In this report the author, who is a school safety expert, provides information about school safety in a post-Sandy Hook world. He presents the following: (1) Continuum of Threats and Responses; (2) The role social media plays; (3) Reliable Best Practices; (4) Policy and Funding--Climate and Context; (5) Policy and Funding--Things to Avoid; and (6)…

Kenneth Trump, a school safety expert who consults with districts on how to respond to school safety crises, explains how the new prevalence of threats of violence being delivered over digital and social media creates for administrators a "communication crisis" that unfolds alongside the real or perceived crisis of school safety being…

Educators, school safety experts, and anti-bullying advocates typically agree that bullying is a serious issue. They also agree that anti-bullying strategies should be an integral component of a school's safety plan. However, differences remain in how bullying should be addressed. Those differences have become magnified as bullying has become an…

Tight budgets are no excuse for failing to be proactive with school safety. In fact, school leaders must be especially committed to prevention and security programs during times when economic woes are increasing stress on kids, their families and school staff. Parents will forgive educators if their school's test scores drop. But they are much…

Cell phones were banned from most schools years ago, but after the Columbine High School and 9/11 tragedies, parents started pressuring some school boards and administrators to reverse the bans. On its surface, allowing students to have cell phones under the guise of improved school safety may seem like a "no-brainer" to many board members and…

Student and parent use of cell phones, text messaging and social networking through Facebook and Twitter can quickly become the enemies of a superintendent and principal. Rumors and misinformation about threats and other student safety issues that used to take hours and days to spread now goes viral in seconds. This rapid dissemination of…

When school administrators hear that the 10th anniversary of the Columbine High School attack is approaching, most shake their heads in disbelief. They are amazed that 10 years have passed since this watershed event, which changed the landscape of K-12 school safety. In this article, the author reflects on the lessons learned from the Columbine…

Bullying has captured the news headlines and the attention of legislators, educators, and special interest advocates over the past three years at a greater rate. High-profile teen suicides have raised questions about the role bullying may have played in student deaths. School administrators and safety officials agree that bullying is a serious…

Describes how to assess and manage student threats. Includes a set of questions administrators should ask to help them assess threats. (PKP)

Examines four school districts' practical and cost-effective measures to eliminate children bringing guns into their schools. Lessons learned from these measures are discussed involving areas of leadership; cooperation; and the use of a balanced approach of enforcement, prevention, intervention, education, and community support. (GR)

Discusses why history and "thinking outside of the box" should encourage schools to acknowledge that they are potentially vulnerable targets of terrorism. Presents new safety and security issues raised by the threat of terrorism, including anthrax scares, cell phone use, and field trips. Describes "heightened security"…

Examines the questions to consider when deciding to use consultants in addressing school safety and crisis preparedness. Reasons for exercising caution when selecting security consultants are addressed. (GR)

Presents the latest information on how schools can keep their students safe. Safety oriented actions discussed cover incident reporting and tracking, tactical site surveys, school safety and emergency operations planning, staff development efforts, and facility design. Explains the need to review and test specific prevention concepts and emergency…

This article offers suggestions to school boards for conducting school-security assessments and for developing a policy on school safety. It first describes the five major threats to safety: an increase in general youth violence, gangs, drugs, weapons, and outside offenders. School boards should establish policy that recognizes school safety as a…

This book attempts to dispel the myths and misconceptions surrounding the lessons learned from national school violence crises and shifting security threat trends. Its objective is to deliver balanced, practical, and cost-effective steps for preventing and managing school crises, including how to recognize "red flag" warnings of potential…