Public School Preparedness for School Shootings: A Phenomenological Overview of School Staff Perspectives

Abstract

Public school trauma responses to school shootings in the USA would benefit from a greater focus on trauma intervention in the aftermath of a shooting. The current research explored school staff attitudes toward public school trauma response after school shootings. This phenomenological study was conducted with 12 public school staff members with school shooting experience through convenience sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with questions about public school responses to trauma following a school shooting. Findings indicated school staff concerns related to public school trauma response to school shootings were categorized by four major themes: trauma intervention, perception of support, unintended negative consequences, and barriers to trauma intervention. Reflections of school staff offer insight into where the public schools can begin to more adequately address the needs of students and faculty members who have also survived school shootings.