Too many rules restrict teenagers' freedoms and development. How can schools straddle the line between providing safety and harmony for students, but also giving them room to make their own mistakes and assert independence? Benson looks at the problem of too many rules, and how it not only harms students, but also interpersonal relationships…

This guidance applies to all schools and colleges and is for: headteachers, teachers and staff governing bodies, proprietors and management committees It sets out the legal duties that must be followed to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people under the age of 18 in schools and colleges. It is divided into five parts: (1)…

Youth preparedness is all about teaching and training children and youth those skills that help them to be actively engaged in school safety every day and to be ready to jump in during and after emergencies. This Ready.gov article highlights several instances of how teens involved in Youth Preparedness Councils across the country stepped up to…

When children and youth feel unsafe, adults need to act. The damaging effects that feeling unsafe and being exposed to violence have on young people and their ability to succeed are well-established. These scientific insights make clear the urgency with which the people of this country must intervene in schools and communities to change the…

Across time, frameworks for assessing school safety have failed to acknowledge the harm that institutional racism in school inflicts upon Black students. Such frameworks coupled with disparate outcomes resulting from policies meant to increase safety in schools have long begged the questions, "What does school safety look like for Black…

This statutory guidance should be read and followed by headteachers, teachers and staff governing bodies of schools (including maintained nursery schools) and colleges, proprietors of independent schools and non-maintained special schools, and management committees of pupil referral units (PRUs). This guidance sets out the legal duties that must…

The BRIDGE Alternative Middle School in Lowell, Massachusetts, serves students ages 12-16 who have exhibited behavioral problems in traditional school settings, including problems such as truancy, multiple suspensions, mental health issues, peer conflicts, family dysfunction, academic problems, and gang involvement. Students referred to BRIDGE are…

In sub-Saharan Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have far-reaching consequences for 550 million children under the age of 18. This UNICEF Child Alert examines how the disease and measures put in place to contain it are impacting the lives of children across the region, exacerbating existing threats like conflict, climate change and…

Over 11 million cases of coronavirus have been reported in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than seven months after the first case hit Brazil, COVID-19 has deprived 97 per cent of the region's students of their normal schooling. Across the region, the prolonged closure of schools means that 137 million boys and girls continue to miss out on…

Two teenage girls were arrested in Florida and charged with cyberstalking after creating a fake Facebook page impersonating another student and using it to bully her. Students at an Indianapolis high school set up false Twitter accounts for their principal and tweeted offensive comments before the account was shut down. And at a Minnesota middle…

As personal computers have evolved steadily into handhelds and teachers continue the march toward lining the walls of the classroom with flat screen work stations, many assume that the old-timey "number 2" lead yellow pencil is probably on the high road to extinction. Yet most classrooms still flow with them like miniature telephone poles fresh…

The riots in English cities in August 2011 have brought debates on behaviour of young people into sharper focus. Criticism of softly-softly approaches and the lack of power for head teachers to discipline is a reoccurring theme within the debate on behaviour in schools. Regaining adult authority is also reflected in the tenor of the government's…

This article addresses the pervasiveness of harassment in schools in the United States and presents ways to recognize and stem bullying in music classrooms. Music educators are in a unique position to recognize atypical behaviors in their students. Music educators who teach middle and high school ensembles often retain the same students in their…

The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) at Mayfair Middle/High School, in concert with other clubs on campus, is steadily shifting school culture toward one of inclusion. Teachers and students alike are noticing a change. Teachers believe that students are altering the language they use in class to better accommodate diverse students. The hard work of…

This paper presents summaries of four articles relevant to school crisis response. The first article, "Peritraumatic Dissociation Predicts Posttraumatic Stress in Youth Following Accidents" summarized by Jim Matthews, suggests that peritraumatic dissociation is a powerful predictor of PTSD symptoms among youth who have been in a car…