Recently, a study was published in the journal Preventive Medicine that claims that states with laws allowing teachers to be armed have lower rates of school shootings. The study was quickly picked up by right-wing media as “irrefutable proof” that arming teachers works. However, as with most studies, the devil is in the details.
The study only looked at K-12 schools and only covered the years 2000 to 2016. However, it also reportedly did not include the Sandy Hook shooting. That’s a rather glaring omission considering that Sandy Hook occurred in 2012, which falls within the study’s timeframe, and took place at a K-6 school.
The lead author of the study, Dr. David Studdert of Stanford University, even stated that the results were “unexpected” and that the findings don’t mean that arming teachers should be adopted as a policy. He also noted that the study has significant limitations due to the small number of schools that allow armed teachers.
So while some on the right will tout this as definitive proof, the study’s own author cautions against using it as a policy prescription. A single study with acknowledged limitations and a notable omission is hardly “irrefutable proof” of anything.
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