A new Gallup poll released Thursday reveals U.S. schoolteachers overwhelmingly favor stricter gun laws to prevent school shootings while 40 percent say their school is not protected enough from a possible active shooter.
In an open-ended question presented to teachers of K-12 children on what could be done to prevent school shootings, 33 percent said stricter gun laws and gun control, while 22 percent called for a ban on assault weapons or certain types of guns and 10 percent said stricter background checks.
Fifteen percent of teachers said more security in schools would most likely prevent shootings and 7 percent said arming staff and teachers would be most effective.
Gallup notes these beliefs may be influenced by teachers’ Democratic political leanings. Teachers are twice as likely to identify as, or lean toward, Democrats than Republicans.
While 40 percent of teachers said their school was unprepared to deal with an active shooter, 64 percent said they were “not too worried” or “not worried at all” about being a school shooting victim.
The poll comes as the nation grapples with the issue of gun violence after the debate was reignited last month in the aftermath of the Florida school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people were killed.
The Gallup poll surveyed nearly 500 teachers of K-12 students and was conducted March 5 – 12 of this year with a 7 percent margin of error.
