A top pediatricians’ group says realistic active shooter drills can unnecessarily traumatize children, and schools should stop running them. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) outlined the risks of active shooter drills that simulate an attack or drills that students believe are real crises in a policy statement this week. Both types of drills can cause students psychological harm and may even hinder the decision making of school faculty in real crises, the AAP said. More research is needed on how to best prepare students and faculty for a school shooting, the association said. Children and teens should be involved in some drills that prepare them for crises, the AAP said, but not when participating in those drills could do more harm than good. Typical active shooter drills might have students hide in a part of their classroom and keep quiet. More intense variations may stage a shooting, and some may even be conducted without prior warning to students and parents. In its policy statement, published in the journal Pediatrics, the AAP advised against “high-intensity” active shooter drills, which may use real weapons, gunfire and makeup made to look like gunshot wounds or blood. Active shooter drills are often planned without the input of experts who can address the needs of young children, children who’ve experienced trauma and disabled children. Students should only be included in drills that are designed for their benefit, the AAP said, not just for the benefit of faculty. Intense drills could hinder judgment, AAP says. Active shooter drills are meant to prepare faculty and students for the potential of a school shooting, but some of the tactics they teach may be dangerous. The AAP said such training may give children and adults the “illusion of control” if they’re in crisis, which could put them in harm’s way or could harm others. There’s evidence, too, that intense drills could even hinder decision making by adult staff: The AAP cited a study by a school safety nonprofit that conducted over 8,000 video and audio drills. The nonprofit found that school staff who completed active shooter training designed to help them make decisions in the moment were nearly twice as likely to make the wrong decisions in a crisis compared to untrained staff who relied on common sense. [full article]