美国国家公共电台 NPR--Researchers offer suggestions for how to prevent the next school shooting

Researchers offer suggestions for how to prevent the next school shooting

Transcript¹

After several high-profile school shootings in recent years, school safety experts have centered on some important measures that communities and politicians can take to protect students.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

This shooting in Uvalde, Texas, follows a familiar pattern. After all these killings² at schools, there are declarations of never again and then that question - how do we prevent the next one? NPR's Cory Turner joins me now to talk about how researchers and even the U.S. Secret Service have some very clear answers. Good morning, Cory.

CORY TURNER, BYLINE³: Good morning, Leila.

FADEL: So, Cory, let's start with the one thing schools cannot control - gun policy. What do researchers say works?

TURNER: First, there is broad consensus⁴ that arming teachers, which we hear about after every school shooting, is not good policy. I spoke⁵ with Matthew Mayer at Rutgers, who's been part of a big interdisciplinary group studying school shootings.

MATTHEW MAYER: Arming teachers is an all-around bad idea because it invites numerous disasters and problems, and the chances of it actually helping⁶ are so minuscule⁷.

TURNER: Instead, school safety researchers support tightening⁸ age limits for gun ownership from 18 to 21. The teenage brain, they say, is just too impulsive⁹ and irrational¹⁰. You know, the gunman, it's important to note, in Parkland, Santa Fe, Newtown, Columbine, were all under 21. And authorities say the Uvalde gunman waited one day, Leila, after turning 18 to buy an AR-style rifle. In a call to action a few years ago, dozens of advocacy groups and school safety experts, including professor Mayer, also recommended universal background checks and banning assault-style weapons. These are things that polls show the majority of Americans support. I'll add one more thing - this comes from a report by the Secret Service - improve gun storage at home. In half the school shootings they studied, the gun used was either readily accessible at home or not really secured. And everyone I spoke to said without improved gun safety, these tragedies will not stop.

FADEL: OK. So that's gun safety writ¹¹ large. And a lot of what you describe could apply to mass shootings in a lot of places - churches, supermarkets, concerts. But what, if anything, can schools specifically do?

TURNER: There's been a lot of movement in recent years, Leila, toward hardening schools, things like adding police officers, metal detectors¹². But the experts I spoke with say schools should also focus on softening¹³ to support the social and emotional needs of students. Odis Johnson Jr. heads the Center for Safe and Healthy Schools at Johns Hopkins.

ODIS JOHNSON JR: Our first preventative strategy should be to make sure kids are respected, that they feel connected and belong in schools.

TURNER: Now, I want to be clear here. We obviously don't yet know how this applies to the Uvalde gunman, though it's been reported he had dropped out of high school. The Secret Service found 80% of the attackers they studied had been bullied¹⁴ in school; three-quarters also had some kind of disciplinary history at school. I spoke with Jackie Nowicki, who has led multiple school safety investigations¹⁵ at the Government Accountability Office. She says her teams found a few things closely linked to safer school environments.

JACKIE NOWICKI: Anti-bullying training for staff and teachers, adult supervision¹⁶, things like hall monitors, and mechanisms¹⁷ to anonymously¹⁸ report hostile behaviors.

TURNER: One last thing that's really important - the Secret Service, as well as school safety experts, also recommend schools implement¹⁹ what they call a threat assessment²⁰ model. And that's where a trained staff, including an administrator²¹, a school counselor²² or psychologist and some kind of law enforcement representative, can help identify students who exhibit red flag behaviors and get them the help they need before there's a crisis.

FADEL: So what you're describing, making schools less welcoming, might actually alienate²³ and isolate²⁴ students who need help. But do schools have the resources to create this supportive environment that you're describing?

TURNER: Well, you know, in recent years, schools have definitely embraced the importance of fostering a positive school climate, accepting, I think, that kids cannot learn if they don't feel safe or welcome, you know, focusing on things like conflict resolution, stress management and empathy. And it's worth noting the timing²⁵ here, Leila. Because of pandemic stress on children and a flood of federal relief dollars, schools are getting more help with this. They are in the middle of a hiring boom for counselors²⁶, social workers and school psychologists. In fact, President Biden himself has said he wants to double the number of mental health professionals based in schools.

FADEL: Thanks. That's NPR's Cory Turner. Thank you so much.

TURNER: You're welcome.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 minuscule   

adj.非常小的；极不重要的

参考例句：

• The human race only a minuscule portion of the earth's history.人类只有占有极小部分地球历史。
• As things stand,Hong Kong's renminbi banking system is minuscule.就目前的情况而言，香港的人民币银行体系可谓微不足道。

8 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

9 impulsive   

adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的

参考例句：

• She is impulsive in her actions.她的行为常出于冲动。
• He was neither an impulsive nor an emotional man,but a very honest and sincere one.他不是个一冲动就鲁莽行事的人，也不多愁善感.他为人十分正直、诚恳。

10 irrational   

adj.无理性的，失去理性的

参考例句：

• After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
• There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

11 writ   

n.命令状，书面命令

参考例句：

• This is a copy of a writ I received this morning.这是今早我收到的书面命令副本。
• You shouldn't treat the newspapers as if they were Holy Writ. 你不应该把报上说的话奉若神明。

12 detectors   

探测器( detector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
• This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技

13 softening   

变软，软化

参考例句：

• Her eyes, softening, caressed his face. 她的眼光变得很温柔了。它们不住地爱抚他的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• He might think my brain was softening or something of the kind. 他也许会觉得我婆婆妈妈的，已经成了个软心肠的人了。

14 bullied   

adj.被欺负了v.恐吓，威逼( bully的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My son is being bullied at school. 我儿子在学校里受欺负。
• The boy bullied the small girl into giving him all her money. 那男孩威逼那个小女孩把所有的钱都给他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

16 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

17 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 anonymously   

ad.用匿名的方式

参考例句：

• The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
• Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。

19 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

20 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

21 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

22 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。

23 alienate   

vt.使疏远，离间；转让(财产等)

参考例句：

• His attempts to alienate the two friends failed because they had complete faith.他离间那两个朋友的企图失败了，因为他们彼此完全信任。
• We'd better not alienate ourselves from the colleagues.我们最好还是不要与同事们疏远。

24 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

25 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

26 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册