Interview with Dr. Melissa Racioppa

Dr. Melissa Racioppa, is a certified child life specialist who is now an Assistant Professor of Psychology-Child Life at Utica University. In our recent conversation Dr. Racioppa explained that her research for her PHd dissertation on lockdown and active shooter drills in early childhood classrooms began after she experienced an on-campus lockdown during an active shooter threat and witnessed how distressed her students were. Dr. Racioppa informed me that these drills originated as a police response to the televised panic that occurred following the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. The federal government mandated that teachers and professors in schools would be required to put on these drills, but did so with very little guidance. As a result, these districts were left to create their own procedure, which led to drills that inappropriately impacted children's emotions and development, being used from kindergarten to high school. 

In our conversation, Dr. Racioppa emphasized that threat reduction techniques such as metal detectors and police presence in schools often make students feel less safe. She believes that the most effective prevention strategies are relationship-based based including anti-bullying efforts and training staff to recognize concerning behavior. Dr. Racioppa's dissertation included policy reviews and interviews with early childhood educators in New York State. These teachers described feeling emotionally overwhelmed and responsible for protecting their children during these situations in ways they have never been trained for.