It’s September which means fall is around the corner and schools across the United States are back in session. Kids are excited to be surrounded by old friends, meet new teachers and get involved in school activities. Unfortunately, the start of the new school year also means the possibility of school shootings.
Mass shootings are a part of American culture. As disturbing as that is, it is going to take the collaborative efforts of school administrators, law enforcement, mental health professionals, government officials and parents to protect our children. As parents, one of the hardest conversations we will have with our children is what to do if they are involved in a school shooting. Talking is not the only solution, but it is a start.
CEOMOM Magazine spoke with Ross Cascio, an expert level self defense instructor at Krav Maga Worldwide, regarding what to teach our kids about school shootings and what actions they should take if ever faced with this unfortunate situation.
What should parents be teaching their kids about school shootings?
It’s tough with kids because you walk the line between scaring kids and educating them. It’s really important to be honest with kids about the potential and the dangers of school shootings. It is happening frequently and you are going to have to tell them it is a real possibility in the world today. They should understand what to do if it happens. Each school is different with different policies in place. Schools should be having kids in drills.
We teach the run, hide and fight method. The most important thing is if you have a chance to get out, get away as soon as possible. Depending on what age children you are talking about the responsibility will fall on the teachers and administration. Go over areas to meet to be accounted for and hide within the building where the incident is taking place. We have to teach kids how to lock doors and give them specific places to hide. We also have to teach kids the difference between concealment and cover. Cover is hiding behind something that can stop bullets. Concealment is hiding behind something like curtains to stay out of the way of the shooter and not be detected.
The third option is to fight. We train people in these situations to gang up on the shooter and ambush him, get control of the weapon and wait for law enforcement. It is hard to train kids on the fight method. The fight thing will be dependent on the age level and size of the child. The key is to educate them about the reality. You want your kids to understand the dangers.
To learn more about Krav Maga Worldwide visit https://www.kravmaga.com.
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