Student safety
Student safety
Introduction
Security and safety of an individual is considered one of the fundamental needs by many people. It is worth noting that none of the fundamental human rights can be guaranteed if there is no security or safety. It is, therefore, understandable that all individuals strive to guarantee security and safety for their families in all aspects. This is especially so in the case of young children or even teenagers. Unfortunately, it can be extremely difficult for a parent to keep an eye on his or her children once they have left home, in which case guaranteeing their security and safety becomes a tall order. This does not in any way undermine the fact that children or rather students are not entirely safe even when they are at home. It is widely recognized, however, that children enjoy a relatively higher level of safety when at home than when in school or other places away from their homes. In essence, it is imperative that parents and teachers look into ways of enhancing students’ safety.
There are various issues that pertain to students’ safety both in school and at home. However, two of the most prevalent issues that affect the safety of children are bullying and stranger danger.
Bullying
Bullying among teenagers and small children is usually dismissed as a normal occurrence when growing up. This has often resulted in little attention being paid to the adverse effects that it has on the victim, as well as the connection between the vice and other forms of violence. Recent times have, however, seen an increase in the commitment by parents and teachers to stop bullying, both in schools and the community. Bullying includes varied behaviors, which involve an individual or a group persistently trying to harm another person who is relatively weaker and more vulnerable than them. This may include direct attacks such as threatening, hitting, or intimidating, taunting, maliciously teasing, name-calling, damaging belongings or making sexual remarks. In addition, it may include subtle, indirect attacks on an individual such as the encouragement of others to exclude or reject a person or spreading rumors about an individual.
The magnitude of this has been expanded by advancement in technology. This has introduced cyber bullying, which affects quite a large number of students. Unfortunately, cyber-bullying penetrates the bedrooms or private lives of young children thanks to the fact that most of them have computers or internet-enabled phones.
Stranger danger
The grave nature of stranger danger cannot be understated. According to reports by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, more than 750,000 children went missing in 2002. As much as kidnapping is not only committed by strangers, it goes without saying that children stand higher chances of being kidnapped by strangers than by people they know or with whom they are familiar.
It is worth noting that children often find it difficult to understand the concept of a “stranger”. In fact, there is a high likelihood that they will not think of an individual as a stranger in cases where they have seen an individual in their neighborhood or at school. Moreover, they may not think of an individual as a stranger unless he or she looks scary or mean. This underlines the importance of teaching students, whether young or teenagers, to be people-smart so as to eliminate the possibility of being harmed by strangers.
Appropriate home and school safety guidelines
It is widely accepted that there is no absolute way of guaranteeing that students and young people are safe both in school and at home. However, there are varied measures that can be taken to ensure that their safety is enhanced and their chances of getting in danger minimized. It is worth mentioning that such efforts would call for maximum involvement and commitment of both parents and teachers. In addition, it would be imperative that they have a clear understanding of the dangers that the children are exposed to in both locations or even when moving from one location to another.
Safety procedures for curbing bullying
In the prevention of bullying, it is worth noting that there are various levels involved including the Principal’s level, Classroom level, Community Level, Parent level and the Counselors’ level.
Principals’ level
The principal should establish an entire schoolwide anti-sexual harassment and antibullying policy. This policy should define bullying behavior and come up with clear and distinctive schoolwide rules and regulations that curb bullying, as well as the consequences that will befall bullies.
Collaborate with the staff in the establishment of obtainable, doable and measurable objectives and goals for prevention of bullying. These should be made known to the community members, parents and the school population through public relations campaigns.
The consequences should not only cover the bullies themselves but also bystanders, especially having in mind that bullying is often a group phenomenon.
The consequences should not only cover the bullies themselves but also bystanders, especially having in mind that bullying is often a group phenomenon.
The principal must establish and maintain a system of reporting bullying incidents confidentially. This will encourage victims of bullying to report such incidents, thereby reducing the likelihood of bullying.
An antibullying material should be built in the entire curriculum, as well as school activities. It is imperative that class-level and curriculum-based activities and discussions against bullying are incorporated in line with the ages and grades of the children.
Supervisory patterns should be altered so as to ensure that adults are available and visible in areas where bullying is most likely to take place. Increased supervision by adults tends to reduce bullying tendencies.
Playground activities that enhance prosocial interactions should be promoted. In such contexts, recess supervisory staff should be used instead of teachers. Teachers are less likely to intervene in episodes of bullying that take place in the playground context than in the classroom.
Disseminate information pertaining to antibullying policies, intervention and evaluations plans and reporting forms that are used in the assessment and critical incidents using assemblies, staff meetings, as well as a class and parent meetings.
The rules and regulations pertaining to bullying should not only be made but also seen to be applied. This tends to deter potential bullies and encourages their parents to take stern measures against the kids.
At the classroom level
Class-level rules, that enhance proper social skills and lower the bullying tendencies, should be implemented. These should also outline the consequences that befall bystanders in such incidents, as well as any willing participants.
Enhance the supervision of small kids by the prefects of classroom monitors. This should be complemented by regular meetings to discuss any incidents of bullying, as well as the ways in which they could get along with others.
