How to Get Information on Your Child's School and Their Approach to School Safety

Although most schools and other institutions of learning are safe, school violence has been on the rise in the past ten years. There are steps that parents and other caregivers can take to find out how the subject of violent behavior and safety are approached by the school.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A meeting with school principal, counselor, or teacher.
• School manuals, rules and regulations, and handbooks.

1. Find out if the school has a printed manual or other printed materials denoting the steps the school takes to help ensure school safety.

2. 

   Request a copy of the school handbook containing school rules and regulations if you did not receive the handbook during school registration or a parent orientation.

3. 

   Ask what the school considers to be a weapon and what the school does if a child is caught with a weapon as defined by the school.

4. 

   Ask how the school punishes kids who break the rules and review those rules and the accompanying punishment for disobeying them with your child.

5. 

   Find out how the school records and tracks children who skip school or miss classes and who have filed complaints of having been bullied inside the school, on the playground, or on their way to and from school.

6. 

   Ask how prevalent school thefts and vandalism is and what the school does to deter or punish children caught stealing from other students or destroying another child's personal property or school property.

7. 

   Ask if the school district provides safety measures and rules for students riding school buses such as video cameras or bus monitors (staff)and if students are taught what the rules are for riding on the bus.

8. 

   Ask what happens to students riding the school bus when they do not follow the rules, exhibit repeated violent behaviors and attitudes, and threaten others on the bus.

9. 

   Encourage children to report threats of violence against themselves or other students and teachers, threats of suicide by other students, or other negative behaviors to school staff, parents, church clergy, or other adults in authority.

10. 

    Share information, concerns, and rules and regulations with other parents and if you feel the school is too lax or doing nothing, consider organizing a parent group to help create a safe school for community children.

Tips & Warnings

• Being pro-active and encouraging other parents, caregivers, or the school itself to be pro-active will help make schools safe for everyone.
• If children have a concern related to school, other students, school staff, etc. take them seriously and follow up on those concerns or fears.
• Always take time to sit down with children to talk about anything they need to talk about, especially if related to school.
• An open line of communication with children, school staff, and others is imperative.
• Children, or groups of students, who have made threats of violence against school staff or other students and who have threatened suicide from constant bullying at school, or talk about being bullied, need help and guidance. Don't wait until it is too late for those children and they are pushed over the edge.

Resources

• PTA, Every Child, One Voice

[cookiesmagic]

on 11/16/2009 Great and encouraging article

[mboone84]

on 11/9/2009 Great article on How to Get Information on Your Child's School and Their Approach to School Safety

[chrisanimelo444]

on 11/7/2009 Great advice! Very informative.

[solutionsforu]

on 11/7/2009 Excellent article on How to Get Information on Your Child's School and Their Approach to School Safety. Something every parent needs to know 5*