School Safety

Introduction

The debate pertaining to the safety of schools is one that has been raging on for countless years. Nonetheless, there is no denying that parents and children perceive schools to be less safe now than they did in the past. The reasons for this decrease in faith in the security of the schooling system are the shootouts that have taken place in public schools in the last few years. Innocent students have been murdered in these massacres (Anderson & Bushman, p. 355). Such incidents have made it clear that modern day schools are exposed to two forms of dangers when it comes to school safety. The first form of danger is that which comes from the external threat to the school's safety, while the second form of danger comes from the internal threat to the school's safety. This paper will attempt to shed light on the generally exercised methodologies that schools adopt in order to ensure school safety. In the process, the paper will seek to highlight how the modern day threat to school safety comes from internal factors just as much as it does from external factors.

Discussion

According to government reports, violence in schools experienced an increase in the 1990s. This involved violations of school safety within the school premises as well as violence to and/or from the school premises. This led to the development of three forms of security implemented by school authorities. Modern day school safety issues include the following: (a) physical plant and security accommodations, (b) school-wide discipline and classroom management plans, and (c) curricular interventions.

Although school safety is an issue that requires vigilance, schools continue to be one of the most secure places for children. Extreme forms of violence are rare. Both “hard” responses—such as metal detectors, added security personnel, and zero tolerance for weapons possession—as well as “soft” solutions—such as more counseling, conflict resolution programs, and better communications between school and home—have been implemented to improve school safety (Bushman & Anderson, p. 480). Simultaneously, some reports suggest that schools are not safe. Some educators believe that by relying on self-reported data from school divisions, the government statistics underestimate the violence found in schools.

The recent increase in concern over school safety has led to a trend in which school administrations have chosen to take on an aggressive approach towards the assurance of school safety. They have sought to equip their schools with the technological advantage that is required to keep schools and school children safe. Schools now choose to make use of weapon detectors and security cameras around the clock in order to ensure security. In addition, the school administrations have also developed stronger ties with law enforcement authorities. Schools that are based on expansive campuses have now taken a pro-active approach in which they have chosen to increase the number of security personnel in and outside their facilities.

However, while tangible measures may be adding to school safety, research has shown that the school safety rests in the relationship that exists between students and ...