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School Violence

Kentucky Center for School Safety > School Safety Issues > School Violence

Overview

School violence can be prevented. Research shows that prevention efforts – by teachers, administrators, parents, community members, and even students – can reduce violence and improve the overall school environment. No one factor in isolation causes school violence, so stopping school violence involves using multiple prevention strategies that address the many individual, relationship, community, and societal factors that influence the likelihood of violence.

Prevention efforts should ultimately reduce risk factors and promote protective factors at these multiple levels of influence. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

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Resources

SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION

NASP – Brief Facts and Tips – All schools work to prevent school violence and schools are very safe places. Students, staff, and parents all have an important role in promoting school safety. Adults can provide leadership by reassuring students that schools are generally very safe places for children and youth and reiterating what safety measures and student supports are already in place in their schools.

THREAT ASSESSMENT AT SCHOOL

NASP – Brief Facts and Tips – Threat assessment is intended to prevent violence and involves both assessment and intervention. Threat assessment involves determining whether a student poses a threat of violence (they have intent and means to carry out the threat).

QUESTIONS TO ASK FOR ARMED ASSAILANT DRILLS FACTSHEET

NASP – New Resource. Download the Questions to Ask for Armed Assailant Drills Factsheet, which is also included in the updated guidance document as an appendix.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING PACKAGES

Special Topics in Emergency Management – REMS Item Number – 7. Responding to Bereavement and Loss SPECIALIZED TRAINING PACKAGES -SPECIAL TOPICS IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Are you seeking materials to support emergency management training at your school or district? Our downloadable Specialized Training Packages feature self-paced emergency management training materials to support high-quality emergency management across a range of special topics. School emergency managers may use these materials to train their colleagues or to brush up on their own knowledge regarding special topics in school emergency management. The topics included in these training packages range from continuity of operations and large event planning to handling food contamination and infectious diseases. Each package includes training instructions, a PowerPoint presentation, and supplemental resources. Tabletop exercises are also included with some packages. In addition to the special topics in emergency management, we have also included an introductory presentation that provides an overview of the recommended six step planning process for developing school EOPs. Finally, for practitioners who wish to assemble all of the training materials into a binder, we have included a cover page and table of contents for all training packages.

TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT VIOLENCE: TIPS FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS

NASP – High profile acts of violence, particularly in schools, can confuse and frighten children who may feel in danger or worry that their friends or loved-ones are at risk. They will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react. Parents and school personnel can help children feel safe by establishing a sense of normalcy and security and talking with them about their fears.

RESPONDING TO SCHOOL VIOLENCE: TIPS FOR ADMINISTRATORS

NASP – School principals and superintendents can provide leadership by reassuring students, staff, and parents … and reiterating what safety measures and student supports are already in place in their school.

SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION

School-Counselor.org – School Violence Prevention. Time and time again we find that much of what we initially believe to be true… is false. Random acts of violence in schools turn out to be hardly random at all. Learn about school violence prevention programs and how they are lifting the veil of obscurity from acts of school violence.

MENTAL HEALTH

Common Sense Media – With concerns mounting over the impact of media and technology on well-being, parents want to make sure kids are interacting in positive ways. But when kids disappear into their devices, it’s hard to tell if there’s cause for concern — or not. In partnership with the Child Mind Institute, Common Sense Media offers advice and solutions for potential pitfalls such as addiction, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Learn more about keeping media and tech use healthy and positive, identifying mental health red flags, and when it might be time to step in.

SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION: TIPS FOR PARENTS & EDUCATORS

NASP – Children, staff, and parents all have an important role in promoting school safety by following procedures and reporting concerns. It is also important to balance sufficient building security with a healthy, nurturing, school environment.

ENHANCING SCHOOL SAFETY USING A THREAT ASSESSMENT MODEL

U.S. Secret Service – This operational guide was developed to provide fundamental direction on how to prevent incidents of targeted school violence, that is, when a student specifically selects a school or a member of the school community for harm. The content in this guide is based on information developed by the U.S. Protective Intelligence and Assessment Division, National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC).

UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL VIOLENCE

CDC – Youth violence includes various behaviors. Some violent acts – such as bullying, pushing, and shoving – can cause more emotional harm than physical harm.

SCHOOL VIOLENCE: PREVENTION

CDC – School violence can be prevented. Research shows that prevention efforts – by teachers, administrators, parents, community members, and even students – can reduce violence and improve the overall school environment. No one factor in isolation causes school violence, so stopping school violence…

PREVENTION TOOLS AND RESOURCES – SCHOOL VIOLENCE – YOUTH VIOLENCE …

The CDC leads many activities that help us to understand and effectively prevent school violence. Research by the CDC helps us know how big a problem school violence is, the factors that increase or decrease the likelihood of school violence, and what prevention strategies work.

Helping Students Cope

DISASTER MEDIA INTERVENTION (DMI) HELPING STUDENTS COPE WITH DISASTER MEDIA COVERAGE

A Guide for Teachers and School Staff – This project was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Elementary, Middle and High School Students (Ages 5-18) – The Disaster Media Intervention (DMI) is designed to help students cope with disaster media coverage.

Disasters covered in the media include natural disasters like storms or earthquakes, or human-caused disasters such as industrial accidents, terrorist attacks, or mass shootings. DMI equips teachers, counselors, social workers, administrators, and other school staff to facilitate conversations with students about these media-covered disasters, whether they occur locally or far away. Ultimately, DMI is designed to reduce distress caused by disaster media coverage by fostering healthy coping and adaptive functioning in students.

