Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2025

Author Spotlight: Understanding Adolescent Social Adversity Effects on Neurodevelopment in Mice
Published on: March 15, 2024
Impact of School Shootings on Adolescent School Safety, 2009-2019
James C Hodges1, Danielle T Walker1, Christopher F Baum1
1James C. Hodges and Summer Sherburne Hawkins are with the School of Social Work, Danielle T. Walker is with the William F. Connell School of Nursing, and Christopher F. Baum is with the Department of Economics and School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA. Christopher F. Baum is also with the Department of Macroeconomics, German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Berlin, Germany.
Abstract:
Objectives. To examine the impact of school shootings on indicators of adolescent school safety in the United States. Methods. We linked 2009-2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data on 211 236 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years from 24 school districts with data on high school shootings from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. We conducted 2-way fixed-effects logistic regression models to assess the impact of shootings on self-report of 3 indicators of school safety: avoiding school because of feeling unsafe, carrying a weapon at school, and being threatened or injured with a weapon at school. Results. High school shootings were associated with adolescents having 20% greater odds of avoiding school because of feeling unsafe (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11, 1.29) than those who had not. Findings were slightly attenuated in sensitivity analyses that tested exposure to shootings at any school in the district or state. High school shootings were associated with a statistically nonsignificant (P = .08) elevated risk of carrying a weapon at school (AOR = 1.11; 95% CI = 0.99, 1.25). Conclusions. The negative ramifications of school shootings extend far beyond the event itself to adolescents' concerns about school safety. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(4):438-441. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307206).
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Bullying
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Bystander Effect
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

