Parental Concerns Over School Safety

Our parent and grandparents are shocked over what is happening in schools nowadays.  They can remember when poor grades and mean teachers were their only concerns when they sent their children off to school. Times have changed for the worse. These days, violence in schools is a major problem in almost every community. Not only is fighting between students a concern, but violence against teachers, fist fights, and even gun shootings are common crimes that happen at school. School safety is an issue every parent and student should be familiar with in these troubled times.

School Safety Procedures Implemented by the Schools, and What Parents Should Ask

School safety is now something that school staff and administration evaluate seriously. Some schools have installed security devices, such as metal detectors, at the door as part of school policy.   Other school safety policies include hiring security officers and installing video cameras. Many schools routinely conduct random checks of student’s lockers.  Students with questionable attitudes or conduct are expelled. The problem has become so bad that student web site postings also must be monitored.

A parent concerned with school safety should ask a teacher or a principal what types of procedures are in effect for handling dangerous situations. The principal or teacher should also explain the notification procedures that have been established for violent situations.  For example, if there is a school shooting, how will the school notify parents of the situation and keep them informed?  Is there a plan to evacuate the children and if so, where are the children evacuated?  A parent should also ask whether proper supervision is available at the playground, cafeteria, after-school-programs and classrooms. 

Proactive Student Safety Measures

School safety programs should also be proactive.  While many schools have implemented school safety procedures that are enforced when violence occurs, the root of the problem, such as what causes the violence in the first place and warning signs, should also be addressed.  Many school teachers and parents believe that violent behavior begins early, growing in a troubled young mind. By working together, teachers and parents can do their best to prevent violent attitudes from developing before they are exhibited publicly.   to address this issue, many schools employ psychologists and counselors.

Parental Involvement

Parents should listen to their children's complaints and feelings for clues about what may be going on at school that the staff does not know about, or to determine whether their child may have an issue that can blossom into hostility and violent behavior. Parents who truly listen to their children, and who give their children a healthy sense of self-esteem and respect for others, are perhaps the best contributors to school safety.

Outside of the home, parents can become involved with school safety by joining their local PTA, supporting  violence prevention programs, and volunteering in community or school programs that encourage and guide youth. 

"Parental Concerns Over School Safety" contributed by Doris O'Shea