- On the eve of the Columbine High School shooting anniversary, a new 59-page report commissioned by the Department of Justice offers concrete tips for schools.
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News — April 17, 2025—In the past decade, the U.S. Department of Justice has invested heavily in research aimed at understanding how to make K-12 schools safer. A new CU Boulder-led review of the findings provides answers.
“We know that addressing school climate, physical security and student behavior problems are all important, but we really haven’t had clear guidance on what schools should do,” said lead author Sarah Goodrum, a research professor in CU Boulder’s Prevention Science Program. “This report is the first to clearly spell out what the evidence shows.”
For the 59-page report, Goodrum pored over papers funded by NIJ’s Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI), which grew out of the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
In 2024 alone, at least 330 shootings occurred — the second highest number ever. Already in 2025, at least 70 shootings have occurred at U.S. schools. This week an armed 17-year-old injured at least five students at a high school in Dallas. April 20 marks the 26th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado.
Such tragedies are almost always preceded by subtler warning signs, including troubling behavior by the perpetrator, or a school climate in which bullying is pervasive or mental health issues go unaddressed, said Goodrum.
“We often hear people wanting to look for the panacea,” said Goodrum. “School safety takes a multi-pronged approach.”
Among other things, the report recommends that schools:
Administer a climate survey at least every other year to students, parents and staff to assess how safe they feel at school; whether they are subject to bullying; and whether there is a trusted adult they can turn to if they are in trouble or see something concerning.
Create a continuum of response
This might range from providing support to address trauma, depression or anxiety fueling minor problems to expelling a student deemed to be a threat.
“Research consistently finds that a ‘get tough’ or zero-tolerance approach is ineffective and can damage school climate,” Goodrum said.
Address physical security thoughtfully
Little research exists on surveillance cameras (which more than 81% of schools now use) and metal detectors, and most of that research has been done by vendors.
“We don’t know if having surveillance cameras or metal detectors reduces crime and bullying in schools, and we do know that there can be some downsides,” she said.
Research on lockdown drills is also mixed, with some studies showing they make students and staff feel more prepared, while others show they make students more scared.
Encourage upstander reporting
In almost all of the more than 170 averted cases in the National Policing Institute’s Averted School Violence Database, a concerned citizen, or upstander, helped to thwart violent plans by reporting their concern to someone.
“Having an anonymous reporting system” like Colorado’s Safe2Tell, and teaching students how to use it is critical,” said Goodrum.
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