Prevention Works

Be An Active Partner in Your Children’s School Safety

Two days prior to the tragic school shooting in Newtown, CT, my co-worker’s daughter’s school had a lockdown due to a student bringing a gun into the school.  My co-worker, a retired police officer and coincidently from Connecticut, was in Virginia with me on business when it occurred.  This prompted us to have a lengthy discussion regarding overall school safety and what changes he would recommend for his daughter’s school.  Sadly, I didn’t even know what my own children’s school policy and procedures were for this type of incident. The next evening (Thursday), my co-worker voiced his concerns to a few members of the school’s PTO and business community.  Then Friday, the tragedy occurred.  He and I were totally heartbroken.

This tragedy caused me to have serious conversations with my children and what protocols they are taught should a tragedy such as this occur.  I normally leave these conversations to my husband who is a retired police officer and very active in the school (a private K3-12 institution), but I wanted to know for myself that my children will be as safe as possible.  I already had a few concerns regarding visitors and past students having too much open access to the school.  Although the school has a very friendly and family-oriented atmosphere, you still cannot be too careful.  Just in 2001 during the Washington, DC, sniper attacks, the snipers were in the school’s neighborhood.  Trust me, that is still very much on my mind.

I must say what my oldest child and my niece (who also attends the school), 12^th and 10^th grades, told me their procedures were during an active shooter lockdown disturbed me. It was vastly different from what my son in 2^nd grade is supposed to do.  On December 18, NCPC released a press release to offer tips and resources to parents, students, and educators, along with our School Safety Toolkit and other resources.  Armed with this information, I gave it to the school’s director.  The school, with thousands of other schools across the country, reexamined its policies and procedures on school safety.  My husband assisted the school’s director with a safety drill on January 4. As a result, necessary changes have been made.

I would like to urge parents to become an active partner with your children and in their schools.  Whether it is attending a sporting event or school play; a more serious matter such as your child being bullied or approached by a gang; or the unthinkable – a school shooting such as Newtown, as a parent, you have the power to inform, make suggestions, and play an active role in the safety and security of your child.  Don’t be a bystander in their lives. Your partnership could make a critical difference in creating a safe, caring, and thriving environment for not only your child but also for the entire school population as well.

Overcoming the Challenges Faced in Implementing

Bullying Prevention Programs in Schools

Bullying has become a critical issue among schools everywhere. As educators attempt to get a handle on the growing concern, many attempt to implement bullying prevention programs on school grounds.  However, the implementation of such programs is often met with a number of obstacles, including student participation, funding, and deciding what’s the right program for your school and students. Yet, as we move toward developing comprehensive bullying prevention practices, there are a few key strategies that we should all keep in mind.

Finding the right program

Creating a program that addresses your school’s unique concerns is of vital importance. The first step in doing so is to conduct a two-tiered assessment process that will guide the development of bullying prevention strategies. The first tier should involve surveys that reveal information about the school’s social climate, while the second should identify flaws in security equipment and procedures. Development of any action plan designed to address bullying should always begin with an assessment. We can’t solve the problem, until we define it.

Student participation

Student participation is critical to the successful implementation of any bullying prevention program. It is important that students feel empowered and engaged in the action planning process and that they share the responsibility for creating environments in which they can learn and thrive. Getting students involved and excited about taking part in a bullying prevention program will ensure that the program works to its full potential and that they can identify and address concerns that are most important to them.

Keeping it a priority

Maintaining a program’s importance after the excitement has settled is a major challenge that schools may face. Periodically updating a program with new ideas and incentives can help keep up the momentum and excitement for both students and educators. Whether a program is structured or unstructured, school leaders can find different ways to keep the program relevant. From creating a poster contest to structuring an assembly focused on bullying, be creative in your efforts to keep students motivated toward bullying prevention.

Creating an open environment

Overcoming the unspoken rule among students of “no snitching” may stop even the most successful bullying prevention program in its tracks. Bullying is a tough issue to face, so it is important to create an open environment where students can express their feelings and concerns in a confidential and comfortable environment. All teachers and administrators should be well educated on the topic of bullying and be prepared to assist students in successfully putting a stop to bullying. Giving students realistic tips and advice is an important step toward bullying prevention. When students feel that a strategy actually works, they are more likely to use that strategy again and again.

For more information on bullying prevention and available resources to support your efforts, sign up today for the FREE Professional Development Webinar for Educators presented by the School Improvement Network; Bullying: Understanding the Problem, Defining Solutions on May 30^th 2012, 3:00pm with Robin Young of the National Crime Prevention Council.  

Click here to register for the FREE webinar: http://www.instantpresenter.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=EA57D783884f

Halloween Safety on Campus

We all know the Halloween parties that are hosted on campus grounds each year can get hectic sometimes. Heck we probably attended one that ended up in a disaster because safety measures weren’t considered. This year before you attend Halloween parties on campus please consider these safety tips below and the party will be a blast!

