Crisis management of a shooting attack on an educational institution.The case in the United States of America. How prepared are we in Greece?

Postgraduate Thesis uoadl:2865644 313 Read counter

Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Στρατηγικές Διαχείρισης Περιβάλλοντος
Library of the School of Science
Deposit date:
2019-03-09
Year:
2019
Author:
Ntinias Christos
Supervisors info:
Λέκκας Ευθύμιος ΚαθηγητήςΛέκκας Ευθύμιος Καθηγητής ΕΚΠΑ
Λόζιος Στυλιανός Επίκουρος Καθηγητής ΕΚΠΑ
Ντρίνια Χαρίκλεια Αναπλ. Καθηγήτρια ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Η διαχείριση κρίσης απο ένοπλη επίθεση σε εκπαιδευτικό ιδρυμα. Η περίπτωση των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών της Αμερικής.Πόσο προετοιμασμένοι είμαστε στην Ελλάδα;
Languages:
Greek
Translated title:
Crisis management of a shooting attack on an educational institution.The case in the United States of America. How prepared are we in Greece?
Summary:
The present thesis is inspired by the vision of the Parent-Naval Officer and at the same time
researcher for an ever-evolving Greek school, which besides providing education and
opportunities for the creation of integrated personalities with psychical and mental health, the
security of both the buildings and the psychology of the students, should be a cornerstone for
the values of education to be nurtured.
In recent years there has been an increase in incidents of violence in educational institutions.
These incidents range from the common ones, i.e. incidents of physical and psychological
violence to the ones of school shootings. In the United States in particular, school shootings
on educational institutions have taken on a social phenomenon. The phenomenon of school
shootings in US educational institutions has led the states to take a series of crisis
management measures, and has also led scientists (social psychologists, sociologists, etc.)
to conduct researches and edit publications, enlightening the risk assessment of the threat
from armed aggression, the preparedness of educational institutions and the management
and the crisis.
Incidents of extreme violence in educational environments are dynamic events that vary
greatly. In most cases of extreme violence on college campuses, perpetrators use firearms,
and there is no pattern or method in their selection of victims. The best type of response for
victims, witnesses, community members, university leaders and police officials depends
greatly on the unique circumstances and characteristics of the event. As school shootings
are dynamic events, there is no single set of best practices that can be described. However,
there are clearly recognizable indicators and recommendations that can significantly increase
survivability, mitigate risk and inform response interdiction. Understanding the history of
these events increases our understanding and may illuminate a pathway to safety and
security by identifying underlying pathologies, conditions and techniques that link these
devastating events.
While studying cases of school shootings in US schools, there is a need to protect the
vulnerable student population in our country in the preparation and creation of appropriate
contingency plans for such cases. The seismicity of Greece has monopolized, logically one
would say, the surveys and the state's interest in action plans to protect students from
earthquakes.
In the context of the above considerations, a case study was carried out with a sample of
parents with children in schools, teachers and staff serving in police, fire and armed forces.
The purpose of this research is to approach and highlight the practices that apply to US
educational institutions on crisis management in cases of school shootings. In addition, a first
assessment is made of how citizens in Greece perceive the possibility of such attacks in
Greek educational institutions and how prepared they are as a state and as a citizen to
manage it. The sample population consists of individuals with a child or children of at least
primary education, teachers and officers of the police, the fire brigade and the armed forces,
ie the first responders in a potential school shooting in a Greek school. In addition, this paper
is designed to highlight the phenomenon of school shootings in schools as a concept in
Greece, in order to motivate the relevant authorities to further their research and to take measures to ensure preparedness and effective crisis management in possible school
shootings in schools.
The "first chapter" analyzes basic concepts such as firearm attack, school shooting, and the
typology of school shootings, based on the characteristics both of the attack and of the
intentions of the perpetrator. Also analyzed are cases of armed attacks in educational
institutions in the US and statistics on the frequency, the profile of the perpetrators, the
geographical representation of the incidents and the consequences (number of victims killed
and injured). An analysis of an action plan is then presented in case of a school shooting.
What factors should be taken into account in the formation of such a plan, in the
implementation and training of both students and teachers, as well as the state itself through
the first responders, the law enforcement officers and the local authorities.
The second chapter analyzes the research methodology that will follow. The type and the
way of the survey conducted, the selection of the sample population as well as the statistical
tool to be used for data analysis are presented. Finally, the structure and questions of the
questionnaire, in which the sample population is asked to respond, are presented.
The third chapter analyzes the responses to the questionnaire through the statistical tool
SPSS. This illustrates the perception of the sample population and how they perceive the
possible occurrence of a school shooting in a Greek school, the possible characteristics and
motives of the perpetrator. It also analyzes the demographic characteristics of the sample
population and eventually provides answers to the research questions, originally set, “how
likely is it for a school shooting to occur on a Greek school”. The data that will provide
answers to the research questions originally asked is also analyzed.
The fourth chapter records the conclusions drawn from the field research as well as the
investigator's proposals, which are intended to present a starting point for a series of further
investigations concerning the crisis management in an educational institution in the event of
a school shooting in Greece. The results of the researches will form the guide to prevention,
to effective crisis management and response, ensuring as much as possible the safety of
pupils and staff.
Finally, this dissertation is in line with the philosophy of disaster prevention, which tends to
be applied worldwide as the most appropriate solution in addressing all threats and
disastrous phenomena that plague our planet.
The methodology is based on the bibliographic review of US-related cases. Furthermore, the
disaster management cycle has been thoroughly examined as well as how this management
is carried out in the event of a school shooting on an educational establishment. Also, the
investigator compiles a case study using a sample. As a research tool, he uses the
structured questionnaire. The data was processed using the Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS), 21th edition and Measures of descriptive and inductive statistics:
Measures of Central Tendency, Tables of Frequency, Factor Analysis, Non-parametric Tests,
and Independent Tests of Categorical Variables.
The results in a sample of 229 participants showed that schools are unsafe in the event of an
armed attack, and are estimated to be safe in the event of an earthquake. Also, statistically
significant findings were found in the residence area of Athens and regarding the perception
of school security in the event of an armed attack. Participants surveyed claimed that schools
are at risk as there is no action plan and in the event of a school shooting, it will be carried out by a mentally disrupted individual. Private schools do not seem to be perceived by the
sample population as being safer from public ones. Also, statistically significant findings were
found, i.e. that the marital status (married, single), the number of children, the educational
level and the origin of the sample affect the perception of risk in the event of a school
shooting on a Greek educational establishment.
Key words: School shooting, School emergency operation plan, School shooting in Greece.
Main subject category:
Science
Keywords:
Key words: School shooting, School emergency operation plan, School shooting in Greece.
Index:
No
Number of index pages:
0
Contains images:
Yes
Number of references:
20
Number of pages:
123
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