This document is intended to provide a brief overview of the use of metal detectors in schools.

 

Statistics

• The first metal detector in schools appeared following a fatal shooting at Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn in 1988, but the use of metal detectors became more prevalent in the early 90s (Baker & Taylor, 2017)

• According to the U.S. Department of Education (2018), 2% of elementaries, 7.1% of middle schools, and 10.6% of high schools conduct random metal detector checks.

• The majority of schools using metal detectors have high minority populations and are located in urban areas (Gastic & Johnson, 2015; Gastic, 2011)

 

 

How and why are they used?

Metal detectors installed at school entrances and hand-held devices have been used to conduct random and custom searches of student property. Many metal detectors have been used in schools as a prevention tactic in response to shootings.

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Opposing Viewpoints

There are opposing viewpoints associated with the implementation of metal detectors.

Proponents

• May be associated with less exposure to property crimes in high schools (Tanner-Smith, et al., 2018)

 

Opponents

• There is inconsistent evidence of the effectiveness of metal detectors (Hankin et al., 2011; Kitsantas, Ware, & Martinez-Arias, 2004)

• Metal detectors can negatively impact students’ sense of safety (Gastic, 2011; Hankin, Hertz, & Simon, 2011) and create a culture of criminalization and fear in schools (Tanner-Smith et al., 2018)

• Use of metal detectors can be costly for schools (Gastic, 2011)

• There is some concern about Fourth Amendment Violations, with suspicionless searches using metal detectors (Addington, 2009)

 

Conclusion

• “There has not been sufficient research to determine if the presence of metal detectors in schools reduces the risk of violent behavior among students” (NASP, 2018; Hankin et al., 2011)

• “There is no clear evidence that the use of metal detectors...in schools is effective in preventing school violence and little is known about the potential for unintended consequences that may accompany their adoption.” (NASP, 2018; Addington, 2009; Borum et al., 2010; Tanner-Smith et al., 2018)

• “Research suggests that the presence of...metal detectors in schools may actually increase levels of violence in schools by strengthening the influence of youth street culture with its emphasis on self-protection” (NASP, 2018; Phaneuf, 2009)

 

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Resources

• Addington, L. A. (2009). Cops and cameras: Public school security as a policy response to Columbine. American Behavioral Scientist, 52, 1424– 1446.

• Gastic, B. (2011). Metal detectors and feeling safe at school. Education and Urban Society, 43(4), 486-498.

• Gastic, B., & Johnson, D. (2015). Disproportionality in daily metal detector student searches in US public schools. Journal of school violence, 14(3), 299-315.

• Hankin, A., Hertz, M., & Simon, T. (2011). Impacts of metal detector use in schools: Insights from 15 years of research. Journal of School Health, 81, 100–106.

• Kitsantas, A., Ware, H. W., & Martinez-Arias, R. (2004). Students’ perceptions of school safety: Effects by community, school environment, and substance use variables. Journal of Early Adolescence, 24, 412-430

• National Association of School Psychologists. (2018). School security measures and their impact on students [Research summary]. Bethesda, MD: Author

• Phaneuf, S. W. (2009). Security in schools: Its effect on students. El Paso: LFB Scholarly Pub. LLC.

• Tanner-Smith, E. E., Fisher, B. W., Addington, L. A., & Gardella, J. H. (2018). Adding security but subtracting safety? Exploring schools’ use of multiple visible security measures. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 43, 102–119.

• U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2018). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2017 (NCES 2018-036), Indicator 20.