As kids, teenagers, and college students prepare to go back to school, manufactures are now offering bullet proof backpacks. You heard right – bullet proof backpacks! Sound a bit far-fetched, but in the state of our current culture and so many recent school shootings, the idea might not sound so bad. After all, safety is the number one priority at any school campus across the country. And maybe this will help. Or if anything, it could help a teen feel better about staying alive in the unfortunate event that something like this takes place at their school.
Who would have thought that a back to school supply list could look like this?
• College Lined Loose Leaf Paper
• Number 2 Pencils
• 1” Binder
• Bullet proof backpack
• Notebook
• Colored Pencils
But that is exactly what is happening. Several companies are now marketing these backpacks to parents who are desperate to protect their kids in an active shooter situation. They can wear them on their back like usual, flip it and wear it in front of their body, or simply hold it up in front of their head.
Necessary precaution or over the top?
Shootings this past week in Gilroy, California, El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio have us all on edge. It’s a sad and depressing fact that we now have to think about armored backpacks to help us feel safe and increase our chances of survival. And not just at schools, but everywhere—churches, malls, stores, and even movie theaters. Some stores are literally selling out of bullet proof backpacks which can range in price from $100-$200.
Buyer Beware
Parents should really do their research regarding the effectiveness of bullet proof backpacks. The standards are used at independent testing facilities, so the government itself does not certify or test them. Finally, consider that making your child wear one of these backpacks could in fact raise their fear level. It could be giving them (and you) a false sense of security.