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…

This study, grounded in the theory of diffusion, utilizes a qualitative phenomenological methodology to understand perspectives of parents and school personnel on the implementation of tiplines and/or reporting apps for school safety. Barriers and facilitators for the development and successful implementation of "Advocatr," a…

The response patterns of youth who witness bullying have potential to influence future occurrence and persistence of bullying behaviors. Prevention efforts have included an increased focus on bystander interventions; however, the majority of adolescents rarely intervene in bullying situations. When they do, they often display of mixed pattern of…

To understand the effects of school safety practices and strategies on the school environment, researchers have consistently investigated the perceptions of students and various school personnel concerning school safety. Yet school social workers, professionals commonly employed in today's schools to address the mental health needs of students,…

Parochial schools are assumed to provide better social and academic experiences; however, few studies account for selection bias when comparing with public schools. This study contrasted public versus parochial schools using propensity score matching across a range of outcomes (e.g., perceptions of school, emotional symptoms, substance use,…

Although homeless youth face a higher risk of victimization and mental health problems, little is known about school victimization and mental health outcomes for school-attending homeless youth. This study examined the relationship between school climate and school-related victimization and mental health problems among homeless youth. Multivariate…

In response to the killing of 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 17, 2012, this position statement argues that research supports a thoughtful approach to safer schools, guided by four key elements--balance, communication, connectedness, and support--along with strengthened attention to mental health needs in the…

Although researchers have identified individual-level predictors of nonphysical bullying among children and youth, school-level predictors (i.e., characteristics of the school environment that influence bullying exposure) remain largely unstudied. Using data from a survey of 1,838 students in 21 Boston public high schools, we used multilevel…

This article profiles selected Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) interventions in three Oregon communities that have completed Safe Schools/Healthy Students projects, representing a substantial investment in building school and community collaborations, expanding positive behavior supports in schools, and establishing school-based mental…

In order to effectively address the complex issue of school safety, school and community partnerships are being formed with greater frequency and intensity. Collaboration between educational, law enforcement, and mental health personnel is now widely considered to be the most effective means for addressing issues of school safety (Dryfoos, 1998;…

Explores the response of school mental health to terrorism and disaster, reviewing literature on child and adult reactions to trauma, discussing the development of crisis response teams, and presenting strategies for schools to respond to crises and disaster. One elementary school's experiences in response to the September 11th attacks are…