In the wake of the recent shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, discussions about how to keep students safe have resurfaced. One approach is to employ school resource officers (SROs), police who monitor school grounds and respond to any threats. About 30 percent of all schools utilize SROs, but studies reveal that having dedicated police officers on campus doesn’t improve safety. In addition, SROs can actually cause issues for students, making their suspension, expulsion, or even arrest more likely. This is particularly problematic for students of color. For these reasons, some students argue that the money spent on SROs should be directed to other programs. Listen to hear more about the SRO debate: Do Police in Schools Make it Safer?
Story Length: 4:26
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April 2, 2018
3:30
Sparked by outrage over the Parkland, Florida school shooting, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched in Washington, D.C. to demand gun regulation in an event called "March for Our Lives." It was one of the biggest rallies for gun control ever and over a million people marched in cities across America and around the globe. The survivors of the Parkland shooting helped organize the events and spoke at several rallies. Listen to hear the reactions of people who attended the rally to push for changes in gun laws.
Read MoreMarch 23, 2018
6:05
President Trump met with governors at the White House to discuss gun policy and school safety. He wants to see more teachers armed, making sure they are appropriately trained and have the right skills. Some people think that would be a good defense against school shooters, but many teachers do not want to carry a weapon in the classroom. Listen to hear more about guns in schools and what might be done to keep students safe and then debate: Should teachers carry guns?
Read MoreFebruary 27, 2018
3:56
Students who witnessed the deadly school shooting in Florida are channeling their rage and grief into activism for gun reform. The classmates of the 17 people who were killed by a gunman in a Parkland, Florida high school are demanding state lawmakers ban assault rifles. There are protests and school walkouts planned across the country, in an effort to encourage lawmakers to rethink their positions on guns. Listen to one of the the high school students who survived the shooting as she talks about why she has become a gun control activist.
Read MoreOctober 16, 2017
3:37
In Las Vegas, a man shot hundreds of rifle rounds into a crowd at a concert in the deadliest mass shooting in recent history. This has reopened the debate about gun control. Owning guns, hunting and recreational shooting are part of the culture in parts of Nevada. The state gun laws are less restrictive and difficult to enforce. Listen to this story about federal, state and local gun laws.
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