The Politics of Fear

In the aftermath of the school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut this past December, we experienced the world around us as less safe—understandably so. In response to such a tragic event, there is a degree of fear instilled in all of us that for many was at its peak in the New Year as we prepared to send our children back to school. The fear we experienced can be considered as both a cause and an effect. It is an effect in that it is an emotion brought about by a perceived threat; it is a cause in that reactions can be ascribed to it. School Boards across the United States and Canada reacted to the threat to school safety by investing in increased security strategies such as surveillance cameras, on-site police officers and security guards, enhanced lockdown procedures (all school entrances and classroom doors are locked at all times), and regular lockdown drills much like the fire drill practices with which we are all familiar. In Ontario, Canada for example, where I practiced for many years as a school-based child and youth care worker, the provincial government reacted by declaring that 10 million dollars would be immediately allocated to implement a “locked door” policy to enhance school security measures. All this is intended to protect our children from threat or harm and to create a safe environment in which children can play and learn.