Six Tips for School Safety
Preparing your kids for possible dangers can make the school experience safer
The to-do list for parents sending kids to school every day usually means spending hard-earned dollars on new clothes, backpacks and school supplies. But there’s one critical thing parents should add to that list - spending a little time making sure their child’s school experience is safe.
While every school is different, many of the dangers kids can encounter are the same – whether in kindergarten or junior high, Philadelphia or Spokane. Peter Pochowski, executive director of the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers, Milwaukee, Wis., and pediatrician Kate Cronan, a medical editor at KidsHealth.org, give their top tips for a safe to school experience:
1. Check for Danger Zones
“If you’re expecting your child to walk to school, you better walk with them first to spot danger zones,” Pochowski says. “On the way, you can point out the dangerous sites. It might be a river that could flood when it’s raining. It could be a secluded park or a house or apartment complex with drug activity or gang members. Another common danger zone is a busy intersection. Is there a crossing guard on the corner? Are there traffic lights? You just have to remind them of the dangers.”
If there’s a kid in the neighborhood who you trust and will be walking to school on the same route, consider pairing up that child with yours. “The two parents can watch them leave together and keep an eye out for them coming back,” Pochowski says. “And statistically, it’s a rare occasion when someone abducts two kids.”
2. Steer Clear of Danger
Taking your kids to school by car is no guarantee of safety, either. Particularly in busy school parking lots and curbside drop-offs. It can be wise to consult with school officials.
“There are designated spots,” Cronan says. “If you drop off at the wrong spot, the child can be left dodging in between buses. Injuries also can happen in parking lots. Things that can be avoided. Parents really need to know where the safe place is to drop off their kids.”
3. Get a Boost
“Every parent should make sure that their child’s immunizations are up to date, no matter their age,” Cronan says. “There are different shots due at various ages. For example, some kids are behind on their booster shot for chicken pox and measles. Those are important things.”
While they may spend summer hanging out with just a few family members, neighborhood kids and friends, once children are back in school, there are a hundreds lot of children suddenly close together. As a result, Cronan says, “there’s a higher chance they can contract something.”
4. Watch Out For Bullies
At school, bullying takes place most often at recess to lunchtime, when kids are not as closely supervised. This can range from emotional and verbal abuse to physical injury, like pushing a kid down.
“Most of this is verbal abuse. We definitely see more of that when the school year begins,” Cronan says.
In the school setting, the children can either tell the teacher or tell their parent, who can call the school.
“It’s the child’s safety we care about, and the teacher has to find out about it either through the parent or the child,” Cronan says.
But thanks to MySpace, Facebook and other forms of email, bullying can continue online long after the school bell rings. “Bullying can be nastier online because bullies feel more freedom when they are typing things,” Cronan says.
Better awareness can help prevent online bullying.
“Parents need to know more about what their children are doing online,” Cronan says. “The parent should be able to periodically be able to walk over and see the screen just to make sure that what their child is typing or receiving is safe or innocent.”
5. Follow The Leaders
“People always ask me, ‘What’s the most important safety feature in a school? Is it the locks on the doors? Is it the cameras?’“ Pochowski says. “To me, the most important safety feature in a school is a principal. Because they listen, they become aware of the dangers in the school and then they take corrective action.”
While parents can get to know their school’s principal on their own, PTAs also provide a powerful voice for safety concerns, as well as information on other danger zones around the school.
“Sometimes kids don’t walk home directly from school and may walk a block or two off,” Pochowski says. “A strong parent teacher organization will make sure the whole area around that school is safe.”
6. And Finally …
… there’s the golden rule:
“For kids walking to school the first time, even in the 5th , 6th, or 7th grades, the parent really needs to review rules about not talking to strangers as they walk to school,” Cronan says. “Tell them not to get into a stranger’s car, even if they offer them something they want.”
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