Image Credit: State Representative John Ragan / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Representative John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge-District 33) has introduced a bill ahead of the upcoming 114th General Assembly that would mandate annual de-escalation training for teachers, amending the Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Act.
House Bill 1633 (HB1633) would amend Chapter 6, Part 8 of T.C.A. Title 49 pertaining to the SAVE Act that covers school safety issues such as annual armed intruder drills and who is allowed to carry a firearm on school grounds.
The proposed bill would add a new section that would require the Department of Safety to create de-escalation training for all public and charter school employees including teachers and administrators. Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, this yearly training would be mandated for all school personnel.
The Tennessee Conservative asked Ragan for clarification on his bill, asking if it was related primarily to training aimed at de-escalating an armed shooter situation, or for any type of conflict between school students.
In his response, Ragan provided statistics on school shootings from the Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability that shows over 90% of school shooters are male and between the ages of 14 to 19. Over 70% of these shootings began as a dispute that escalated and resulted in violence.
“Consequently and logically, root cause analysis argues for interventions that de-escalate disputes before one of the parties acquires a gun and becomes a shooter,” said Ragan.
Because teachers and administrators are the closest authority figures with an opportunity to de-escalate disputes between potential perpetrators and victims at an early stage, Ragan believes that they should be trained regularly and given the latest techniques to prevent “argument escalation.”
Ragan said, “Regular and effective training offers the teachers, administrators and potential participants the greatest probability of a non-violent resolution to a possible shooting situation.”
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) says that de-escalation techniques can be used to defuse situations with the potential for violence, create calm and decrease the risk of harm to all involved.
CISA released new guidance last month for school staff and authorities on the topic of social media threats.
While providing mitigation and response measures for school districts that are made aware of social media threats, the guidance has a list of resources to help districts be prepared in the event that one of their schools become a target.
According to CISA, schools across the country have experienced an increase in threats of violence originating on social media. While most of the time these threats are the result of a prank or hoax, students, staff and parents all experience increased stress during a potential threat, especially in areas that have lived through the tragedy of a shooter targeting a nearby community’s children.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative.
You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
