Fear, Risk, and the Drill: Investigating the Emotional and Cognitive Outcomes of Participating in Lockdown Practices Among School Personnel

Lockdown drills are widely implemented in U.S. public K-12 schools, yet little is known about their impacts on school employees. This study examines how participation in lockdown drills and emergency response training impact faculty, staff, and administrators' fear of harm (both personal and altruistic) and their perceived risk of a school shooting. Data were collected from 3000 surveys drawn from separate samples of school employees across three time periods. Results indicate that repeated drills and training are linked to lower levels of fear for oneself and students, as well as less belief that a school shooting is possible, but only when controlling for employees' exposure to violence. Exposure to violence also was associated with higher levels of fear and perceived risk, whereas perceiving schools to be safe mitigated these impacts. Differences in perceived fear and risk also emerged by sex, race/ethnicity, and professional role. Implications stemming from these findings, as well as limitations and directions for future research, are discussed.