There has been a steady increase in Violent Critical Incidents since 2000 across all industries (FBI). Schools no longer have the luxury of thinking, 'It won't happen here” - it is happening in unthinkable places. The US Department of Education has recommended proactive training since June 2013. If districts are not meeting or exceeding recommendations, they will be held liable. These events are happening every day in many locations. Would you rather be prepared or be reactive? You have insurance on your home; how many times have you had to use it? Probably not much, if ever. However, you still have it, just in case. It's the same with this training. We hope you never need to deploy these tactics, but wouldn't you rather have yourself and your family prepared?

Some parents may feel "awkward" having this discussion at this age as it's a terrible event. However, at this point, you have probably already discussed with your children about stranger danger, fire, good touch/bad touch, and where to go if they become separated from their parents. These are all examples of terrible events that can occur; however, you train and prepare your children to increase survivability. For example, when teaching a child about stranger danger, it is never discussed what would happen if they get in a stranger's vehicle. Instead, it's discussed what to do to prevent getting in a stranger's car. Likewise, it's never discussed what happens if caught in a fire. Instead, the discussion is how to get out of a structure and where to go to meet others (rally point). Teaching ALICE to a child is very similar. It follows the same pattern of training parents provide children for other man-made and natural disasters – by discussing the options available in different situations and how to utilize them. Focus on survivability. Ensure you talk to your child about all the options they have to survive and practice evacuation or even a rally point just like you would a fire drill. 

Pre-teens are very aware and conscious of Violent Critical Incidents, although they may not be knowledgeable about them. Tell them it is okay to do what they need to survive. Empower them…you know what your child can handle. They need to know that they are empowered to survive based on their situation and be proactive. 

Teenagers can know what is right but may not have been empowered to do what "feels" right; rather than follow orders. Many teens are afraid of getting in trouble if they don't do what their teachers tell them. Make sure your teen feels empowered to make their own survival decisions.

Throwing an item and creating a distraction creates opportunities to increase your survivability. The distraction you create is an action and creates a reaction by the aggressor. This provides the opportunity to put time and distance between you and the aggressor. Putting distance between you and a firearm diminishes the accuracy of the gunman. It has been reported that an individual is 90% less likely to be hit by a gunman if you are moving. By moving, you also create another distraction the gunman must react to. It takes time for the eyes and brain to process new information. Therefore, reaction never beats action. Different parts of the strategy are only taught to students in grades 6-12. 

No. ALICE Training is age-and-ability appropriate to meet your child's cognitive and emotional development and taught with a trauma-informed approach. Consider this: We begin training children at 5-6 years old about fire safety. In the early stages of kindergarten, our children are trained to survive a fire in a building. We teach our children stranger danger and what to do in that situation, which is scary, but the proper training is not frightening for your child. In addition, our training teaches your child how to survive a Violent Critical Incident. Again, properly instructed safety training should not be scary. 

We are not suggesting getting rid of lockdown. However, history and research have proven lockdown as a stand-alone strategy is not enough. ALICE promotes and teaches enhanced lockdown, which includes barricading doors, and has been proven to work in many ALICE in Action stories. If lockdown is your stand-alone strategy and you or your student is in an open area, they cannot lockdown and are left with no training to rely on. Instinctually human action and participation in your own survival have been proven to work. 

1. Talk with your child about the upcoming drill. 

Check-in with them to see how they are feeling about it, what questions they have about it, and what they are expecting the experience to be like. Your child may or may not have a lot to say about it but opening a line of communication is important because they may not know how to start a conversation themselves. 

2. Let them know that you are available to talk if they need/want to. 

Sometimes kids need time to process before they’re able to talk about what’s on their mind. Leaving an open-ended invitation to talk lets them know that you are comfortable and willing to talk or just listen. 

3. Make sure that your child gets enough sleep, stays hydrated, and eats well in the days before a drill. 

This will help your child have the mental and physical energy needed to handle the stress that a drill could cause. 

4. Communicate with your child’s teacher and/or school counselor if you have concerns or questions. 

If your child tends to become distressed when there are changes in their day or if they have been showing signs of stress and anxiety leading up to the drill (or if they are experiencing other stressors in their life), it’s important to communicate this to their teacher. Knowing these factors ahead of time allows your child’s teacher to plan for extra support and come up with strategies ahead of time so that things can go as smoothly as possible on the day of the drill.

From ALICE Trauma-Informed Practices & Resources: A Helpful Guide for Educators & Parents 

1. Check in with your child. 

Ask if they’d like to talk to you about how things went, but don’t pressure them to talk if they’re not ready. Sometimes, it’s easier to do a 2-3 word check-in. Ask them to share 2 or 3 words to describe their day or to describe how they’re feeling. This way, they won’t have to do a lot of talking, but you can still get some insight into their thoughts and feelings. 

2. Stick with their typical after-school routine. 

Most of us find comfort in the familiar and children are no different. Coming home to normalcy may feel especially soothing after a stressful day. 

3. Help your child use coping strategies if they are experiencing stress responses. 

Breathing techniques  

• Have your child pretend like they are smelling a flower as they breathe in and blow out a candle as they breathe out. 

• Have them count as they breathe, inhaling for a count of 4 and exhaling for a count of 4.

• Have them put their hand on their belly and as they breathe in, they can feel their belly expand like a balloon. As they breathe out, have them try to feel their balloon completely deflate. 

Grounding techniques

• Use the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 grounding method. Have them list 5 things they can see, 4 things they can touch, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell, and 1 thing they can taste. 

• Ask them to name as many things as possible in the room that are a certain color. 

Progressive muscle relaxation

• Have your child breathe in and tense up muscles in a specific part of their body. Have them hold their breath for a few seconds as they keep their muscles tight. As they breathe out, they can focus on releasing all tension in that body part. It’s helpful to start at either the head or feet and work your way up or down until each part of the body has been relaxed. 

4. Validate and acknowledge their responses to the drill while reassuring them that they’re safe. 

Let your child know that how they are feeling is normal and that they are safe. 

5. Communicate with your child’s teacher and/or school counselor. If you notice that your child is having difficulty following a drill, let their teacher and/or school counselor know so that they can offer extra support at school. If your child didn’t sleep well that night, send a quick message in the morning letting their teacher know so they are aware that your child may be more tired than usual. 

From ALICE Trauma-Informed Practices & Resources: A Helpful Guide for Educators & Parents