What happened
MindShift, publishing a Hechinger Report story, reported that UCLA school violence scholar Ron Avi Astor told an April American Educational Research Association audience, “We were wrong.” Astor said he had long believed improved school climate and reduced bullying would help prevent school shootings. In his AERA presentation, he contrasted declining California student weapon reports from 2001-2024 with rising national school shooting incidents.
Why it matters
For educators and designers, the practical point is not to abandon social-emotional learning, restorative justice, trauma-informed care or counseling. The story says those efforts benefited students and schools generally became safer. But Astor now argues many perpetrators seek national notoriety through media attention, so local climate work alone may not address that pathway.
What to do next
Leaders should review crisis communication and training materials for unnecessary amplification of perpetrators, manifestos or videos, while keeping victim-centered, accurate information available. Track guidance from researchers, journalists and platforms. Astor says persuading social media companies or the dark web is a “long shot,” and he cannot prove these changes would reduce shootings.
About this briefing
Reviewed by TutorFlow Editorial. We link the primary source, preserve its publication date, and distinguish reported claims from TutorFlow analysis. Our commentary focuses on practical decisions for educators and training teams.
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