Public Support for Active Shooter Drills, Arming Teachers, and Target Hardening: Evidence from a National Experiment

Prior studies document baseline public support for school safety measures but offer limited evidence about what shifts those views. We surveyed a national sample of U.S. adults (N = 10,000) in January 2024 and embedded randomized vignettes assessing support for active shooter drills, arming teachers, and target hardening. Support was highest for target hardening (85%), lower for drills (73–83% by school level), and lowest for arming teachers (36–41%). Information about student anxiety, attackers bypassing security, or school-climate harms reduced support for drills and hardening, whereas opinions on arming teachers were largely unmoved. Older cohorts, Republicans, parents, and those with prior drill experience expressed greater support. The findings support evidence-informed, developmentally sensitive policies and candid communication of trade-offs.