Note: For school communities directly affected by a disaster, they have compiled a list of supportive resources at the end of this manual. CONSULTATION OR QUESTIONS For further questions or consultation about DMI, please contact the Disaster and Community Crisis Center (DCC) at www.dcc.missouri.edu. (Disaster and Community Crisis Center at the University of Missouri)

Student Walkouts — What to Do

CCSSO RECOMMENDED GUIDANCE ON STUDENT WALKOUTS

Updated: February 23, 2018 – The following is recommended guidance that state education agencies can use and share with local education agencies regarding possible student walkouts to protest an issue. This guidance was developed at the request of state education agencies in light of plans some students across the country have made to organize walkouts on March 14, March 24 and April 20 in protest of gun violence; however, these recommendations are broad and could be applied to student walkouts in protest of any issue.

Data and Statistics

PREVENTING SCHOOL VIOLENCE

CDC – School violence describes violent acts that disrupt learning and have a negative … publications, data sources, and prevention resources for school violence. School violence describes violent acts that disrupt learning and have a negative effect on students, schools, and the broader community. School is the location where the violence occurs, not a type of violence.

INDICATORS OF SCHOOL CRIME AND SAFETY

National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. This report presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population from an array of sources. The report covers topics such as victimization, teacher injury, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, and student use of drugs and alcohol. The indicators of crime and safety are compared across different population subgroups and over time. Data on crimes that occur away from school are also offered as a point of comparison where available.

KCSS Resources

WHAT IS BULLYING? HANDOUT

Topics on this handout include: “Characteristics of those who bully”, “Alarming Stats”, “Characteristics of Victims”, and “Long-Term Effects of Bullying” (KCSS 2-Sided Flyer)

STUDENT BULLYING HANDOUT

Topics on this handout include: “What is Bullying?” “Are you bullying others?” “Students: What’s with those who bully?” “Tell it or Spell it,” “Watch Out Online!” and “Students: What you can do.” (KCSS 2-Sided Flyer)

MYTHS OF BULLYING HANDOUT

Topics on this handout include: “Shattering the Myths of Bullying”, “You Can Help”, “Who’s the Bully… Not My Child!”, and “Why don’t kids ask for help?” (KCSS 2-Sided Flyer)

K-12 BULLY PREVENTION TRAINING

The underpinning of the Kentucky Center for School Safety is that a safe, nurturing learning environment is essential to an effective and productive school. For that reason, KCSS is offers. anti-bullying trainings to assist school districts with understanding the impact of bullying effective strategies for change, and framework for implementing a Comprehensive Bullying Prevention Plan. For more information or to schedule a training for your school contact Dan Orman at 502-783-1449, cell 502-424-8652 or email to dan.orman@ksba.org

PARENTS’ BULLYING HANDOUT

Topics on this handout include: “What is Bullying?”, “Have they been guilty of bullying someone else?”, “Parents: How to talk about bullying”, “What’s up with all the bullying behavior?”, “5 Tips for parents to prevent bullying”, and “Parents: Watch OUT online!” (KCSS 2-Sided Flyer)

Curriculum and Classroom Lessons

OLWEUS – SUCCESS STORY

Violence Prevention Works – (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Woodland Hills High School senior Molly Means, 17, said the anti-bullying program has made a difference at her school. Hillary Mangis, Carlynton School District’s school psychologist and an Olweus trainer says, “It teaches character education like: … What is it to be an empathetic person?” … Olweus Bullying Prevention Program – To find out more about Olweus training for your school or district, contact Victoria Fields or Sherri Clusky at (502) 564-4772 (Kentucky Department of Education)

SAFE SCHOOLS PROGRAM

In the wake of recent school violence, and after a strong demand from area schools, the Kentucky State Police (KSP) with input from school administrators across the state, have developed a program aimed at helping all schools respond effectively during an active shooting incident. The program does not set school policy. It provides four levels of KSP assistance to aid school officials in establishing their own action plans. School administrators, depending on the need of the individual schools, can choose any one or all four levels of the assistance being offered.

SAFE SCHOOLS PROGRAM FOR YOUNGER KIDS!

Kentucky State Police (KSP) created this video to teach younger kids about school safety, and not scare them. It is being provided for schools to use as a recourse for their kids. Any school or organization can utilize this video as a tool in their classroom. Feel free to use the streaming link from YouTube, or download the file here.

Surveys/Quizzes

RESILIENCE QUIZ – ARTHUR

PBS KIDS – Ten resilience quiz questions to ask younger students. Questions are multiple choice and could be completed on computers in a lab and discussed in class. The first question and possible answers: What should you do if you see something scary in the news? A. Pretend you didn’t see it. B. Talk to a parent or an adult you trust. C. Hide under your bed.

TALKING TO YOUR STUDENT ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY

Saydel Community … -Talking to Kids About School Safety is a resource designed to raise a child’s awareness of safety issues, determine the degree to which they feel safe in their educational environment, and to identify issues that may require a response from adults. Developed by the National School Safety Center and VisdomK12, this resource facilitates a conversation around safety that can occur in the classroom, at home, or both. The results can help families and educators create the safe environment necessary for students to achieve the highest possible level of academic and social success. (This includes an assessment/survey tool with a calculation scale for the results.)

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