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Mass Violence/Gun Violence

Active shooter response training: Are realistic components helpful?

(PS6-C70) Active Shooter Response Training: Are Realistic Components Helpful?

Friday, November 17, 2023
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM PST
Location: Regency Ballroom, Level 7

Active shooter response trainings in educational settings oftentimes include realistic shooting details (e.g., simulated gunfire, simulated weapons, fake blood, etc.) deliberately to increase stress and reactivity, theorizing these details will better allow students to respond to a real stressful situation (Huskey & Connell, 2020; Jonson et al., 2018; National Association of School Psychologists & National Association of School Resource Officers, 2014). Despite the prevalence and intensity of these trainings, there are substantial gaps in the literature on the efficacy, impact, and risk of these trainings, and questions on the impact of these deliberately high-stress elements. “Realistic” experiences likely increase stress; even when training police, realistic training components in active shooter trainings increases blood and salivary markers of stress during/immediately after the training (McAllister et al., 2020). However, it is not yet shown that these trainings impact stress in students or that increased stress is helpful to training goals. Understanding the psychological and biological impacts of these trainings is essential given the trainings’ wide-spread prevalence.  



This poster will report on data currently being analyzed from a study conducted Fall 2022 and Spring 2023; this project examines the impact of participation in a widely disseminated active shooter training program (ALICE) in college-student participants. The current study builds on a pilot study reported at last year’s ABCT conference after refining the study protocol and salivary assessment, and increasing sample size. Students were recruited and participated in a high-stress simulation of ALICE training. Students completed state anxiety, fear, and preparedness surveys before and after the training, and provided salivary cortisol (stress) samples six times during the ALICE training administration. After training, students also completed 10 knowledge-check questions that assessed learning goals. Salivary cortisol levels are currently in analysis, and will be determined with a commercial ELISA. The poster will present data on the training’s impact on stress and preparedness . We hope this data will be used to inform larger projects examining the safety and efficacy of active-shooter response trainings, and ultimately inform policy and research decisions around this increasingly prevalent training model. 



In line with ABCT’s conference theme, the study was developed, designed, and implemented grounded in undergraduate from student interest (after going through these trainings). The collection of cortisol in this study arose from an undergraduate researcher’s (and co-author's) enthusiasm regarding physiological measures of stress and integration of biological and psychological assessment. The present research has been designed, refined, and implemented collaboratively with undergraduates early in their research careers and allowed the development of a passion for future research.