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Guide to Safe Schools: Action Steps for Students
There is much students can do to help create safe schools. Talk to your teachers, parents, and counselor to find out how you can
get involved and do your part to make your school safe. Here are some ideas that students in other schools have tried:
- Listen to your friends if they share troubling feelings or thoughts. Encourage them to get help from a trusted adult-such as a school
psychologist, counselor, social worker, leader from the faith community, or other professional. If you are very concerned, seek help for
them. Share your concerns with your parents.
- Create, join, or support student organizations that combat violence, such as "Students Against Destructive Decisions" and "Young Heroes
Program."
- Work with local businesses and community groups to organize youth-oriented activities that help young people think of ways to prevent
school and community violence. Share your ideas for how these community groups and businesses can support your efforts.
- Organize an assembly and invite your school psychologist, school social worker, and counselor-in addition to student panelists-to share
ideas about how to deal with violence, intimidation, and bullying.
- Get involved in planning, implementing, and evaluating your school's violence prevention and response plan.
- Participate in violence prevention programs such as peer mediation and conflict resolution. Employ your new skills in other settings, such
as the home, neighborhood, and community.
- Work with your teachers and administrators to create a safe process for reporting threats, intimidation, weapon possession, drug selling,
gang activity, graffiti, and vandalism. Use the process.
- Ask for permission to invite a law enforcement officer to your school to conduct a safety audit and share safety tips, such as traveling in
groups and avoiding areas known to be unsafe. Share your ideas with the officer.
- Help to develop and participate in activities that promote student understanding of differences and that respect the rights of all.
Volunteer to be a mentor for younger students and/or provide tutoring to your peers.
- Know your school's code of conduct and model responsible behavior. Avoid being part of a crowd when fights break out. Refrain from
teasing, bullying, and intimidating peers.
- Be a role model - take personal responsibility by reacting to anger without physically or verbally harming others.
- Seek help from your parents or a trusted adult--such as a school psychologist, social worker, counselor, teacher--if you are experiencing
intense feelings of anger, fear, anxiety, or depression.
"Since we developed the high school peer mediation program, we have seen a decline in physical fights. We are defusing potentially
dangerous situations." Terry Davis, School Psychologist, Natick, MA
"Everyone is trained to use consistent language. We remind students to stop and think. Students also know we will always follow
through if they make poor behavioral choices. As a result, we have been able to diffuse violent situations." Annette Lambeth,
Assistant Principal, Chester County, PA
"Appropriate behavior and respect for others are emphasized at all times. However, despite our best efforts, unfortunate incidents do
occur. When they do, it is our responsibility to provide appropriate support to meet the needs of every child." Carol S. Parham,
Superintendent of Schools, Anne Arundel County, MD
"The police are a school's greatest community asset when effectively preventing and responding to school violence. Building a
relationship with law enforcement strengthens the school's ability to ensure safety." Gil Kerlikowske, former Police Commissioner,
Buffalo, NY
"Everyone follows the same discipline plan. Everyone-including the lunch room workers and custodians-works as a team. There are
always times when children forget the rules. But there is immediate intervention by faculty and staff, and even other children. The
responsibility is on the students." Anna Allred, Parent, Lakeland, FL
"It is necessary to provide training and support to staff. We have provided inservices on behavior management systems that are
effective in regular classroom settings. These inservices have been of great benefit. Numerous schools throughout our district presently
use stop and think, conflict resolution, and peer mediation." Denise Conrad, Teacher, Toledo, OH
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Copyright © Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice of the American Institutes for Research in collaboration with the National Association of School Psychologists. Reprinted with permission.
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