School Safety

By Orvileta Bygrave & Emily Xu

History of School Shootings 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY
uNeL5X0b8
Columbine 20 Years Later
2. A school shooting is

a. Must involve at least 1 person being

shot

b. Must occur on school property

c. 15 school shooting in the U.S. to

date
 Clues

❏ Doesn’t care about school - arrived late to class

❏ Parents have guns - got them from his parents
❏ Looks suspicious - walked around the room
❏ Made videos of violence- made home video
❏ Internet posts of violence - wanted to kill people
❏ Threatens students - Threaten to kill Brooks
❏ Has a criminal record - Juvenile detention program
 What we learned from Columbine
❏ Quick response
❏ Take student reports of threats seriously
❏ Written on Internet - administration needs to troll problem students /
report
❏ Mother was not aware of mental illness - educate parents about the signs
❏ Keep guns in a locked place away from children
❏ Pay close attention to attendance of problem students
❏ Security guards on staff
❏ Support one another with bullying
Article Review
Safety Still Key Issue in New School Year

● New ideas and new technology available to

keep schools safe

E.g. the facial recognition software, SAFR by

RealNetworks

● Preparation is the key- a plan and practice. It’s

often most important for educators to have a
plan and practice the procedures often.
How to improve school safety ?
Framework for Safe and Successful Schools by NASP

Physical

● Appropriate check-in/out procedures for visitors

● Secure access points to school grounds and
school buildings
● Proper lighting and adult supervision in lobbies,
hallways, parking lots, and other open spaces
● Environmental design that creates natural
barriers to playgrounds and other open spaces
● In some communities, the use of school
resource officers
How to improve school safety ?
Psychological

● Trusting relationships among staff and

students
● A positive school climate
● Positive discipline practices
● Access to comprehensive school
mental and behavioral health services
and school-employed mental health
professionals
Questions:
1. Are there students in your school building that need to be flagged?
What are some ways that you can help them?
2. What is your school doing to create a safe environment—do they
cultivate a safe environment and promote safety awareness and
preparedness?