Forget Body Armor — This Doctor Says She Knows What Will Protect Kids in a School Shooting

The US has experienced 74 school shootings over the past year-and-a-half, putting parents in a position where they will try anything to protect their children. From school lockdown drills to bulletproof blankets, the precautions schools are taking run the gamut. And while they may be great for protecting students during a shooting, neither option actually stops the incidents from occurring. In an interview with Today.com, clinical psychologist and author Shefali Tsabary says parents need to talk to their kids and help them build a safe school environment, rather than covering them in armor. Tsabary's first suggestion is for parents to teach their children tolerance and kindness.

"If a kid feels connected to other kids, and especially to the teachers and administration, they don't go about shooting or bombing them," Tsabary says. "We need to build compassionate, connected communities at home and in school, where there is less exclusion, less competition, less scapegoating, and where we tolerate diversity."

For more of Tsabary's armor-free methods of keeping kids safe at school, read the full story on Today Parents.