School Safety


Types of Bullying
  • http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/00117/typesbullying.html
    • o Physical Bullying
      • § Physical contact that would injure a person
        • Kicking, hitting, punching, slapping
    • § Taking something from someone and destroying it
    • § 30.5 % is physical bullying in elementary school
  • o Verbal Bullying
    • § Name calling, making offensive remarks, joking about a person’s gender, religion, ethnicity.
    • § 46.5 % of this type of bullying occurs in all schools.
  • o Indirect Bullying
    • § Spreading rumors, telling other people about something that was private, excluding others from groups
    • § 18.5 % of all bullying
  • o Social Alienation
    • § When a bully excludes someone from a group on purpose, making fun of someone by pointing out flaws.
  • o Intimidation
    • § Bully threatens someone else and frightens that person enough to make him or her do what the bully wants
  • o Cyberbullying
    • § Electronic Media; sending messages, pictures, or information.
    • § This has grown so much because of all the new technology in this world.
    • http://www.ncab.org.au/whatisbullying/
      • o Bullying is when someone or a group of people with more power repetitively and intentionally hurt another person who feels helpless. Bullying can continue over time.

School Safety


Most educators and education researchers would agree that school violence arises from causes and risk factors that include access to weapons, media violence, cyber abuse, the impact of school, community, and family environments, personal alienation, and more
  • o Access to weapons:
    • 1980's and early 1990's, teen gun violence increased dramatically in the United States. More teens began to acquire and carry guns, leading to a sharp increase in gun deaths and injuries.
    • In 2 recent school years, a total of 85 young people died violently in U.S. schools. 75% of these incidents involved firearms.
  • o Media violence:
    • By the time the average American child reaches seventh grade, they will have witnessed 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on television.
    • //Psychological Science in the Public Interest//, a journal of the Psychological Science Institute, claims that extensive research on violent television and films, video games, and music reveals unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood of aggressive and violent behavior.
  • o Cyber Abuse (when young people use electronic media to taunt, insult, or even threaten their peers.)
    • Since the 1990s, the Internet, blogging, e-mail, and cell-phone text messaging has played significant roles in the erosion of school safety.
    • Violent, Internet-based video games have also grown in popularity as cyber technology becomes more sophisticated
  • o Environmental impact
    • School Environments.
      • Ø the Children's Institute International revealed that almost 50% of all teenagers, regardless of their settings, believe that their schools are becoming more violent.
    • Gangs at schools.
      • Ø In 2005, 24% of students ages 12-18 reported that there were gangs at their schools.
      • Ø However, the degree of gang participation rarely exceeds 10 percent and less than two percent of juvenile crime is gang-related.

  • School size.
    • Ø discipline problems are often related to school enrollment size. Large schools tended to yield more discipline problems than small schools.
    • Middle schools.
      • Ø Middle school students are more than twice as likely as high school students to be affected by school violence.
      • Ø The typical victim of an attack or robbery at school is a male in the seventh grade who is assaulted by a boy his own age
    • Community environment
      • Ø If our communities are not responsive to the needs of families and their children, this neglect can develop into school violence
    • Family Environment
      • Ø neglectful or abusive family environments can inhibit the development of communication skills; self-esteem can be seriously damaged.
      • Ø In homes where positive behavior is not the norm, exposure to violence through popular culture may have a more profound impact.

http://www.crf-usa.org/school-violence/causes-of-school-violence.html
What is happening? Are there contributing factors to the increase in school violence?


How to get help if you are being victimized:

- Tell an adult- talking to someone when you are being bullied can often take the stress off of your situation
- http://www.girlshealth.gov/bullying/stopping/tipstext.cfm
- Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
- Talk to your guidance counselor
- http://www.stopbullying.gov/get-help-now/index.html
- http://us.reachout.com/facts/factsheet/what-to-do-if-you-are-being-bullied
- http://www.1800runaway.org/youth/bullying/
- Call 1-800-runaway
- http://prevnet.ca/Portals/0/kids-help-phone-logo.jpg
- external image kids-help-phone-logo.jpg
- The Trevor Lifeline (U.S. only)

866-4-U-TREVOR (488-7386)

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week

http://www.thetrevorproject.org
- National Suicide Hotline

800-SUICIDE (784-2433)

800-442-HOPE (4673)

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week

http://www.hopeline.com
- CyberTipline

800-843-5678

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week

http://www.cybertipline.com
- http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com/static/hotlines#Bullying
- When you are being bullied, it is very helpful to talk to someone. If you are not comfortable talking to someone you know, calling one of the many hotlines will greatly help your situation.


Increases Your School Safety

-If you walk to school walk in a group and be alert

-Even when feel safe in school need to be aware of your surroundings

-if someone looks suspicious and isn’t wearing a faculty or visitor badge report it

-you can anonymously report any problems of suspicious behavior or bullying

-Do not block doors open when going outside during school

-A stranger could easily enter the building

-Also do not hold the door open for people you do not know

-After the Sandy Hook School shooting we now need to buzz back into the building so strangers cannot easily enter the building

-Know school evacuation routes in case of an emergency

-when walking in hallways between class be aware of the nearest exit

-read the school handbook in the front of our agendas to refresh yourself of the school rules and policies

http://www.educationbug.org/a/high-school-safety.html