Dangerous Schools

Is your child safe at school? Some students say, ‘Not always,’

17-year old Melinda says, “You always see something going on. You know, just like fights between people.”

“And a lot more instances of guns and knives and stuff,” adds Jonathan Sanders, 15

16-year old Rikita says there are stepped up security measures at her school.

“We have metal detectors and random searches in the morning where they search lockers and book bags.”

So far, fewer than 50-schools nationwide have been labeled “persistently dangerous.” One reason is states are allowed to write their own definition and definitions vary. The other reason is schools don’t always report crimes.

“I would assume that schools don’t want to be viewed as unsafe so it might be that purposefully or not, underreporting may happen,” says Dr. Joel Meyers, a school safety specialist

So if your child’s school isn’t labeled dangerous, does that mean it’s safe? Sometimes, he most common kind of violence never gets reported.

“There is a lot of media attention to problems of physical violence- the school shootings and so on get a lot of attention. Bullying happens more pervasively and doesn’t get the same attention and probably contributes a great deal more to feelings of safety in school than does the few occasions of physical violence.”

Experts say to find out how safe your child’s school really is, walk the halls, visit the classrooms, talk to teachers and talk to students.

“I would be looking at what is the school climate like. Is my child unhappy at school? How come? I’d be talking to my child about that to the extent that there’s something related to them feeling safe or unsafe. It’s the perception of safety on the part of the child,” says Dr. Meyers.

And, he says, if safety is an issue, parents can be part of the solution.

“They should be going to the school working with the school people to help overcome those problems rather than blaming the school, nor does it help when the school blames the parents, they need to be working together to create safe environments for the children.”

The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV) says that, despite events that often make the nightly news, schools shootings are still relatively rare events. The CSPV points out that school-related deaths since 1992 represent only about 1% of all youth killed with guns during that time period. The National School Safety Center says the odds of a child dying at school remain one-in-two-million.

In addition, a study by researchers at the University of Maryland found schools that rely on “secure building” measures such as cameras and metal detectors, show higher rates of reported victimization than schools which create an atmosphere of nonviolence. They found that clearly defined rules and consequences can be more effective in creating an atmosphere of safety than metal detectors and cameras. Students in schools where rules are emphasized, and the consequences of breaking the rules are known to all, reported less victimization and disorder.

Even though the odds for children dying at school stand at one-in-two-million, school safety is still a major concern among parents. The CSPV recommends that schools include these steps in their safe school plan:

• Create a climate of ownership and school pride.
• Enhance multi-cultural understanding.
• Be sure all students have knowledge of school rules and consequences for breaking the rules.
• Add “hard looks” and “stare downs” as actionable offenses to the student code of conduct.
• Place students and parents on notice.
• Provide adequate adult supervision.
• Develop and enforce a school dress code.
• Provide teacher training in behavior management.
• Implement peer counseling and peer mediation programs.
• Create a student advisory council.
• Incorporate a life skills curriculum.
• Develop a student crime prevention program.

Police have been able to prevent several potentially severe school threats thanks to tips from students. Students notified school officials after learning that other students planned to carry out violent acts. According to the National Education Association (NEA), kids today are more willing to report threats of violence at school. Parents, however, should explain to their children that there is a difference between ‘telling’ and ‘tattling.’

• Children ‘tattle’ to get their own way or to get someone else in trouble.
• Children should be encouraged to ‘tell’ an adult when someone is in danger of getting hurt.

Some schools have even begun to implement anonymous hotlines so that parents or children can provide information that could alert authorities to potential problems. To help in the identification of students who may be dangerous, the American Psychological Association has listed several warning signs that kids need to recognize in other students – indications that violence is a “serious possibility.”

• Loss of temper on a daily basis
• Frequent physical fighting
• Significant vandalism or property damage
• Increase in use of drugs or alcohol
• Increase in risk-taking behavior
• Detailed plans to commit acts of violence
• Announcing threats or plans for hurting others
• Enjoying hurting animals
• Carrying a weapon

Once students recognize a warning sign, the APA says there are several things they can do. Hoping that someone else will deal with the problem is “the easy way out.”

• Above all, be safe. Don’t spend time alone with people who show warning signs.
• Tell someone you trust and respect about your concerns and ask for help.
• If you are worried about becoming a victim of violence, get someone to protect you. Do not resort to violence or use a weapon to protect yourself.

The key to preventing violent behavior, according to the APA, is to ask an experienced professional for help. The important thing to remember is, don’t go it alone.

The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice
The Center for School Safety
The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence
The National School Safety Center
National Parent Teacher Association
The Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice