School Safety

For most of the year, children spend more time at school than anywhere else other than their own home. Overall, schools are one of the safest places children can be. However, some schools have problems, such as bullying and theft, which make them less secure. These problems make students and educators feel less safe, and it makes it harder for students to learn. There are specific ways that parents can make going to school a safer and more valuable learning experience for their children.

• Talk to your children about their day. Sometimes children won't tell you right away if they are having problems at school. Look for warning signs, such as a sudden drop in grades, loss of friends, or torn clothing.
• Teach children to resolve problems without fighting. Talk to them about other ways they can work out a problem, such as talking it out, walking away, or telling a trusted adult.
• Keep an eye on your children's Internet use. Let them know they can talk to you if anything they see online makes them uncomfortable, whether it's an explicit website or a classmate bullying them or someone else through email, chat, or websites.
• Ask about the safety and emergency plans for your children's school. How are the local police involved? What emergencies have been considered and planned for?
• Map out with your children a safe way for them to walk to school or to the bus stop. Avoid busy roads and intersections, vacant lots, construction areas, and parks.
• Teach children to follow traffic signals and rules when walking or biking. Stress that they should cross the street at crosswalks or intersections with crossing guards when they can.
• Teach children not to talk to strangers, go anywhere with them, or accept gifts from them without your permission. Tell them that if they see a suspicious stranger hanging around or in their school they should tell an adult.
• Help children memorize their phone number and full address, including area code and zip code. Write down other important phone numbers such as your work and cell phone on a card for your children to carry with them.
• Have your children arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled time.
• Make sure children know to stand on the sidewalk or grass while waiting for the bus.
• Teach children to make sure they can see the bus driver and the bus driver can see them before crossing in front of the bus. Tell them to never walk behind the bus.
• Be aware that often bullying takes place on the school bus. Ask children about the bus; who they sit with, who they talk to, and what the other kids do. Let them know that if they see someone being bullied, or are bullied themselves, they can talk to you, the bus driver, or another trusted adult.

For more information, please visit the NCPC's Website at http://www.ncpc.org/%20 or contact the AMERIND Safety Services Team at 800.352.3496 or visit www.amerindrisk.org/Safety.aspx.