As much as no student should be used as an example to others, it is imperative that any bullying incident is identified early enough and crashed appropriately to discourage such incidents in the future.
At the Classroom and Counselor Level
As mentioned earlier, bullying activities are usually carried out by groups of students. In essence, it is imperative that students are trained in bystander intervention.
This teaches them on how to become courageous bystanders who speak up for the vulnerable and victimized students, as well as getting adults to assist such efforts.
Training should be provided for victims of bullying. The training should incorporate assertiveness training, self-enhancement skills, negotiation skills and friendship-building skills.
The training should involve parents so as to establish a circle of friends, as well as identify supportive staff members. The children will, therefore, know the people that they could turn to when bullied.
At parents’ and community level
Parents should have their children closely monitored and supervised especially when in unfamiliar grounds. This should also be done when their kids start showing signs of being bullied, whether psychological or physical.
Taking up matters with the parents of bullies is imperative. This would not only discourage the bullies but also encourage parents to take punitive measures against their children. In fact, such incidents should be taken up with the varied agencies including the school administration and the police.
Electronic or cyber-bullying
Monitoring and supervision should be increased as to the usage of computers and phones. It is imperative that students are taught the importance of using electronic devices appropriately, as well as reporting any incidents of cyber-bullying to the relevant authorities.
The school administration and parents must adopt a policy that develops positive, as well as responsible use of mobile phones and the internet.
Clear rules should be enacted in schools as to the use of software, as well as the access to certain networks
It is imperative that a filtering and tracking software is installed in all computers that are to be used in schools or t home by young pupils.
Prevention programs should be encouraged and adopted. These include lessons on all aspects of cyber-bullying including its effects, as well as what it involves. The lessons must also incorporate information to bystanders in the ways in which they can respond to or report such incidents.
Parents and teachers must research for and keep information pertaining to cyberbullies and present this information to the relevant authorities. It is always imperative that the students are taught the measures that they should take when in such situations, as well as adults to whom they can report that information. On the same note, it is imperative that the students know the signs of cyberbullies and have clear knowledge on what to do in such circumstances.
Safety measures against stranger danger
It is always imperative that parents accompany young students in areas where they are likely to face danger. In addition, they should direct the school administration to have their children assigned a responsible and trustworthy adult to take care of the kid in cases where the parent is not available.
Parents should designate trusted adults and make a list of individuals who may be allowed to pick the kid from school, or even take care of the kid when the parent is not available. The child should be informed on the adults that they can go with and also be advised against going with anyone else unless advised otherwise. In such cases, the parent and school administration should have clear information as to the individual who has picked the student.
Children should also be taught on the danger signs for which they should be on the lookout. It is imperative that they know that they cannot trust just anybody, simply because they have seen them before or known them unless otherwise advised.
Children should be taught on how to call for help. They should be taught that while they should not always talk to strangers, they should feel free to call for help from strangers when in trouble.
For the rescuing strangers, it is imperative that the students are taught to direct them on the numbers to call. This may be the parents’ numbers, numbers of responsible and trusted adults, school administration or even the police. The students should be taught to stand their ground and have the rescuing strangers do that.
Students should also be taught on behaviors that put them in dangerous situations with strangers. These including hitchhiking or taking gifts such as candy from strangers, something that may put them in danger.
Community resources for bullying, cyber-bullying and stranger danger
Peace First HYPERLINK “http://www.peacefirst.org/” t “_blank” peacefirst.org.
This is a national, nonprofit organization that engages in teaching young people the critical skills pertaining to conflict resolution, civic engagement and cooperation.
It enhances the safety in the community and schools by developing the abilities of students to demonstrate compassion, view themselves as leaders, as well as stand up for others.
Welcoming Schools Guide HYPERLINK “http://www.welcomingschools.org” t “_blank” www.welcomingschools.org
This approach by the human rights campaign addresses issues such as family diversity, name calling and gender stereotyping in K-5th grades.
This guide assists educators, parents and administrators to ensure that the elementary schools offer a welcoming environment to all students and families.
Claim Your Rights Program HYPERLINK “http://community.pflag.org/claimyourrights” t “_blank” http://community.pflag.org/claimyourrights
This program is a partnership between the department of civil right and PFLAG and GLSEN. It aims at assisting all people to understand their right to having safe schools.
The resource also helps, parent, teachers and students to report incidences of bullying especially in cases where the schools deny the existence of the vice.
The National Center for Bullying Prevention HYPERLINK “http://pacer.org/bullying/” t “_blank” Pacer.org/bullying
This organization assists in the promotion of awareness and teaching of effective methods of responding to bullying.
The Trevor project HYPERLINK “http://www.thetrevorproject.org/” t “_blank” thetrevorproject.org
This project operates the Trevor Lifeline, which is a 24-hour suicide and national crisis prevention lifeline for teens and other students.
References
Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, Inc
Nansel, T.R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R.S., Ruan, W.J., Simons-Morton, B., and Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying behaviors among U.S. youth: Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. HYPERLINK “http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v285n16/toc.html” Journal of the American Medical Association
Blauvelt, Peter D (1999). Making Schools Safe for Students: Creating a Proactive School Safety Plan. New York: Corwin Press
