Communication, Smart Policies Essential for School Safety Recent tragic school shootings have heightened American apprehensions about the safety and security of their public and private schools. While mass shootings at schools and how to prevent them have garnered much of the attention regarding school safety, there are a number of less headline-grabbing but equally dangerous school situations requiring the attention of school officials and policy makers. Establishing protocols for school safety, including emergency call systems, will help principals and teachers protect their students from extraordinary and more commonplace threats.
While school officials go to great length to provide an educational setting that is safe and conducive to learning, violence and crime do occur at school. Consider the following statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics: Between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012, 45 violent deaths involving students, staff, or visitors occurred in elementary and secondary schools in America. Of those deaths, 26 resulted from homicide, 14 from suicide, and 5 from police intervention. About 85 percent of public schools record incidents of crime each year. Most crimes reported involve property crime, such as theft or vandalism. During the 2011-2012 school year, about 9 percent of teachers reported being threatened with physical harm by a student, down from 12 percent in the early 90s. About 5 percent of teachers were attacked by students, up from previous survey years where the rate was around just 3 percent. The percentage of students ages 12 to 18 who reported that they were afraid of attack or harm at school has decreased from 12 percent in 1995 to 3 percent in 2013. Electronic communication is increasing the number of threats of violent behavior. According to information from National School Safety and Security Devices, electronic
devices and social media sites are frequently used to send bomb, shooting, and other threats. Most of these threats come to nothing, but their prevalence is disturbing.
When examined, statistics show that in some ways our schools are safer than they were in years past, while in others more efforts are needed to improve teacher and student safety. Continued attention to the issue, and investment in technology such as emergency call systems, will help administrators come closer to the goal of providing a school environment where all students can feel safe from harm and bullying. School officials should consider the following policies and practices when adopting safer school policies: Controlled access. Schools need to have control over the entrance and access points to their school. While schools should be welcoming to parents and the public, taking control of access to the school can help schools avoid potentially dangerous situations. Visitors to schools should have to be buzzed in to the facility and should also have to sign in on a visitor’s log. Knowing who is in the school and where they are going can help school officials improve school safety. Consistent disciplinary policies – Inconsistent discipline causes confusion among teachers and students alike. When some students receive minimal punishment for the same offenses that may have gotten other students suspended or expelled, students don’t know what their limits are. Inconsistent discipline is also frustrating for teachers, who need the backing of their administrators to keep order in their classrooms. Disciplinary policies should be clear and unambiguous, and should be enforced evenly among students. Some situations may call for administrator discretion, but, for the most part, by the book is the best policy.
Establish and practice safety plans – Unfortunately, schools need to prepare for all possible dangers, including active shooter situations. Establishing a safety plan for active shooter or intruder situations, and practicing that plan, will help educators be ready in case of an emergency situation. The plan should involve means of communication, methods for securing classrooms, evacuation protocol, and other issues that may arise in an emergency situation. Outerwear policies – Baggy jackets and hoodies can help students hide relatively innocuous contraband like gum and candy, or more dangerous items like drugs or weapons. Schools should implement policies requiring students to keep their outerwear in lockers while they are inside the school building. Random searches – Random “lockdowns” and sweeps by police K-9 units have been proven highly effective in finding contraband in schools and deterring students from bringing weapons, drugs, and alcohol to school property. Good partnerships between school officials and local law enforcement can gain the police support necessary for this tactic. Encourage information sharing – Sharing information among teachers, students, and law enforcement can help diffuse many tense situations before they escalate into a major disturbance or violence. Teachers and law enforcement staff assigned to schools should work to foster relationships with students, who typically know much more about what is happening in the school than any of the adults. These relationships can often lead to tips concerning students who may be in need of monitoring or guidance, to help them avoid making destructive decisions. Adopt electronic communications policies. Cell phones and mobile devices are an inescapable part of modern life. However, they can cause significant distractions in a school setting, especially if they’re used to bully other students or to make threats. Schools should have a clear and unambiguous policy regarding the possession and use of cell phones and mobile devices during the school day. They should also have digital citizenship training for students to encourage them to avoid engaging in anti-social behavior with their devices on or off school property. Invest in emergency call systems – Being able to rapidly communicate with police and central office personnel during a crisis situation can save lives. School systems should invest in emergency call services that are reliable and which work well within a school setting. Systems Technologies distributes push button transmitters that many schools find helpful in providing emergency communications. When these devices are activated, they send a wireless signal that identifies an endangered area or person to other communications equipment in the school, such as pagers, radios, cell phones, or email. Further options allow alarms to be sent to law enforcement or the system’s central office. By providing teachers and administrators with the policies and tools they need, school systems can ensure that students are able to learn and teachers are able to teach in a secure environment.