Along with increases in school violence across the country, lockdown drills have become standard procedure for many schools. In 2024, over 95 percent of American schools participated in lockdown drills. Berkeley High School, like many other schools in the U.S., conducts occasional lockdown drills. However, the efficacy of these drills have become increasingly questioned over the past few years. While BHS lockdown drills aim to prepare students and staff for a real crisis, the effectiveness of these drills can be enhanced.
According to the American College of Surgeons, school shootings have increased by four times in the last 53 years. In addition to school shootings, schools also face the potential of a range of criminal activity. As a result, BHS practices multiple lockdown drills every year. According to the BHS school safety plan, intruder drills involve barricading the door to the classroom, hiding in a space not visible from the door, closing the blinds, turning off all lights, remaining silent and silencing cell phones. While these drills are intended to equip students for the event of a real active threat, the fear and stress is real for many students and staff who have experienced actual lockdowns in response to real threats.
Benjamin Connolly, a sophomore at BHS, experienced a real lockdown at a previous school. Fortunately, the armed person was outside of the school campus and did not enter the building.
“I was scared. I didn't know what was going on, and I was confused about what we were doing,” Connolly recalled. Connolly explained that his old school conducted lockdown drills often, but this real lockdown caught him by surprise. He was unprepared for the situation despite having practiced drills, showing the difference between practice lockdown drills and unpredictable real ones. “(While) I think lockdown drills help prepare students for the real thing, a lot of times they are not taken seriously,” Connaly said, emphasizing the problem. The mindset that a real lockdown is unlikely to happen is harmful to students because it can prevent them from fully engaging in lockdown drills, which may poorly prepare students for the possibility of the real event. Approaching lockdown drills with lack of seriousness defeats the purpose of conducting them and prevents students from fully understanding the importance of it. Students should learn something from these drills in the case of a real emergency. Students should approach lockdown drills with seriousness, rather than seeing them as an opportunity to chat with friends and ignore the rules. In order to achieve this, teachers must emphasize the importance of acting seriously and provide consequences for those who do not follow instructions.
Keeping drills as simple as possible may be the key to a more successful process. By doing this, everyone can be on the same page about the correct procedures. The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools suggests making drills an educational experience rather than going through the motions. Discussing the importance of preparedness, the rationales behind safety actions, and our collective responsibility to safety could be incorporated into the lockdown drill experience. With more knowledge, lockdown drills are less triggering and hopefully promote a better sense of well being.
Altogether, making lockdown drills at BHS more serious and educational is they key to preparing students for real dangers. Teachers and students alike must practice for the worst case scenario in order for these drills to be effective.