Bulletproof backpack sales spike in wake of shootings
(NBC News) As families get ready to start the school year, many are facing a difficult decision: Do kids need to carry a bullet-proof shield as they head back to class?
Manufacturers are reporting a spike in sales, as much as 200 percent, as kids head back to school.
They also admit while the backpacks may offer some protection, there effectiveness is limited.
Psychologists warn the bags can carry a mixed message.
“The plus side of handing your child a bulletproof backpack is in some way you’re conveying to them implicitly that you want them to feel safe,” says Dr. Dave Anderson of the Child Mind Institute. “As a downside, is that we’re reminding children of dangers of the world that they wouldn’t otherwise come into contact with, especially for young kids, elementary schoolers.”
