Increases in student experiences with social and mental health, acts of violence, and the school-to-prison nexus have prompted many schools to evaluate alternatives to safety that are equitable, inclusive, and student and family-centered. Punitive approaches to school safety have been shown to disproportionately affect underserved schools and…

South Africa is recognised as one of the most violent countries across the globe. School violence against teachers is a common phenomenon at most schools. This ongoing crisis has had a negative impact on the quality of teaching and learning. Schools are no longer a safe environment for teachers. Teachers are exposed to passive and active violence,…

Widespread concern exists that participating in lockdown and active shooter drills, practices that although discussed synonymously are different, may be similarly traumatizing for students. This study examined state anxiety levels--anxiety-present (i.e., anxiety) and anxiety-absent (i.e., well-being)--among students in one rural high school, as…

The State of Nevada launched the "SafeVoice" anonymous tip line to prevent harmful events in schools and to promote student safety, health, and wellbeing. "SafeVoice" is a joint effort of the Nevada Department of Education and Nevada Department of Public Safety. Since its inception in 2017, more than 27,000 tips have been…

Background: Many schools implement well-intentioned food allergy policies; however, may not ease parents'/children's worry and concern. The purpose of this study was to (1) explore children's and parents' perceptions their school's food allergy policy and (2) compare these perceptions to the documented school policy. Methods: Children ages 8 to 18…

As a signatory to the United Nations, South Africa is obliged to ensure that all children have access to quality education. The reality though is that there are many barriers which make access to education difficult if not impossible. School violence, an escalating worldwide phenomenon, is widely cited as one of the challenges that are faced by…

Monitoring chronic absence by grade, student populations, school, district, and geography is crucial to learning recovery and addressing the inequities exacerbated by the pandemic. Chronic absence and other types of attendance data can help identify where more engagement and support are needed as well as illuminate policies and practices that are…

T. Philip Nichols and Alexander Monea explore the spread of data-driven surveillance (i.e., dataveillance) technologies in schools, which are increasingly used as a strategy for mitigating safety risks. They argue that the sense of security schools derive from these technologies often comes at the cost of students' actual well-being and privacy.…

Schools are accountable for providing all students a safe and caring learning environment. When a child feels unsafe at school, personal relationships, mental health, and academics are negatively affected. The entire school community -- staff, parents, and students -- must work together to develop an effective safe school program. A carefully…

Few studies empirically compare the approaches law enforcement officers (LEOs) and school mental health professionals (SMHPs) use to keep schools safe. Such comparisons are important for improving safety and student wellbeing. A focus on the experiences of racial/ethnic minority students is especially important given evidence that school safety…

In 2009, School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) was introduced in the Netherlands to support schools in creating safe learning environments. In this longitudinal study, we explored effects of SWPBIS on student outcomes in the Netherlands. Fidelity of implementation of SWPBIS has been associated with improved student…

Background: In rural communities, understanding and improving school climate may benefit youth facing unique contextual challenges to well-being. As education research rarely focuses on rural schools, we aimed to examine school climate and student well-being with a particular focus on rural schools, compared to suburban schools. Methods:…

Purpose: There are limited school physical activity policy dissemination and implementation studies. This is a concern given the adverse mental, physical, and socio-emotional effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children and adolescents. This study explored New Jersey school administrators' experiences in disseminating recess guidelines,…

In the context of teaching workforce shortages, this study examined teachers' perceptions of safety, role satisfaction, and their intent to remain in the profession, in Australia. Findings from two iterations of a survey of a total of 8293 teachers revealed that 20% to 25% of participants felt unsafe in their schools. The results also showed that…

Unsafe and violent schools are a widespread problem in South Africa. This paper argues that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) contribute to this phenomenon. While various individual and community-level interventions to address ACEs have been reported on, the contribution of safe parks towards preventing school violence has not yet been…