Why Is School Safety Important?

Students of all ages are entitled to a safe school learning environment. If students don't feel safe, they are not able to stay focused during classroom lessons and activities. They will have more difficulty learning the skills they need for their educational future. When violence becomes present in schools, it affects all students in one way or another. Even if your child doesn't experience violence first hand, there is a chance he or she will become witness to some type of violence toward another student.
School safety is becoming a main point of interest for local to federal government officials. Members of the school boards should be meeting with teachers and parents to listen to their concerns and offer solutions.

Importance

School safety is important because in order for any learning to take place, a child has to feel that he or she is in a safe environment. It they are focused on other fearful issues, they could care less what is being taught in the classroom. School safety is important for the protection of all students and school staff from any abuse or violence. As long as there continue to be stories of school violence and shootings in the news, there will continue to be a need for more improvements on school safety. School staff and parents need to take all precautions. There are different types of school abuse or violence. Some examples are assaults, bullying, fights, theft, sexual attacks, or use of a weapon.

Parent Involvement

Parent involvement is a big part of the picture. Parents should remind their children that schools are safe places and they are part of the solution. If they see any inappropriate behavior going on, they need to let an adult know. Parents and teachers also need to explain that violence is never the answer to problems they may be faced with. Some parents may think they don't know how to get involved, while others say they simply don't have the time. It's a lot easier than you think to be involved in your child's life. Start by talking to them and find out what's going on in their lives. They need to feel like they can come to you with any concerns they have at school and feel safe.



Internet Safety

If your child is interested in setting up an email account, make sure you sit down with them and guide the entire process. Let them know you will have access to their password and remind them not to give it to anyone else. This would be a good time for a lesson on cyber bullying. Let your child know there can be bullies online as well as in person, and these people are known as cyber bullies. Let your child know that they don't have to put up with bullies on the internet as well as in person. The same rules apply on the computer as they do in person. Also, it is important to monitor what sites your children go to regularly. There are predators out there disguising themselves as children, so they can prey on unsuspecting children. Even though you can't see who is out there, you need to be alert and involved in everything your children do on the internet. If they know you will be watching, they might be less inclined to do something they shouldn't.

Programs

There are several programs schools need to have in place in case the need arises for them. One example of a program needed is an anti-bullying program. This is more common in the later elementary or early middle school years, but once these events are occurring, some students need tools to help them cope with students who tend to bully others. Another beneficial program is a conflict resolution program. Conflict resolution is a way to handle conflicts or disagreements between two or more people. Sometimes it is more beneficial to have a mediator present to keep things on track. This can be done with peer mediators and has had some success in many schools. Conflict resolution usually begins with a summary of things that were said to each other, in order to review the problem that caused the whole disagreement. Both parties have to cooperate in order for this to work. Then both parties can use creative problem-solving techniques to work through their issues. Teachers can use role-playing to show students how to deal with specific situations and then the students can use what they've learned in real-life conflict situations as needed. One way that conflict resolution ends is in a compromise, where both parties feel they have been heard and respected.

Zero Tolerance

Zero tolerance was created in response to student misbehavior. Zero tolerance results in students being expelled or suspended if they have broken the law or violated school rules. This could include anything from a threat, to actually bringing a weapon to school. These laws were begun by the 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act, which was created due to many school shootings that happened across the country. While some people believe the zero tolerance policies go too far, we need something in place to protect children. Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_5484904_school-safety-important.html  
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References

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