School administrators and school safety professionals are seeing a noticeable increase in fighting, especially at the middle and high school levels, in the past two school years. Some fights are exceptionally large in number of students, highly aggressive, and at times involve persons fromoutside of the school who are not students. We put together some […]
Category Archive: Students and School Safety
Why adequate supervision is critical to good school safety
A female is allegedly raped in a gym restroom. A student is assaulted in a hallway during class change. A stranger is found in an elementary school restroom. The first question raised by parents, the media and perhaps eventually lawyers is: “Was supervision adequate?” The answer to that question must be assessed on a case-by-case […]
When Did Common Sense End in School Discipline and Safety?
Training students not to open exterior school doors to let someone inside is a best practice. Suspending a student who violated the rule to help a woman with her hands full is not a best practice. A Southampton County, Virginia, middle school student was suspended from school after opening a door for a woman with […]
School Access Control: Two Simple, But Powerful, Practices
Proximity or swipe card readers, electronic door opening controls, surveillance cameras, and visitor management systems are among a list of access control and management strategies put in place in schools across the nation. School administrators and safety officials can effectively integrate these and other strategies into their school security plans. But two simple, but powerful, practices are too frequently overlooked and/or under-emphasized: […]
Engaging Students in School Safety
Students in Miami-Dade County Schools are organizing school safety summits in the aftermath of a fatal stabbing at Coral Gables Senior High this past September. (Details at Miami Herald’s January 12th story, Miami-Dade students organize to end violence in schools) While I was working with an Indiana school district on an emergency planning assessment today, […]