Speaking of Psychology Can we prevent school shootings? With Dewey Cornell, PhD
Jan 22, 2025
Dewey Cornell, PhD, a forensic clinical psychologist and expert in school violence prevention, shares valuable insights on how to improve safety in schools. He emphasizes the need for effective threat assessment protocols and collaboration among students, teachers, and law enforcement. Cornell discusses the rarity of school shootings compared to other violence in public spaces and advocates for supportive, non-punitive approaches to handling threats. He also highlights the importance of understanding student behavior and the role of technology in fostering a safe school environment.
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School Safety Statistics
- Schools are statistically safer regarding gun violence than other public spaces.
- Shootings are tragic but rare in schools, statistically occurring once every 6,000 years per school.
Post-Shooting Threat Dynamics
- After high-profile school shootings, there's a surge in student threats and increased sensitivity to potential threats.
- Authorities react more strongly to student behavior, creating a complex challenge for schools.
Comprehensive Threat Assessment
- Implement a multidisciplinary team approach to threat assessment, involving administrators, counselors, and law enforcement.
- Gather information from various sources, including student interviews, witness testimonies, and background checks.