Campus Shootings Changes Back-to-School Shopping

Campus Shootings Change Back-to-School Shopping

Parents are finding themselves purchasing bulletproof items for their children to take to school with them.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • July 27, 2018

Back-to-school shopping is not just for pencils, paper and tissues anymore. New bulletproof items purchased by parents to give their children to take to school with them is a sobering reminder that students are no longer preparing for academic subjects but for potential violence on campus.

Gun violence on campuses like Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Santa Fe High School are changing the way parents are shopping for school supplies. Many parents have found it necessary to purchase items such as bulletproof panels and backpacks to protect their children at school.

One of the items that was circulated after the shootings in Florida and Texas was a bulletproof panel that students can insert in the backpack they already have. These panels have been making the rounds on social media. In a tweet, one teacher expressed her surprise seeing one of these panels in a preschooler's backpack.

"Seeing this broke my heart," the teacher who identifies herself as "Gaia" said on Twitter.

While the panels are a popular buy, parents are also turning towards bulletproof backpack options. For example, a pink bulletproof backpack called, "BulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof My Child's Pack" is sold out online as of the middle of July. The backpack retails for $199.

A shopping mall in McAllen, Texas is also selling bulletproof backpacks to parents who have been affected by the events at Santa Fe High School. These backpacks fold out in order to protect the students entire body and are classified as "anti-ballistic school backpack for children."

"This is beyond depressing," Twitter user Sam Hooper said.

The move to buy bulletproof school supplies comes after the PDK Poll concluded the majority parents fear to send their children to school and are not confident in their school's security and safety.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • 2025 Secure Campus Award Winners Announced

    Campus Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 Secure Campus Award winners. Twenty companies are being recognized this year for products that help keep education and business campuses safe. Read Now

  • K-12 School Safety Trends Report Shows Training, Technology Are Saving Lives

    CENTEGIX, the industry leader and most widely adopted wearable safety technology provider for K-12 education, today released its 2025 School Safety Trends Report, the only comprehensive and data-rich analysis of school safety available in the wearable panic button market. The report identifies and outlines the top tech and legislative movements relevant to school safety in the U.S. and draws on data collected in the 2024/2025 school year through the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, including more than 265,000 incidents of CrisisAlert use. Read Now

  • Survey: Fewer Than 20 Percent of School Leaders Consider Their Main Entrance “Completely Secure”

    Singlewire Software, provider of solutions that help keep people safe and informed, releases the findings of its inaugural School Entrance Security Report, which captured responses from more than 500 school staff members across the United States. This research highlights the concerns and challenges schools are facing in securing their entrances and keeping students and staff safe from potential threats Read Now

  • Securing Higher Education: Combating Enrollment Fraud and Empowering Student Financial Success

    Higher education institutions are facing a costly and growing crisis: enrollment fraud. Between 2020 and 2022, the cost[1] of acquiring a new student surged by up to 32%, straining already tight budgets. At the same time, “ghost students” using stolen identities to enroll fraudulently put institutions at even greater financial risk. Read Now

Most   Popular