A recent regional story about a high-school “mock crash”—a staged DUI collision with blood, sirens, and ambulances—took me back to practices many communities once embraced as prevention. I grew up in the 1980s, and before prom or graduation, there was always a community in the area that staged a “mock crash.” These events are meant to shock teens into safer choices. But today, with what we know about trauma and what the research shows about behavior change, we need to ask: Do mock crashes work—and at what cost?

What the evidence says

Independent reviews of school-based alcohol and impaired-driving programs consistently find that dramatic, one-off events can change feelings for a moment but don’t change behavior over time. A research summary from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission concluded that well-known programs, such as Every 15 Minutes and “Grim Reaper/Mock Crashes,” have not produced significant, long-term outcomes on attitudes or behavior. At best, short-term attitude shifts fade within weeks; crucially, studies rarely show reductions in actual drinking or alcohol-related crashes.

This pattern aligns with broader prevention science: fear- or threat-based campaigns are attention-grabbing, but their effects on actual driving behavior are small or short-lived, and they can be least effective for the very youth who are most likely to take risks. (Traffic Injury Research Foundation)

Why this kind of “prevention” can harm

Being trauma-informed means recognizing that many students and staff carry visible and invisible wounds. As physician Gabor Maté puts it, “Trauma is not what happens to you but what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.” Graphic simulations risk re-activating those internal wounds—especially for students who’ve lost loved ones in crashes, have family members with DUIs, or who live with chronic stress. 

Best-practice frameworks for trauma-informed schools emphasize avoiding re-traumatization, creating emotional and physical safety, and building regulation and connection. Loud sirens, staged accidents, and EMTs may directly conflict with those principles, potentially compounding distress for vulnerable youth. 

When we know better, we do better

So what should schools and communities do instead? Shift from shock to strengths and connection—approaches that build protective factors, positive norms, and help-seeking.

One model with a strong and growing evidence base is Sources of Strength, which spreads peer-led messages of Hope, Help, and Strength and connects students to trusted adults. A multi-state randomized evaluation showed schoolwide improvements in help-seeking norms, with the most significant gains among students at higher risk. (PMC)

Most compelling, a recent CDC-funded cluster randomized trial found a 29% reduction in new suicide attempts among high-school students in schools implementing Sources of Strength—powerful evidence that positive-norm, connection-based prevention can produce real behavioral outcomes. Both substance (alcohol, cannabis, and drugs) misuse and suicidality are strongly linked to unresolved trauma, emotional dysregulation, and lack of social connection—the very areas addressed by trauma-informed prevention models like Sources of Strength.

We know when youth drink, it’s rarely “just about the alcohol.” It’s often about coping with pain, pressure, or disconnection. Fear-based campaigns and mock crashes don’t heal that pain—but hope, belonging, and connection do.

Research results align with trauma-informed school guidance, emphasizing the importance of building safety and belonging, elevating student voice, and strengthening skills and supports, rather than relying on graphic fear appeals.

A better path forward

If your community is considering a mock crash before prom or homecoming, here are trauma-informed alternatives that honor lived experience and improve outcomes:

• Peer-led positive norms campaigns (e.g., Sources of Strength “Hope, Help, Strength” messaging) that regularly reinforce help-seeking, safe-ride plans, and looking out for friends.
  
• Skill-building sessions (refusal skills, bystander intervention, planning a ride) are integrated into advisory or health classes rather than one-time assemblies. Evidence reviews show life-skills approaches outperform scare tactics.
  
• Storytelling with consent and support, centered on resilience and recovery—not graphic details—and accompanied by clear pathways to help during and after the event (school counselors, 988). Trauma-informed toolkits support choice, safety, and connection.
  

As a certified trainer of Sources of Strength in the state of Minnesota, I help schools and communities replace outdated, potentially harmful practices with trauma-informed, strengths-based prevention that actually moves the needle. If your district wants to talk about ditching mock crashes and building a culture of Hope, Help, and Strength, I’d love to connect.

Are you a school or community in Minnesota interested in implementing Sources of Strength? Click HERE to find out how Kathryn can support your school.