When this happens, children cannot learn and teachers cannot teach.

Creating a safe place where children can learn and grow depends on a partnership among students, parents, teachers, and other community institutions to prevent school violence:

• Find out how crime threatens schools in your community.
• Take actions to protect children.
• Promote nonviolent ways to manage conflict.
• How do these ideas translate into action? Here are some practical suggestions for young people, parents, school staff, and others in the community.

Students

• Settle arguments with words, not fists or weapons.
• Report crimes or suspicious activities to the police, school authorities, or parents.
• Learn safe routes for traveling to and from school, and know good places to seek help.
• Don't use alcohol or other drugs, and stay away from places and people associated with them.
• Get involved in your school's anti-violence activities -- have poster contests against violence, hold anti-drug rallies, volunteer to counsel peers. If there's no program, help start one.

Parents

• Sharpen your parenting skills. Emphasize and build on your children's strengths.
• Teach your children how to reduce their risks of becoming crime victims.
• Know where your kids are, what they are doing, and whom they are with at all times.
• Help your children learn nonviolent ways to handle frustration, anger, and conflict.
• Become involved in your child's school activities -- PTA, field trips, and helping out in class or the lunch room.
• Work with other parents in your neighborhood to start a McGruff House or other block parent program. A McGruff House is a reliable source of help for children in emergency or frightening situations. For information call 801-486-8691.

School Staff

• Evaluate your school's safety objectively. Set targets for improvement.
• Develop consistent disciplinary policies, good security procedures, and a response plan for emergencies.
• Train school personnel in conflict resolution, problem solving, drug prevention, crisis intervention, cultural sensitivity, classroom management, and counseling skills.
• Work with students, parents, law enforcement, local governments, and community-based groups to develop wider-scope crime prevention efforts.

Community Members

• Law enforcement can report on the type of crimes in the surrounding community and suggest ways to make schools safer.
• Community-based groups, church organizations, and other service groups can provide counseling, extended learning programs, before- and after-school activities, school watches, and other community crime prevention programs.
• Local businesses can provide apprenticeship programs, participate in the adopt-a-school programs, or serve as mentors to area students.
• Colleges and universities can offer conflict management courses to teachers or assist school officials in developing violence prevention curricula.

Related Links

U.S. Department of Education

National Education Association

National Association of Elementary School

National School Boards Association

National Parent Teacher Association

National School Safety Center

Center for Youth as Resources

National Teens, Crime, and the Community Program