Celebrates one year anniversary of White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Urges More Progress Towards Solutions to Keep Youth Safe
NEWTOWN, Conn. — September 26, 2024 – The Biden-Harris Administration today announced new executive orders designed to reduce gun violence and save lives, including new direction for federal agencies to improve school-based active shooter drills.
Sandy Hook Promise is the only national gun violence prevention organization implementing K-12 school safety programs nationwide, and a leading expert on active shooter drills in schools. As part of this work, SHP has created guiding principles of school safety, utilizing insight from student leaders and experts in education, mental health, child psychology and violence prevention. These include guidance on best practices when implementing active shooter drills.
“In 2022, student leaders from Sandy Hook Promise brought to light the negative impact of active shooter drills in schools. Their insights provided the groundwork for our model ‘Students Safe at School’ legislation which aims to help students feel safe and supported. Today, I’m grateful to see the Biden-Harris administration embrace enhanced guidelines for improved school-based drills, uplifting these students’ perspectives and strengthening school safety in communities across the country.” said Mark Barden co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. “We know from experts in education, mental health, psychology and violence prevention that a more trauma-informed approach to active shooter drills is necessary, and these executive orders will help to make that a reality.”
The Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund authored the definitive playbook for Active Shooter Drills and since 2020 has been at the forefront of effective school safety legislation. This includes writing “Students Safe at School” legislation which has since been signed into law in Minnesota and Indiana. The bill is the leading model for school safety legislation and has introduced critical measures including the disaggregation of drills from simulations, a new requirement for trauma-informed practices in drills and creating exemptions for students from mandated participation in simulations. It also requires that schools offer evidence-based violence prevention programming for students. These practices were all informed by input from students in the Sandy Hook Promise network, who described active shooter drills as anxiety provoking and disruptive to their ability to learn.
In addition, the Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund has championed advancements in secure storage, another critical and effective policy to prevent gun violence.
“This time last year, myself and many other survivors and advocates gathered in the Rose Garden to mark the creation of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. One year later, we join again with those who have dedicated their life’s mission to delivering freedom from fear and violence. We thank the Biden-Harris Administration for continuing to champion sensible, bipartisan solutions to our nation’s gun violence epidemic. Today’s policies do not change our history, but they can change our future. We must never stop moving forward, with purpose through our pain, which is why we remain committed to working with elected leaders at all levels of government across all political parties to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our children,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
In addition to her leadership role at Sandy Hook Promise, Nicole Hockley advises on school safety policy through her position on the Federal School Safety Advisory Board under the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
You can learn more about the bipartisan solutions Sandy Hook Promise is working to advance at all levels of government here: https://actionfund.sandyhookpromise.org.
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The Sandy Hook Promise Action Fund (SHPAF) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization committed to protecting all children from gun violence in schools, homes, and communities. The SHP Action Fund advances a holistic policy platform that promotes gun safety, youth mental health, and violence prevention education. The organization works at the state and federal level to pass nonpartisan legislation through inclusive partnerships, diverse grassroots education, and community mobilization. It is part of Sandy Hook Promise, founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
Media Contact:
Aimee Thunberg | [email protected] | 646-761-5579