To the attention of the President of the United States, Donald Trump Key highlights Since 1970, there are more than 1300 school shooting incidents in the U.S. Since 2009, at least 177 schools in U.S experienced a shooting. Within the last ten years, school shootings are significantly increasing and happening more often. Over the past decade, there have been at least 180 school shootings with 356 victims across the US. In 2012, a school shooting happened in Sandy Hook Elementary School was the deadliest mass school shooting in US history with 20 children at first grade and 6 adults.
2018 was the highest with 94 recorded incidents and 55 of victims killed including the shooters.
The issue of school shootings has been a matter of great concern in the United States. The issue first caught the attention of media after the horrific school shooting and murders in Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in December, 2012. As can be seen from the chart below, the US has witnessed a series of mass school shootings in recent decades.
According to the data from the US Naval Postgraduate School, there were 94 school shooting incidents in 2018 which is a highest record since 1970 which is nearly double higher than the previous record in 2006. In addition to numeric incidents, each year is recorded with a number of killed including shooters. The graph below shows a number of victims killed each year. It is obviously seen that 2018 was also the worst year with 55 people including the shooter killed in school gun violence.
School shooting causes many challenges that school have to face.
According to Dikel (2012), schools are educational rather than clinical settings and are not authorized to provide treatment services. Schools cannot obtain malpractice coverage, putting them at great risk for liability. Moreover, it is hard for parents to recognize that their children suffer from a mental problem, or they do not want their children to take medication if they are diagnosed. Further, there is a substantial lack of funding and a shortage of school counselors, exacerbating the issue of school violence (National Education Association, 2014), as students may not be receiving the mental health support that they desperately need.
Gun laws in the US are exceptionally weak. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1791) stated that ‘a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’ In other developed countries, one or even more background checks are very strictly required to get a gun, such as specific training courses, rules to use firearms, more difficult licensing requirements, and specific justifications. Unlike in the US, it is easy to get a gun with simply very few barriers, even not required a basic background check.
America has a ton of guns. It has much more than other nations, not just developed countries but any other country. From the data in the graph below, it is estimated that the number of civilian-owned gun in the US was 120.5 guns per 100 residents in 2017 which means that there were more guns owned than the number of people. Furthermore, the chart also displayed that there were 4 gun homicides per 100, 000 people (2016). It is indicated that America has a much higher gun homicide rate overall compared to other nations. These factors made it easy for people with violent intent to own a firearm which will allow them to commit a terrific shooting. However, the right is not unlimited. Some firearms restrictions have been sustained by the U.S. Supreme Court like bans on hidden weapons and on the ownership of certain types of weapons, as well as forbiddances against the sale of guns to particular categories of people.
The Gun Control Act of 1968 requires a background check and bans individuals who are under eighteen, convicted criminals, mentally disabled, military discharge personnel on purchasing guns. However, ‘as of 2019, there were no federal laws banning semiautomatic assault weapons, military-style .50 caliber rifles, handguns, or large-capacity magazines.’ There was a federal prohibition between 1994 and 2004, but these restrictions were allowed to expire by the Congress. After the deadliest school shooting happening in Newtown, Florida state legislators banned on fire stocks, and 21 years old was the minimum age that people can buy a gun. However, any major new federal restrictions were failed to enact. Stakeholder Analysis Policy recommendation and expected benefits.
Dikel, W. (2012). Providing mental health services in public schools: What educators need to know. Retrieved from K12 Academics. (n.d.). History of school shootings in the United States. Retrieved from National Education Association. (2014).
Three keys to school safety and gun violence prevention. Retrieved from Saidi, N. (2012). 10 ways to put breaks on mass shootings in schools. Retrieved from American Psychological Association. (2013).
Gun violence: Prediction, prevention, and policy. Retrieved from Masters, J. (2019). U.S. Gun Policy: Global Comparisons. Retrieved from
Remember! This is just a sample.
You can get a custom paper by one of our expert writers.
Get your custom essay
Helping students since 2015
Essay Writing Service Features
Our Experience
No matter how complex your assignment is, we can find the right professional for your specific task. Contact Essay is an essay writing company that hires only the smartest minds to help you with your projects. Our expertise allows us to provide students with high-quality academic writing, editing & proofreading services.Free Features
Free revision policy
$10Free bibliography & reference
$8Free title page
$8Free formatting
$8How Our Essay Writing Service Works
First, you will need to complete an order form. It's not difficult but, in case there is anything you find not to be clear, you may always call us so that we can guide you through it. On the order form, you will need to include some basic information concerning your order: subject, topic, number of pages, etc. We also encourage our clients to upload any relevant information or sources that will help.
Complete the order formOnce we have all the information and instructions that we need, we select the most suitable writer for your assignment. While everything seems to be clear, the writer, who has complete knowledge of the subject, may need clarification from you. It is at that point that you would receive a call or email from us.
Writer’s assignmentAs soon as the writer has finished, it will be delivered both to the website and to your email address so that you will not miss it. If your deadline is close at hand, we will place a call to you to make sure that you receive the paper on time.
Completing the order and download