Public School Security
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Posted by Connie Newbauer Oct 6, 2006 |
It is a sad sign of our times: Shootings, bloody brawls, old grudges festering and exploding, bullying - all in our nation's schools where we send our innocent children for eight hours of every day. What can we do to prevent violence from simply walking through the front door of our schools?
School Architects Can:
- Design schools so that they are not intruder friendly:
- Administration offices should be at the entrance of the school, not student areas
- Administration offices should be clearly marked
- Mark the Resource Police officer's office boldly, near the entrance
- Use doors easily opened from the inside and locked from the outside
- Create a spirit of team work and open communication with staff
- Create a feeling of school pride and ownership for students and staff
- Encourage Staff to stop and question anyone – child or adult – unfamiliar to them
- Take threats seriously.
- Everyone, children, adults, staff and administration must take any utterance seriously and investigate thoroughly. Avoid thinking threats are “just big talk.”
- Encourage faculty and staff to take a personal interest in all their students, but in “troubled” students especially – they may be the only life line in that child’s life
- Make I.D. badges mandatory for students, staff, faculty and visitors
School Staff Members Can:
- Challenge andyone not known to you without a visible ID card
- Escort the unitdentified visitor to the office for identification
- Develop bonds with your students that encourage communication
Parents Can:
- Communicate with your child daily
- Know your child’s friends
- Know where your child spends his free time
- Know what your child’s hobbies are
- Provide a structured, safe, harmonious environment to him to return home to
- Note any personality changes such as withdraw
- Be aware of any social challenges your child may be having – such as being bullied or not being able to make friends
- Anonymously report any threats made against students, staff, faculty, or even family members to a trusted adult
- Report sighting an unknown person on school grounds (DO NOT confront anyone by yourself – go and get help)
- Walk away from verbal and physical confrontations