Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
Web version: [link removed]
** Sept. 26, 2024
------------------------------------------------------------
Will Charging School Shooters’ Parents Help Prevent Tragedy?
Earlier this month, Georgia officials charged the father of the suspected Apalachee High School shooter with two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and eight counts of cruelty to children. This comes five months after a Michigan judge sentenced the parents of another school shooter to at least 10 years in prison related to their son's deadly rampage.
Holding parents culpable is a prosecution trend likely to become more widely adopted, and according to RAND's Andrew Morral, it is a sensible strategy. If it leads more parents to rethink giving their children unsupervised access to firearms, then it could deter some school shootings or other gun violence.
But prosecuting parents is likely to be used only after preventable tragedies have occurred. Enacting and enforcing strong child-access prevention laws, however, can preempt such tragedies by addressing the root issue: access to firearms.
As part of the RAND Gun Policy in America initiative, Morral and colleagues have reviewed all available research studies on the effects of child-access prevention laws. They found "supportive evidence," the study's highest evidence rating, that these laws reduce firearm suicides and homicides among young people. This suggests that implementing and enforcing child-access laws may be a critical step in preventing firearm access that could lead to tragic outcomes.
"Preventing youth access to firearms is not just a hopeful strategy," Morral says. "It is a proven, data-driven approach that can save lives. It should be a priority for policymakers nationwide."
Read more: [link removed]
** More on Preventing School Shootings
The White House announced an executive order today that seeks to make active shooter drills in schools more effective while preventing or minimizing any resulting trauma. Recent RAND research highlights what teachers think about such drills. Notably, the study finds that many schools are not providing supports to help students and staff manage any stress or anxiety that these exercises might cause.
Read more: [link removed]
Ukraine's Kursk Offensive Is About Geometry
According to RAND's Ann Marie Dailey, Ukraine made the right move in invading Kursk. But making the right decision in war does not guarantee positive outcomes, she says. While the Kursk offensive was a "tactical masterstroke that changed the geometry of the battlefield" by extending Russian lines and forcing Moscow to rethink force allocation, Kyiv must still consolidate its gains. "If Ukraine can dig in defenses, it will force Russia to continue using poorly trained conscripts, divert Russian forces from the front line in Ukraine, and lead to continued Russian bombing of its territory in an attempt to take it back."
Read more: [link removed]
Abortion Care Policies: A Case Study in Virginia
The patchwork of laws that affect abortion access in the United States has become increasingly complex since Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned the long-standing right to abortion care. A new RAND report examines the post-Dobbs policy landscape in Virginia, one of the only remaining southern states with legal access to abortion care past 13 weeks gestational age. The authors conclude that, while Virginia's laws surrounding reproductive care have become more permissive in recent years, its legacy of more-restrictive abortion provisions, the presence of abortion in the criminal code, and other factors create a varied environment for access to abortion services.
Read more: [link removed]
** RAND Recommends
------------------------------------------------------------
- PBS NewsHour covered new RAND research on military and veteran caregivers. Our study looks at the experiences of America's "hidden heroes," those who provide daily care to wounded, ill, and injured loved ones who have served.
[link removed]
- RAND's Colin Smith spoke to the Wall Street Journal about a key challenge facing the U.S. military as it prepares for potential future conflict in the Indo-Pacific: supply lines. "You don't have to destroy a battalion of tanks if you can prevent them from getting fuel and munitions," he said.
[link removed]
- A recent RAND survey revealed vastly different experiences between school superintendents of large districts compared with those of small districts. "It's like a tale of two cities," lead author Heather Schwartz told Education Week.
[link removed]
** Subscribe to the Policy Currents Podcast
------------------------------------------------------------
You already get the latest insights from RAND in your inbox. Why not your earbuds? Policy Currents is available as a weekly podcast. New episodes every Friday.
Subscribe now: [link removed]
** Follow RAND
------------------------------------------------------------
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.
[link removed]
Connect with us on:
Twitter: [link removed]
Facebook: [link removed]
LinkedIn: [link removed]
Instagram: [link removed]
Privacy Policy: [link removed]
Unsubscribe to stop receiving these emails: [link removed]
Manage your subscriptions
[link removed]
RAND
1776 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
