title: Reducing the Risks of Firearm Violence in High Schools: Principals' Perceptions and Practices.
abstract: This study assessed the perceptions and practices of a national sample of secondary school principals regarding reducing firearm violence in high schools. Data were collected via three-wave postal mailings. A 59-item valid and reliable questionnaire was mailed to a national random sample of 800 secondary school principals. Of the 349 principals (46 %) that responded, 17 % reported a firearm incident at their school in the past 5 years. Principals perceived inadequate parental monitoring (70 %), inadequate mental health services (64 %), peer harassment/bullying (59 %), and easy access to firearms (50 %) as the main causes of firearm violence in schools. The three barriers to implementing firearm violence prevention practices were: lack of expertise as to which practices to implement (33 %), lack of time (30 %), and lack of research as to which practices are most effective (30 %). Less than half of schools trained school personnel regarding firearm violence issues. The findings indicate that firearm incidents at schools may be more common than previously thought. A significant portion of principals are at a loss as to what to implement because of a lack of empirical evidence on what is effective. More research is needed to find the most effective school interventions for reducing firearm violence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Professions, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, 43606, USA.
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Health Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA.
authors.forename: Jagdish
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khubchandani
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Health Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA. edpayton@bsu.edu.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Payton
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Professions, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, 43606, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Firearms; Guns; High schools; Principals; School violence