Boredom and violence are not disconnected, and kids who aren't engaged in what they must spend more than twelve years doing, day after day, are at risk. But are schools safe even in more favored neighborhoods? Not in the deeper sense of safe. Not only are children verbally and physically abused in many public schools in minor ways--in ways that…

For many people, the idea of safety in an educational context brings to mind the problem of school violence and specifically the string of shootings at schools across the US in recent years. Here, the author begins by noting that the coverage of those events has obscured several important facts. For one, he emphasizes that there is a tendency,…

The U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley, addressed the American Institute of Architects on the problem of school safety resulting from building age and/or building code violations. The Secretary stated that the problem is a large national embarrassment and reveals the Clinton Administration's response through new construction bonds and…

Safety has not been stressed adequately in most school systems, leaving students and teachers in unnecessary danger and schools subject to lawsuits. Creation of an effective school safety program involves establishing a written safety policy, appointing an active safety committee, and conducting safety inspections. (PGD)

Administrators are advised of the background, costs, politics, and public relations of containing or removing hazardous asbestos from school buildings. (MJL)

The Environmental Protection Agency's regulations on use of asbestos in school buildings are not based on an "acceptable level of risk," require action by the consumers rather than by the producers of the hazardous substance and do not extend to other public facilities that theoretically place citizens in similar danger. (Author/PGD)

This article surveys school safety and violence prevention through discussion of violence among today's school-age youth, causal factors, the impact of violence on schools, characteristics of safe and unsafe schools, and recommended strategies and resources for addressing school safety. A "School Crime Assessment Tool" and descriptions of five…

Unanimous U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld the strip search of a student. Since first case was decided in 1973, no other court has been willing to uphold this highly intrusive search method. Asks why the Sixth Circuit is willing to set aside what has been the concern of the judiciary for the past several decades. (MLF)

In the April 1999 issue of this journal, Michael Ferraraccio argues that the justifications advanced for using metal detectors in schools are not sufficiently compelling to outweigh students' Fourth Amendment privacy rights. In the accompanying Counterpoint, Robert Johnson cites lower court cases to support the constitutionality of their used on a…

Discusses a model for the interactions between the elements of a safe school environment. Elements are curriculum, climate, and instruction leading to a safe setting, resulting in positive student outcomes. (JPB)

An interview with Mark White on his views of playground safety is presented in this article. Some of the featured interview questions include: (1) How did you start to focus so intently on playground safety?; (2) There was no central accumulation of injury information?; (3) What's an example of an injury report that led to an improvement?; (4)…

Growing concern about the quality of public education in the United States has driven numerous educational reform efforts across the last three decades. These reforms include increased accountability as exemplified by various requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the introduction of new curriculum and instructional methods in…

While it is our responsibility as adults to protect our children from hazards that would inflict injury, it is also our responsibility to provide children with a safe play environment providing challenging opportunities to explore, practice, and reach personal levels of competence. Children learn their own play abilities and limitations through…

This paper examines four key elements in the designing-for-all-children concept for school environments. Designing-for-all-children designs acknowledge that children pass through differing, yet recognizable, stages of development; and that children need usable environments free from physical and social barriers. Key elements address equitable use,…

Discusses the implications of "Niziol," a case in which a Florida high school student was killed in the school parking lot when his gun accidentally discharged. The parents sued the school board in federal district court. The magistrate dismissed all the federal law claims, though she postponed her decision on the state law claims. (MLF)