Does bullying cause suicide? You would think so if you read and hear some of the headlines, comments, and advocacy by anti-bullying law special interests following several suicides completed by youth who were reported victims of chronic bullying at school. I certainly do not question whether these kids were bullied. I do not question whether the bullying added significant […]
How Homegrown Terrorism is a Threat to School Safety
The U.S. has been slow to respond to homegrown radicals, creating a vulnerability for domestic terrorism right here in the U.S., according to a new report by the co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission. The Associated Press highlighted their findings in Report: US must deal with homegrown terror problem. The full report is available at Assessing the […]
Back to the Future: School Safety at a Pre-Columbine Climate?
School safety budget cuts, educators distracted with academic reform, and skewed school safety policy and funding are creating a “deja vu” feeling for some school safety specialists who were around prior to the 1999 Columbine High School attack. As I recall, the focus on school safety in the months and years before the shootings in Pearl […]
Why Caring About School Safety Just Isn’t Good Enough
Does your principal and superintendent really care about school safety? Chances are good the answer is, “Yes.” The problem is that caring alone is just not enough today. Educators are on overload with academic, budget, facility, and other urgent day-to-day issues. They care about school safety, but it is increasingly challenging for them to find the time […]
Can Your School Staff Communicate in a Crisis?
School campuses are often very large with multiple floors and even have multiple buildings on one campus in some districts. Two-way radios are commonplace in many of our nation’s schools as a tool for administrators, security personnel, and key staff to communicate on security and supervision issues. Not only are they helpful with day-to-day security issues, […]
School Safety Quote: The Federal Government & School Safety
A school safety chief who follows my e-newsletter and blog sent this thought along last week after monitoring my posts on shifts in federal school safety policy and funding: When I hear, “I’m from the federal government and I’m here to help you,” I always have one question: Which one is it — are you […]
Cyberbullying & Sexting: Expectations for School Principals
“Principals can’t police the Internet all night and all weekend.” I hear this a lot from school administrators. Parents, however, often have a different (and unrealistic) perspective on the matter. My take is that school administrators cannot be expected to police the Internet all night and all weekend. Parents should also not view school administrators as the […]
School Security Versus the CSI Effect & TSA Effect
Surveillance cameras and metal detectors are used to varying extents in a number of our nation’s school districts. Cameras are in place in many urban, suburban, and rural districts. Metal detectors tend to be used regularly in a smaller number of districts, often larger districts with a chronic history of weapons incidents. Parents, the media, […]
School Safety: Why Parents Don’t Know What They Don’t Know
Utah school crime data is riddled with inaccuracies, according to a recent Salt Lake Tribune newspaper story. The bottom line: Parents don’t know what they don’t know about school safety — and nobody is rushing to tell them! The problem is not limited to Utah. It is a national problem I have documented for years on […]
Gunman at TN School: Do You Want Police or a Climate Survey?
A 62-year-old gunman pointed a .380 semi-automatic gun in a Tennessee Principal’s face yesterday. The School Resource Officer (SRO) drew her gun and shielded the Principal’s body with her own. The principal, Melanie Riden, was able to flee the area. The SRO, Sheriff’s Deputy Carolyn Gudger, lured the gunman into the empty high school cafeteria — a more contained […]