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Related Reading
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 Safe
Schools: A Security and Loss Prevention Plan
This book addresses school security issues, perceptions,
and program design. It also provides for a model security-loss
prevention plan or manual. This plan can be used by a school
district to establish regulations, provide examples and
guidance, and set forth uniform standards for security,
physical security, and loss prevention measures to safeguard
property, material, students, employees, and visitors on
all property belonging to a school district.
Practical School Security: Basic Guidelines for Safe and Secure
Schools
Safety
at School (Safety First)
Creating
Emotionally Safe Schools: A Guide for Educators and Parents
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How Safe
Is Your Child's School?
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The world's a mighty scary place, but it may seem especially
frightening if you're a parent. Not only are you responsible
for your life, but for the life of your child.
In a perfect world, parents could take their children to
school and be worry free for five or six hours. Unfortunately,
schools are no longer a child's safe haven. But don't find
out the hard way if your child's school is secure. Use these
tips to assess its safety.
Getting To School Just getting to and from school
can be hectic and confusing, even for kids who've done it
for years. To make sure your child arrives safe, read these
Back-to-School
Safety Tips.
Community Programs
Find out if your school has ever taken part in the Safe
Schools/ Healthy Students Initiative. This grant program
was started in 1999 to bring communities together to prevent
violence in and out of school and to make the child's
environment more conducive to learning and feeling safe.
If your child's school has not participated, encourage
school administrators to look into this or other community
programs. For models of successful community programs,
see the 2000
Annual Report on School Safety.
Ask Around Never hesitate to ask
questions when it comes to your child's safety! It's your
right, and your duty as a parent, so don't hold back.
Call up your child's school and ask away.
• Does the school have a security or police officer
on site?
• Are there any inappropriate or potentially dangerous
businesses or buildings nearby that could attract unsavory
characters?
• Is the school near any bodies of water? If so,
are there barriers to keep a child from reaching the water?
• How close are the nearest police and fire stations?
For a sample of other questions to ask, see North Carolina's
Assessment Inventory for Safe, Orderly, and Caring Schools
checklist.
Play Investigative Reporter Most
schools probably won't be eager to share their dirt with
you, so you may need to dig.
Get into your child's school and start sniffing around.
Has your child's school ever done a security survey? What
were the findings and what improvements have they made
since? If the school has not done a survey yet, speak
out. Tell administrators they must be proactive about
their school's safety.
Scour the local newspaper's archives for the school's
name. Have there been any incidents or security problems
in the past? If so, find out what's been done to prevent
future episodes.
Finally, contact the National
Alliance for Safe Schools to see if your school has
participated in any workshops or safety evaluations. The
NASS can be reached toll-free at 1-888-510-6500.
Written
by Alexis Garcia
What safety programs have worked in your
school? E-mail
us.
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On the Web
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Education
Council's Safe School Audit
School
Safety Centers in the United States
National
School Safety Center — School Safety Update
Resources
for Parents
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Safety Checklist
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Use these safety tips at school and home:
• Remove drawstrings from jackets
and sweatshirts Drawstrings at the waist should extend
no more than 3 inches to prevent them from catching in car
doors or on playground equipment.
• Soccer goals Make sure soccer goals are securely
anchored so they won't tip over and crush a child.
• Playgrounds Surfaces around playground equipment
should have a 12-inch deep layer of wood chips, mulch, sand
or pea gravel, or mats made of safety-tested rubber or fiber
material to prevent head injuries if a child falls.
Each year, more than 200,000
children end up in U.S. emergency rooms from injuries
associated with playground equipment. Most are injured falling
from equipment to the ground.
• No loops on window blind cords Cut the loop
and attach separate tassels to prevent strangulation. One
child a month dies in the loop of a window blind cord.
• Safety helmets Buy a helmet meeting one of these
safety standards (US, CPSC, Snell, ANSI, ASTM or Canadian).
Insist that your child wear the helmet when they bike, roller
skate, or skateboard. Wearing a helmet can reduce head injury
risk up to 85 percent.
• Recalled products Make sure your child's school
has up-to-date information on recalled toys and children's
products. Get recall information at the CPSC.
Source: US
Consumer Product Safety Commission
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