1)      Go with a group of friends you know and trust

2)      Make sure someone is monitoring who is entering the party.

3)      Make sure the door is locked at all times

4)      Be cautious when approaching strangers in costume.

5)      Beware of impersonators

6)      Report any suspicious activity

7)      If drinking, don’t leave your drink unattended, and never accept a drink from someone you don’t know.

8)      Use the buddy system when walking around campus.

9)      Make a plan to get home safely if you’re not staying on campus.

10)  Put an emergency number in your cell phone such as campus security, your friend’s and maybe even your friend’s roommate. If you get lost or separated, you’ll want to know who to call. Also, carry your cell phone on you at all times.

11)  Don’t drink excessively, know your limit.

As long as you follow these tips your Halloween party should go well without any unnecessary safety distractions. For more information please visit www.ncpc.org .

Back to the Carefree College Life

Though it is hard to think about, summer is almost over. Students return to school soon. And in a matter of weeks, thousands of our young adults will be off to colleges all over the country, either for the first time, or to embark on another semester. While the new semester brings opportunities for newfound freedom and excitement, there is still the potential to be a victim of crime.

“Based on the NCVS (National Crime Victimization Survey) from 1995 to 2005, college students between the ages of 18 and 24 experienced an estimated 4.6 million violent victimizations” (Hart, 2007, as cited in Hart & Miethe, 2011). Hart & Miethe (2011) state that this number results in an approximate annual rate of 56 violent victimizations per 100,000 college students (p. 158). Moreover, these numbers only represent violent victimization. That means that the overall victimization levels of college students are higher because it is possible to fall victim to more than just violent crimes.

Female college students often have concerns around victimization, focusing on sexual assault and stalking. But young men also should be serious about protecting themselves against crime. Hart & Miethe’s (2011) study supported “the position that most acts of interpersonal violence against college students are relatively minor assaults among males that occur outside the confines of campus” (p. 175).  This illuminates the vulnerabilities of predominately young men, both on and off campus.

These reports aren’t meant to be scare tactics but instead to serve as a reminder that young adults are susceptible to crime.  But there are steps that can be taken to lessen the likelihood of victimization. Sometimes young adults feel invincible, which can result in a lackluster approach to personal safety. While we always want to empower our youth to be strong and independent, our main priority is make sure they are taking precautions to protect themselves. As parents, teachers, and other authority figures, it is our responsibility to remind our youth to be cautious during their care-free days at school.   

Below are some tips for young adults while they are spending time, both on and off campus:

• Use the buddy system. Don’t walk alone if possible, especially at night.
• Lock your dorm room or apartment. We always hope we can trust our neighbors, but we shouldn’t give them the opportunity to test our trust.
• Report any suspicious activity observed on campus to the campus or local police. It may turn out to be nothing, but why risk it?
• Stay in well-lighted areas while walking at night, and entering and exiting buildings.
• Use the campus police. If an area feels unsafe, chances are that others feel the same way. Inform the police and let them help make things safer on your campus.
• Be alert to what goes on around campus. The email notifications of criminal activity around campus may seem annoying, but being aware of what is going on out there is the first step in making sure that you don’t get caught in the middle of it.

For more information on the research cited in this article, email kbenson@ncpc.org.

To Prevent is to Serve . . . or Vice Versa

Let’s face it, whether you’re overjoyed or absolutely miserable, summer is out and school is back in. One thing that is absolutely certain, is that at the start of every school year, you will receive an abundance of information regarding rules, procedures, issues, and of course, how to stay safe.  It’s a beneficial and common practice to provide students with information about issues they may face throughout the year such as bullying, dating violence, or harassment. But the real question is, once they receive this information, what are they going to do with it?

Service-learning for crime prevention is a hands-on approach that integrates knowledge and skill-building with community service experiences.  As students move through the year and gain valuable information about crime prevention topics, it is important to also teach them the skills needed to address local community problems. Challenging students to work together to set goals, plan, and execute a project will develop not only their self-esteem, but their feelings of connection to the larger community.  Some examples of service-learning projects include:

• Create posters or palm cards with safety tips to hand out at relevant school events
• Work with seniors at a local nursing home
• Create a quilt with students’ signatures in memory of lives lost to violence or drugs and alcohol
• Restore school-pride and host a clean-up day

As we continue to educate our youth on crime-related issues, it is important that we also challenge them to take an active role in educating others and being a part of the solution. To learn more about NCPC’s service-learning based curriculum, Community Works, click here.

