Students tell commission increased mental health options, additional safety measures needed to bolster school safety

Mental health, the stigma around it among their concerns

N'Nandi Islam, a Senior at Southwest High School, talks with Cheryl May, Chair of the Arkansas School Safety Commission, during a commission meeting at the Arkansas State Capitol on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Several high schoolers talked about their experiences with shooting drills, school safety officers, and other topics during the meeting...(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen Swofford)
N'Nandi Islam, a Senior at Southwest High School, talks with Cheryl May, Chair of the Arkansas School Safety Commission, during a commission meeting at the Arkansas State Capitol on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Several high schoolers talked about their experiences with shooting drills, school safety officers, and other topics during the meeting...(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Stephen Swofford)

Students told Arkansas School Safety Commission members Tuesday that safety measures, additional mental health options, the stigma associated with reporting potential threats and a need for gun legislation should be part of the conversation surrounding school safety.

Little Rock Southwest High School senior N'Nandi Islam, Hamburg senior Mary Emily Wrzesinki and senior Webb Storer from The Academies at Jonesboro High School were invited by the commission to share their views regarding school safety issues. Each spoke about the need for reform.

"The children are the future, and to protect them is to protect future businessmen, future doctors and future lawyers," Islam said.

Storer said students are afraid.

"Really, right now most students are just scared," he said, mentioning that his high school went on lockdown last year because of a threat. "We need to find a way to fix this issue and make sure kids aren't scared in a learning environment.

"It's not just guns and not just mental health, but we have got to address both to solve this problem."

Wrzesinki told the commission she is from a town that has a lot of gun supporters, but she said there need to be limits to where weapons are allowed.

"The school and classroom is no place for a gun, and we need to install legislation to prevent further tragedies that we see so frequently in the United States," she said. "Mental health needs to be addressed, but first and foremost we have to make sure we feel safe while we are learning."

Tuesday's discussion marked the first time gun legislation has come up during the commission's meetings. Commission chair Dr. Cheryl May, director of the Criminal Justice Institute, noted afterward that Gov. Asa Hutchinson's executive order states the commission is to focus on physical security and mental health.

"Those are the only things we can talk about," May said.

Hutchinson reinstated the commission June 10 in the aftermath of several mass shootings across the nation, including the May 24 school shooting that left 19 children and two adults dead in Uvalde, Texas.

The gunman, identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos of Uvalde, was killed by law enforcement officers after they waited more than an hour to confront the shooter inside a locked classroom. The incident was among the worst K-12 school shootings since the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that left 26 dead.

The state's original school safety commission, created in March 2018, submitted 30 recommendations in its original 124-page report, but schools are not mandated to follow the recommendations. Some have implemented portions of the original recommendations.

Under the governor's executive order, the current commission is charged with reviewing the previous commission's final report published in November 2018 and providing an update on the current status of school safety across Arkansas.

MENTAL HEALTH

Islam said Tuesday there needs to be better mental health options available for students.

"There is a problem for students, going to mental health institutions and not getting the right help," he said. "They end up just getting medications or talking to a therapist who is a drone. They go there and come back the exact same or even worse."

Wrzesinki agreed, mentioning that Hamburg has one school counselor for approximately 500 students.

"I know there is a budget when it comes to these things, but having one counselor for the entire high school is too much [for one counselor]," she said. "It's ridiculous, honestly."

May said the students' comments show a clear need for increased mental health resources.

"I feel like putting more mental health resources out there would definitely cause a big difference," she said. "It would give people the opportunity to talk things out in a helpful manner without harming other people."

Storer said for mental health options to be effective, the stigma around asking for help needs to be addressed.

"A lot of students are afraid if they seek a counselor they will be judged by their peers or judged by other people. I think that is the big issue," he said. "I think we are turning the corner when it comes to mental health, but we still got a long way to go when it comes to the stigma that if you are seeking help then you are crazy."

May asked the students if an anonymous reporting system might be the solution.

"An anonymous system could work, but people are still going to be scared of the stigma," Storer said. "If that person is bullying only one person, then they are going to be afraid to report it because they will know it was from them.

"I am not sure how you address that issue, but it's a good idea or a good start. It's better than the system we have right now."

Islam also expressed concerns about false reports being submitted through an anonymous reporting system.

"There is the possibility of someone saying something about someone that is not true, and it gets them detained or hurt in that process," he said. "Also, the entire plan in of itself could create fear within the state instead of a solution."

May said it sounded like schools would have to build trust among students for an anonymous reporting system to work effectively.

"The whole intent is to help you all, not to hurt you," she said. "Having another avenue to get y'all additional help is what we are trying to do."

Islam said the lack of good mental health options, the stigma around it and a lack of trust creates a snowball effect among students.

"It feels like there is never going to be an end or solution, and that nothing changes anything," he said.

Laura Dunn, director of the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute, mentioned having a peer support group for students as a potential solution.

"I think it's a good idea, because these people are going through the same problems," Islam said. "It would allow you to vent to someone who can relate to you and have a real conversation about your problems. ... I feel like peer support would make much more sense than anything else happening."

Wrzesinki said a peer support group would make asking for help more personable.

"Just being able to talk to someone does go a long way," she said.

Commission member Crystal Braswell of the Arkansas Department of Education asked if including mental health needs to be part of the curriculum. All of the students agreed that would be a good start.

"A class on managing emotions that would start at pre-K and go all the way through the 12th grade would make these concepts of asking for help more accessible," Wrzesinki said. "In turn, it would help combat school shootings and violence in general."

SECURITY

Students also spoke about the culture of safety in their schools and how they have been raised in an era where school shooter drills are commonplace.

All agreed such drills are a necessary part of the educational process now, but Wrzesinki said it's a sad reality.

"It can be almost traumatizing to go through," she said. "We have teachers in class talking to us about boarding doors and hiding in the closet. It's helpful to know, but it's not something we should have to know. That is not something I should have to learn to accept."

Storer agreed.

"We need to figure out the root issue," he said. "I think lockdown drills are beneficial, but it's just putting a Band-Aid on a bigger issue."

All the students agreed having a school resource officer on campus makes them feel more secure.

"We only have one SRO on campus, which does worry me a little bit because you can only be in so many places at once, but it does make me feel a little bit easier knowing there is someone who can step in if needed," Wrzesinki said.

Students said when it comes to extra security measures, such as automatic door locks and secured facilities, it's important to be transparent regarding the reasons behind it.

"Locking the exterior doors is exactly what we need to do, but there were certain schools I went to where teachers were walking around with master keys and chains on them and seemed excessive," he said. "It created an environment where children were looking around wondering what is all of this. It made it feel like they were stuck and they couldn't get out without certain permission."

Storer said explaining to students the reasoning behind such security measures is an important step in building trust.

"With kids under the age of 18, you need to tell them why," he said. "You tell the kids we are doing this because we are scared too. We are doing this to protect you and make sure you are safe.

"Tell them in a perfect world we wouldn't have to do this, but we don't live in a perfect world and we are all scared and all of us trying to figure this out."


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