Experts of experience: The importance of youth voices in school safety
By Sophia Martinez
Undergraduate student in Community and Global Public Health
This summer, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Alison Miller’s Child Health and Development Lab at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Our project partnered with the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity, the Public Health IDEAS for Preventing Firearm Injury initiative, and the National Center for School Safety. Together, we focused on understanding how young people view school safety and their experiences with active shooter drills in the United States.
We used MyVoice, a national text messaging platform developed by Michigan Medicine researchers, to reach youth ages 14-24 across the country. MyVoice gives young people a direct way to share their opinions and experiences with researchers.
In our 2025 survey, students answered questions about their psychological and physical safety in schools, with more specific questions about active shooter and lockdown drills. The voices gathered through MyVoice provided rich, honest insights into how today’s students feel about their safety at school.
Impacts of active shooter drills on students
Reading students’ responses struck me in a powerful way. In addition to the data we were looking to gather, we received stories and comments describing the emotional realities behind safety procedures. Many students spoke about anxiety, confusion, and sometimes fear during these drills—but many also went further, describing frustration and even a sense of inevitability.
For many, school shootings and the drills to prepare for them have become an expected part of life, rather than something rare or abnormal. Students described feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and helpless, and some mentioned how it feels like these events could happen to anyone, at any time.
As a senior at U-M’s School of Public Health, I could relate to the students who wrote in. I remember my own high school’s safety drills and the way my chest tightened when we practiced. But I noticed that younger students today face new layers of stress and resignation that I didn’t fully experience just a few years ago. While I expected students to feel nervous or confused, their responses revealed much deeper emotional tolls.
Connecting policymakers with students’ experiences
Reading these stories made me wonder: how do educators and policymakers keep students safe, when those making decisions rarely lived this reality themselves? Most teachers, counselors, and school administrators grew up in a different time, when active shooter drills weren’t routine.
The gap between generations means adults may not fully grasp what it feels like to grow up with this kind of worry. To design better policies, we need research that is centered on youth perspectives—the ones experiencing these challenges firsthand.
Qualitative research like our MyVoice study can answer questions that numbers alone cannot. Instead of simply learning how many students feel safe, we can uncover why students feel unsafe, and what changes might help. Youth participants become "experts of experience," offering practical ideas and recommendations that adults may overlook.
Listening to youth voices is crucial for improving school safety. Their experiences provide real evidence about what works, what doesn’t, and what policies may be missing. Young people are not just participants in research—they are key stakeholders, helping shape the future of public health for schools.
Platforms like MyVoice show the value of putting youth at the center of the conversation. By listening to the people who walk through school doors every day, we honor their experiences and better understand the challenges they face. If we want schools to truly be safe spaces, we must start by hearing from those most affected.
This work continues, supported by the National Center for School Safety and Public Health IDEAS for Preventing Firearm Injury. Our ongoing study in Dr. Miller’s Child Health and Development Lab highlights the importance of elevating youth experiences to guide public health, educational, and policy decisions.
The MyVoice study on student school safety is sponsored by the National Center for School Safety and the Public Health IDEAS for Preventing Firearm Injury initiative at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. The project is ongoing through Dr. Alison Miller’s Child Health and Development Lab in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Co-authors include Odalys Arbelaez, Alison L. Miller, Sarah Stilwell, Sophia Martinez, Kailah Hawkins, and Justin Heinze.
About the Author
Sophia Martinez is a senior at the University of Michigan, pursuing a Bachelor of
Arts in Community and Global Public Health through the School of Public Health. She
works as a research assistant on both the SAFE ARMS and MyVoice studies in the Department
of Health Behavior & Health Equity. Sophia is on the pre-med track and is dedicated
to advancing health equity. Her previous work with the Institute for Firearm Injury
Prevention focused on empowering youth through community engagement. She is passionate
about the connection between healthcare and policy and hopes to advocate for more
inclusive, community-based healthcare in medicine.