Stand Up for School Safety

Safety in our schools has changed dramatically from the time I was a child. In recent years, criminal incidents have occurred and been brought to our attention by the media. The way to keep them from happening again is to stand up and recognize the importance of safety in our schools.

In his speech to students last week, President Obama said, “stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn.”

Although many schools are safe, others can be just as susceptible to crime and violence as other environments.

A study by the U.S. Department of Education in 2007, stated “59 percent of students report theft of personal property, and 28 percent intimidation by bullies, 43 percent being cyberbullied, as concerns that are more common than parents and school officials realize.”

Times have changed. Now we hear stories about sexting, which is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones. So we need to remember as times change, so does technology, and the way people may hurt each other.

What can we do as parents, school officials, or trusted adults? We need to listen and talk to our children regularly. Get involved in your child’s school system. If a child ever mentions being bullied or a threat, take it seriously. Look for any warning signs in a troubled teen, and always note that no child wants to be left unheard.

We are all affected by bullies, whether it is a 2nd grader being teased on the playground, or an 8th grader forwarding hurtful messages about a classmate.

Success in our school system requires more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. We all need to feel safe and secure in our schools. No one person can do this alone. It requires the help of all students, parents, schools, and law enforcement.

NCPC has a few safety tips to follow.

Students

• Report suspicious behavior or any threats by a student to a teacher or counselor at your school.
• Respect others and their belongings.

Parents

• Volunteer some of your time at school helping out in your child’s classroom.
• Look for any warning signs of a troubled teen.

School Officials

• Control access to the school. Have an appropriate check in process, and make sure any visitor is identified correctly.

To view more safety tips or to see any of NCPC’s brochures, check out our website.

Back to School—Safely

Youth across the nation will be returning to school soon. There’s always a lot to think about at the beginning of a new school year, but make sure you take some time to think about your safety and the safety of those around you.

Fighting at school has serious consequences for everyone involved, and can also have detrimental effects on the educational environment that schools try to create. In schools where fights are common, students are more fearful and distracted from their studies. To help prevent fights at school, check out A Dozen Things Students Can Do To Stop School Violence (pdf). Preventing fights will allow everyone at school to feel safer.

Each year, the technology that students use to communicate gets more advanced. These days, students have access to cell phones, text messaging, blogs, and social networks. These tools are great for staying in touch with friends, but any of them could be used to spread intimidating or harmful messages to others if used improperly. Watch out for cyberbullying and if you see someone being victimized, tell a trusted adult right away.

Like many students, you may have valuable property that you take with you to school, such as a cell phone or portable music player. Make sure you keep your belongings protected at all times. Check out the tips in A Teenager’s Guide to Protecting Portable Property (pdf) to avoid becoming a victim of theft.

School is much more enjoyable in a safe and secure environment, so do what you can to prevent crime at your school this year. Your educational experience and those of your classmates will be better for it.

Campaigning Against College Campus Crime

Ignorance is bliss. Right? Maybe, but not when the topic is crime on your own college campus. And just now, as a seasoned college senior, I realize the extent to which campus crime remains underreported and unpublicized. College students, we have been hoodwinked!

Fortunately, this may be about to change. Spurred by violent incidents such as those at Virginia Tech, Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives have united to approve The National Center for Campus Public Safety. The bill, titled the Campus Safety Act of 2009, is pending Senate approval. The Senate Judiciary Committee has rigorously supported the proposed national initiative since receiving the bill earlier this month. The center will function to monitor campus security at the national level by conducting training programs and providing grants to campus law enforcement agencies. These grants will fund research into new strategies for guaranteeing student safety on our college campuses across the country.

It looks as if The National Center for Campus Public Safety has the potential to make our colleges safer, but we need to be active participants in the process. After all, we as students know our college campuses best: we live there! As students we can: communicate with our campus law enforcement and our faculty about methods for improving the security of our universities; become peer counselors and promote college crime victimization programs such as that of Security on Campus, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting campus safety; and above all, we should practice safe and responsible behavior in our own college communities and set an example for our fellow classmates. For general information concerning the prevention of violence on your campus, or for information on NCPC’s Campus Crime Prevention training please visit our website at www.ncpc.org.

Staying Safe on Campus: Everyone’s Business

Close to 13.6 million college students across the country have already begun their trip to college. No matter if the school is large or small, crime is still something every student, school staff member, or campus law enforcement officer should be aware of, because crime can happen to anyone. Crime prevention on a college campus, as it is anywhere, should be everyone’s business. If you don’t work to prevent crime then you could be the next victim.

