Content Warning: This section discusses school shootings and post-traumatic stress disorder.

School shootings are one of the most difficult and severe issues that Americans living in the 21st century are facing today. In the United States in 2023, 82 school shooting incidents took place, making it the highest rate yet recorded. The issue remains one of political contention, as some point to the need for safety in schools while others demand the right to bear arms. Invoking heavier gun ownership regulations and screening processes is often discussed as a potential solution, while others suggest the importance of school personnel and on-site resource officers having access to guns to defend themselves in case of a violent threat. The United States leads in this statistic by a wide margin when compared with other countries, many of which have heavy regulations on gun ownership or have banned gun ownership altogether.

The effects of school shootings are numerous and extend well beyond the immediate effects of death, grief, and an overall lack of safety. A student who survives a school shooting is at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder or another trauma-related disorder such as agoraphobia (fear of public places and/or the feeling of being trapped in an uncontrollable situation).