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How Are Lockdown Drills Affecting American Kids?

By Adhiti Bandlamudi

Published February 12, 2019 at 10:25 PM EST

Mateo, left, and his older brother Caleb play in their backyard in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Kindergartener Caleb practices lockdown drills at his school, while his little brother Mateo hasn’t started yet. [Adhiti Bandlamudi / North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC] — Mateo, left, and his older brother Caleb play in their backyard in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Kindergartener Caleb practices lockdown drills at his school, while his little brother Mateo hasn’t started yet.

Lockdown drills have become increasingly common in schools across the United States. Though drills differ from school to school, they usually require students to crouch in a corner of their darkened classroom, away from the door, and stay quiet until the teacher says it is okay to start talking again. Students start practicing these drills as early as pre-school, before they can truly understand what threat they are hiding from.

According to a report by The Washington Post, more than 4.1 million students participated in at least one lockdown drill from 2017-2018.

Huddling in a quiet, darkened classroom is strange and disorienting. And after drills, some students feel more afraid a shooting would happen in their school.

‘The Lockdown Man’: Participating In Drills Before Understanding The Threat