With the passing of the Gun Free School Act of 1994, the 1990s bore witness to the birth of zero-tolerance policies. During the remainder of that decade, several school shootings occurred that solidified zero-tolerance in schools across the United States. With the possibility of threats constantly increasing, school personnel having a thorough…

The reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) is 3 years overdue, and the Obama administration, through Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, has explained the urgency of revising and reauthorizing the law. Attention has been focused most acutely on the provisions that directly relate to academic performance and accountability.…

While many have focused on the program's positive impact on academic achievement, a recent Department of Education evaluation also studied how the program has affected students' educational experiences in other ways, including school safety and school climate. Past evaluations have reported that school safety was an important reason why families…

For young people it just gets worse. Ten years after the Columbine tragedy, the debate over school safety has clearly shown that educators, parents, politicians, and the mainstream media have created the conditions in which young people have increasingly become the victims of adult mistreatment, indifference, neglect, even violence. The tragic…

This report provides the results of a survey of safety and security at colleges and universities in Minnesota, along with policy recommendations to improve safety and security at Minnesota post-secondary institutions. It is based on campus security reports voluntarily submitted by 60 of the 110 Minnesota post-secondary institutions, personal…

Suggests that educators view youth violence in terms of health and science rather than politics and philosophy. Considers 11 ways to help curb violence; e.g., emphasize primary prevention, expect complex problems to require complex solutions, intervene early, focus on children, work with the community, recognize the relationship between safe…

In response to increasing youth violence, schools are urged to develop cooperative relations with the juvenile justice network; develop standards of classroom management; and develop a carefully planned school safety program to respond effectively to local campus problems and ensure favorable treatment by the courts in resolving conflicts over…

A discussion of crime on Australian university campuses offers a historical summary and reviews research on crime and fear of crime in this environment, including two recent campus crime surveys. The process by which this problem has come to public attention is examined, and implications for institutional administration are explored. (Author/MSE)

In November 1990, the Students' Right to Know and Campus Security Act became law, requiring all postsecondary institutions that receive federal student aid to collect campus crime statistics and make timely reports to the campus community on crimes that are considered a threat to other students and other employees. The law also requires that…

Among 17 conclusions and recommendations of a study on current policies and procedures related to campus safety at Florida institutions of higher education are the following: (1) there is a need for an expanded definition or additional category of crime for recording incidents involving students, either as victims or perpetrators, that occur in…

The School Safety Committee is concerned with the obligations of schools to educate all children in an environment of moral responsibility and physical safety that will enable each child to realize the promise of America, that is, human rights, dignity, equality, and justice. The problem of school safety will be aggravated by the nation's economic…

To aid colleges and universities in protecting students and other potential victims of crime, a general analysis of the pertinent case law concerning institutional tort liability for campus crime is provided. The analysis of case law explains that lawsuits are usually based on the theory of negligence. Negligence consists of four elements: duty;…

After presenting an imaginative depiction of the fiscal and administrative changes that may overwhelm community colleges during the 1980's, this paper looks at several factors that should be considered in planning and managing campus security departments. The paper offers suggestions related to: (1) the development of master parking plans which…

Legal methods and related case law that can be used by public higher education administrators to deal with intrusions by outsiders onto the campus are examined. The following legal factors related to control of campus access are addressed: risk management, police power, general trespass, school related trespass/loitering statutes, First and…

Nine campus public relations professionals offer solutions and strategies to address three campus communication dilemmas: (1) display of a controversial student photograph; (2) a state budget scare; and (3) a rape on campus. (MSE)