School Safety
Working together to fight crime

NEA and its affiliates are workingto address the root causes of violence among students. Toward that end,we aresharing effective strategies to:

1. Reduce and eliminate bullying and harassment
2. Expand access to counseling, anger management and peer mediation
3. Provide ways for students to communicate with adults about rumors and threats
4. Develop instruction that teaches values like respect and responsibility, and expand opportunities for kids to work with adult role models in after-school education and recreation programs.

• NEA lobbies for school policies as well as state and federal laws that would minimize disruptions and help make kids safer.
• We encourage elected officials to provide resources for smaller classes, for example, and we support alternative programs for chronically disruptive or troubled students.
• We supportlegislationthat would require states, districts, and schools to have plans to prevent and respond effectively to bullying and harassment, and we speak out in favor of common-sense gun laws that keep weapons out of the hands of children
• Schools are the safest place for children -- safer than the street, the mall, or even the home.
• According to the Justice Policy Institute, 99 percentof children's deaths occur away from school, after hours and during holidays.
• It's important that schools are safehavens for learning.

Other helpful tips:

• Possible threats need to be reported. 
• According to school police in certain areas of the state, students are taking a more active role in reporting suspicious behavior and we encourage them to continue to do so.
• The same goes for teachers and support professionals.
• Parents and educators should try to provide reassurance and comfort and listen to the concerns expressed by your child.
• Parents and educators should ask them how they feel and answer their questions the best that you can.
• It is best to keep your answers as general and as reassuring as possible. Asking questions to get a sense of how much your child knows about an event, or whether it has made him or her fearful is a good place to start.
• Tell them that you and their school are doing their best to keep children safe and that school is one of the safest places for kids.
• Don't be afraid to show sympathy and concern for those who were hurt. Help your child with the names for feelings they may be experiencing -- sad, worried, angry, etc.