NJ Bill Prioritizes Mental Health In School Lockdown Drills

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg isn't looking to stop lockdown drills in the state, but she is hoping that administrators take into consideration the mental impact that these drills can have on students.

Weinberg introduced legislation that would require a school district's to issue advance written notice to staff, parents and guardians before conduct a school security drill, including lockdowns or other simulations. Notices would also include "clear messaging" that the event is a drill, and that no danger will actually be present.

The bill, S-3762, would also ensure that schools are able to provide "trauma-informed approaches to address student inquiries about the drills."

"The goal of so-called ‘active-shooter’ drills is to prepare students for possible lockdown and other preventative measures in the case of a real emergency. However, we need to realize that sometimes the drills themselves can cause trauma, particularly to younger students," said Weinberg.

The bill would also ban the use of fake blood, real or fake firearms and simulations of gun shots. Drills would also never require students to play victims during simulations, under the new legislation.

To this point, Weinberg said school officials need to be consistent in their messaging, and make sure students can always tell the difference between a drill and real-time event.

"Our students have enough stress in their lives without adding one more layer of trauma while conducting what are supposed to be informational, educational and practical 'active-shooter drills,'" she said.

Still, addressing student mental health and making adjustment to administrative preparations in just one issue to solve, Weinberg said.

New Jersey State Police data — published by NJ.com — shows that 218 people died in New Jersey shootings in 2020, up 45 percent from 2019. An additional 1,052 were wounded in 2020 shootings, an increase of 25 percent from 2019.

"While we need to prepare our students for the worst, we need also to continue to address the gun issue directly – especially in regard to ease of accessing firearms and the mental health issues that so often play an underlying role in the nation’s rising epidemic of gun violence," said Weinberg.

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