and peers are able to flag when they believe a student poses a risk to themselves or others.
- Prioritize technical assistance and funding for evidence-based intervention programs, anonymous tip lines, access to mental health services, and crime prevention through environmental design.
- Develop a plan for long-term investment in communities that have disproportionately suffered from gun violence to address root causes.
- Study the effect that active shooter drills have on our school communities.
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