How Close is Close to Home: Does Exposure to Active Shootings Impact Emergency Preparedness?

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

Active shootings are of growing concern to individuals in the United States (Onat et al., 2023), especially with the subsequent national media coverage of these incidents. In addition to the emotional distress associated with exposure to active shootings (Sharkey & Shen, 2021), these incidents are associated with increased risk perception (Wallace, 2021). The theoretical framework guiding this project is prospect theory, such that when faced with a certain loss, individuals tend to be more risk-seeking. Therefore, individuals with greater exposure to active shootings are predicted to to have greater risk perception as well as engage in more self-protective behaviors. Using data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this study aims to evaluate individual level emergency preparedness in response to the Robb Elementary school shooting that took place in Uvalde, Texas. Preliminary analyses indicate that geographic proximity to Robb Elementary School was associated with increased emergency preparedness after the Uvalde shooting. Prior experience with active shootings as well as demographic factors revealed disparities in subsequent preparedness. Additional analyses, including a mediation analysis, will be conducted to evaluate the broader impacts of active shootings. Results can inform future policy related to media coverage of mass casualty events.

Author

• Grace Phelps, University of Maryland