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) has been working with campus law enforcement across the country to arm them with information on crime prevention. Topics include crime prevention: evolution to current trends; crime prevention through environmental design; campus crime prevention programs, including assaults and violence, drugs and alcohol, sexual crimes, campus thefts, vandalism, and campus crime watch; your role in the emergency response system; modern crimes and issues; and crime prevention resources. Unfortunately, with some students engaging in binge drinking and other dangerous types of behavior, it is necessary for campuses to be aware of all these topics. Aside from learning from classes offered by NCPC, it is also necessary that campus law enforcement personnel work to make a connection with students in a nonconfrontational manner so that they can be viewed as not just an authority figure, but as a resource. It is also important for law enforcement-community partnerships to be made with on- and off-campus establishments, businesses, and student groups.

Students and school staff should not rely on campus law enforcement to prevent crime. Each person has their own role in crime prevention. School personnel should develop effective security procedures and disciplinary policies, be open to and encourage student-led solutions, and work with students, law enforcement, local government, and people from the community to address larger safety issues. There are many ways that students can be involved in crime prevention too. Students should not be afraid to meet with campus law enforcement, voice their concerns, report incidents that they witness, or give their ideas to staff and law enforcement. Students should get involved in campus crime prevention first-hand by starting watch groups in their dorm, apartment complex, or other off campus housing. Drugs and alcohol have a large impact on crime on college campuses; thus students should be educated about the effects they can have on you, your awareness to surroundings, and your judgment.

As students, don’t be afraid to talk to staff and law enforcement, make suggestions, or get involved. Staff and law enforcement should be keen to listen to ideas and work for new solutions to their campus’ problems. If students, staff, and law enforcement can effectively work together there is a much better chance that your campus can be safe. For more information on campus security, visit www.ncpc.org or email McGruff.

Solving the World's Problems, One Preschooler at a Time

I was watching the documentary, The World According to Sesame Street the other day. It’s part of PBS’s Independent Lens series and shows how Sesame Street Workshop, the company that created Sesame Street, is adapting the program to air in other countries in other languages. One such country is Bangladesh, and the filmmakers take us through all the cultural, political, production, and bureaucratic obstacles the coproducers had to overcome to create Sisimpur for preschoolers in Bangladesh. As the creators worked with the Bangladesh government to get approval to air the program, one government official voiced her concern about street urchins who had turned into “terrorists,” and said she had hoped that Sisimpur would be able to address such issues as well. This caught my interest, as I realized how important it is to teach conflict resolution at a very young age.

When I think of conflict resolution programs, I usually think of programs aimed at teenagers and older students. But really, conflict resolution programs need to start right at the preschool level! Have you ever met a preschooler who had never fought over a toy or favorite crayon? Why not teach kids how to resolve conflicts amicably right at that young age when they’re first learning social skills? Why wait until kids are older and have already formed poor habits? Sure, you can’t use the same materials to teach preschoolers that you would use with 12th graders, but the basic ideas—active listening, cooperation, acceptance of each others’ differences, and creative problem solving—can be taught to any age group.

Children need to learn certain skills before they can learn to manage conflicts cooperatively. These skills are

• The ability to listen. Children must be able to communicate their own ideas and feelings as well as listen and understand others.
• The use of certain language concepts. In order to generate ideas and evaluate consequences, children must understand concepts such as “same/different,” “if/when,” and “why/because.”
• The ability to understand certain emotional concepts. Children need to be able to identify and label feelings, their own and others’, and be able to distinguish between feelings and actions.

Preschoolers are still learning empathy skills and vocabulary skills, and can do so by labeling things and feelings using words. “Adults can step in as a mediator for creative problem solving by asking leading questions,” says Joselle Shea, Manager of the Children and Youth Initiatives of the National Crime Prevention Council. “Ask the child to use their words to label how they’re feeling, comfort the child, and guide him or her toward making the choices that will resolve the conflict.” Offering choices gives children control and leads them to learn how to focus on solving the problem creatively.

NCPC has a few resources on teaching conflict management to children in preschool, HeadStart, and kindergarten. In Helping Kids Handle Conflict, Scruff® lists six steps for managing conflict. These steps involve calming down and investigating the tenets of the problem, brainstorming solutions, and working out which of those solutions will produce the best outcome.

Our natural reaction to conflict is to either confront it (fight) or avoid it (flight). One approach to settling conflicts may work for some situations and not in others. Children need to learn that they are capable of managing their own problems. And adults can teach children how to solve problems, step by step, resulting in satisfactory solutions for all sides. With the help of the adults in their lives, even very young children can learn problem solving, anger management, and other skills that will help them cope with the conflicts they have today as well as those they will face as teens and adults.

Resources
Being Healthy and Safe With McGruff® and Scruff®

2nd International Summit on Conflict Resolution Education, Youth and Conflict: Global Challenges, Local Strategies

Killen, Melanie and Turiel, Elliot: Conflict Resolution in Preschool Social Interactions. Early Education and Development. Vol. 2, No. 3, 1991, pp 240-255