This practice brief provides practical, research-based strategies educators can use to de-escalate challenging student behavior in the classroom. Despite the development of supportive, safe, and predictable school environments, students may, at times, become agitated, and their behavior may escalate to unsafe levels. With some advance planning,…

School-based mental health professionals consistently report that they are either not prepared to support grieving students, or do not have time to integrate crisis intervention support into their hectic schedule. Given that inadequate school mental health services can increase a bereaved student's risk of developing emotional problems, it is…

This qualitative phenomenological study explored strategies utilized by risk management leadership to encourage positive behaviors in student organizations at a four-year mid-size higher educational institution in Texas. Through semi-structured interviews, participants described various protective behavioral strategies implemented to encourage…

The requirement that schools must monitor student internet use is not a new concept to K-12 education; however, the use of safety management platforms (SMPs) to help with this task is new. These tools utilize artificial intelligence to sift through the data attached to student information and communications technology (ICT) use and report it back…

Students' bullying and harassment have been shown to be a problem and more schools around the world are starting to address them. Although much of the attention and research has focused on middle-school students, addressing bullying and harassment in universities is important and makes the object of the present research. We provide an overview of…

Mental health has a substantial effect on student academic performance. As the need for mental health resources in Texas significantly outpaces availability and access, schools are often the best location for students to connect with necessary mental health services and community support. The Texas Education Agency and its partners, including the…

Over 400 schools throughout the world have adopted Invitational Education to foster innovative thinking, sustained positive action, and the creation of socially and emotionally safe schools. As educators are now involved in an epic rethinking of what they do and how they do it, "Developing Inviting Schools" provides a dependable guide…

It is imperative that educators take a positive and preventive approach to support students and promote school safety. This article addresses the importance of identifying students who need additional mental health support and providing the highest quality support. These include best practices of emphasizing strength-based approaches, working with…

Bullying is a global social phenomenon that negatively affects learners' psychological functioning, social life, and academic performance. This challenge is notable among senior phase learners in Amathole East secondary schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. This study responds to the problem by exploring the challenges and possible…

This qualitative case study explored educators' perceptions of implementing trauma-informed practices in a Title I school in Mississippi. With a rising number of trauma-affected students in the United States, there is a parallel increase in educators facing empathy-related stress, leading to elevated burnout rates and attrition from the…

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant changes for college students, teacher education programs, and K-12 schools. During the Spring 2020 semester, universities and K-12 schools cancelled campus activities and moved all instruction online, followed by attempts to re-open with varied instructional modes and precautionary strategies. The…

As the 2021-22 academic year came to a close, the United States was rocked by the news of another school mass shooting, this time at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Nineteen fourth-grade students and two of their teachers were killed when an 18-year-old former student entered the school through an unlocked door, made his way to his former…

In recent years, the media has highlighted the disrespectful and sometimes violent manner in which SROs respond to Black girls' behaviors. Few studies question how SROs in schools might influence traditional school discipline outcomes such as suspensions for a double minoritized group (race and gender) such as Black girls. Leaning on the Black…

K-12 educators often face the dilemma of how to respond to a student who makes a threatening statement. They must decide whether the threat is credible and the student poses a real danger, as well as how to respond to keep everyone safe. In such situations, a team of professionals often does a "safety assessment" to learn more about this…

There is an increased risk of workplace accidents for younger employees. Academic laboratories have demonstrated a higher prevalence of accidents. Occupational health and safety (OHS) education plays a central role in reducing the risk of accidents and aims to habituate safety behavior in educational settings. The current research aims to…