Ian Smith

Date of Award

Summer 6-23-2018

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Abstract

In response to the mass shooting in Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School the Florida Legislature enacted the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act of 2018. The law empowers school districts to opt-in or opt-out of the Aaron Feis Guardianship program. The program authorizes the training and arming of non-teaching staff members during school operation to increase school safety. However, the decision to arm staff members during school operating hours represent a significant legal and sociopolitical dilemma for many school boards across the State of Florida. Even though several states like Texas and Arkansas currently allow armed school staff, several studies have concluded that allowing more guns into heavily populated spaces like schools does not reduce violence and result in unintended consequences like students being exposed to intentional and accidental gun violence, suicides, and increased community fears.

Therefore, the consequences from having more guns, by arming school staff to keep children safe was the focus of this research. The presence of armed school staff was evaluated through the perspective of community members and interviewing key community stakeholders living in the South Florida town of Clewiston. These citizens were surveyed and interviewed (N=30), to get their opinions regarding school security and the most effective method for protecting schools from intrusion by a mass shooter. The research concluded that school security in the single most important system that will prevent school mass shootings and arming school staff had minimal effectiveness. In terms of causation, a shooter home life relationship and bullying at school contributed to a shooting event. The data generated from this research provided important information that is beneficial to all stake holders namely; students, school staff, school districts, law enforcement, public administrators and policy decision-makers.

Download

Share

COinS