SAFE Archives

Recognizing the warning signs for teen bullying, suicide

teen_depression — School officials need to do more to make parents aware of the stress that today’s teens and tweens face.

Mainstream media outlets have coined a new term to describe the rash of student suicides committed in the wake of persistent school bullying and harassment: “bullycides.”

The issue has spawned significant new research to determine whether the phenomenon is really new, or simply being reported more often. Either way, school officials need to do more to make parents aware of the stress that today’s teens and tweens face.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 12 percent of all deaths among youth and young adults in the U.S. result from suicides.…Read More

Coach: iPhone app helped save a player’s life

iphone2 — Phone Aid is an iPhone app that guides users through the CPR process.

A quick-thinking high school basketball coach and a $1.99 iPhone application called Phone Aid are being credited with saving the life of a Southern California teenager who collapsed during practice.

Xavier Jones stumbled, stopped, and went down the day before Thanksgiving at La Verne Lutheran High School, about 40 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

The senior’s heart apparently had stopped and he wasn’t breathing, but head high school basketball coach Eric Cooper and assistant coach John Osorno administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation and were able to get him breathing again.…Read More

Dept of Ed: Some bullying violates federal law

capitol-building-picture_2 — Tolerating, not adequately addressing, encouraging or ignoring harassment based on race, color, disability, sex or national origin can indicate the violation of civil rights statutes.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is warning schools: Tolerating or failing to adequately address ethnic, sexual or gender-based harassment could put them in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.

After several high-profile cases of bullying, ED is sending letters to schools, colleges and universities across the country on Oct. 26, reminding them of their federal obligations.

Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights, said ED was responding to what it senses as a growing problem within schools.…Read More

Doctors eye health hazard in powerful laser pointers

Doctors warn that laser pointers could cause eye damage.

A 15-year-old boy damaged his eyes while playing with a laser pointer he’d bought over the internet, say doctors who warn that dangerously high-powered versions are easily available online. One eye expert called it “a legitimate public health menace.”

The boy’s case is reported in the Sept. 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine by doctors who treated him at the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital in Switzerland.

It follows two reports in June of similar accidents. British doctors said a teenager damaged his eyes with a high-powered laser pointer, and a British physician said his vision was affected for several months after he was zapped by his 7-year-old son.…Read More

Keep after-school events safe

The start of a new high school football season is a reason to celebrate–but it also is a time for administrators to be on guard against those who find the games an excuse for criminal behavior. And it’s not just football that can lead to security problems on campus. The same can be true for dances, concerts, and other after-school activities. Fortunately, there are some steps that can help control a situation before it gets out of hand…

For many students, faculty, parents, and members of the surrounding community, the start of a new high school football season is a reason to celebrate. But it also is a time for administrators to be on guard against a few people who find the games an excuse for criminal behavior.…Read More

More schools take security seriously

As we enter a new school year, I’m happy to see several districts spent the summer making investments in keeping their students, faculty and staff safer. One New Mexico district partnered with a new…

As we enter a new school year, I’m happy to see several districts spent the summer making investments in keeping their students, faculty and staff safer.

• One New Mexico district partnered with a new bus service provider that equips each bus with three surveillance cameras–one facing the students in their seats, another watching as the kids step on board and the last monitoring the road. District drivers were immediately pleased.…Read More

Train and maintain

One of the more confusing stories I’ve read lately comes from East St. Louis, Ill., where burglars have taken more than $1 million in…

One of the more confusing stories I’ve read lately comes from East St. Louis, Ill., where burglars have taken more than $1 million in computers and other expensive electronic equipment from local schools over the past year–yet there have been no records of any requests for prosecution of the crimes.

And there is even disagreement among how many laptop computers have been stolen, with the reports ranging between 52 and 110.…Read More

Copper thieves continue to strike

Schools are not immune. I recently wrote about an Oklahoma district hard hit by thieves taking or gutting…

Copper theft continues to escalate across the country. Churches, doctor’s offices, retail businesses, and government facilities are all targets. And schools are not immune. I recently wrote about an Oklahoma district hard hit by thieves taking or gutting air conditioners for the copper inside the units.

As the price of copper hits new highs almost daily, the Fort Worth Independent School District has fallen victim to copper thieves. The district recently had to replace damaged air conditioners on nine campuses at a cost well in excess of $100,000. The self-insured district, like nearly all others in the country, is strapped for cash.…Read More

Good advice for campus administrators and law enforcement

The recently released report, Campus Security Guidelines: Recommended Operational Policies for Local and Campus Law Enforcement Agencies, prepared by the Major Cities Chiefs of Police Association, contains some valuable information. It suggests that both campus and local law enforcement agencies have…

Better definition of roles between schools and law enforcement. Coordinated emergency plans. Reliable, interoperable communication methods. Identification of potential risks and threats. Build trust with the media.

Those are some of the major conclusions of the recently released Campus Security Guidelines: Recommended Operational Policies for Local and Campus Law Enforcement Agencies prepared by the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association. The report contains some valuable information.…Read More

We owe our students more

Once a student becomes a victim of a school crime, he or she becomes more aware of…

Once a student becomes a victim of a school crime, he or she becomes more aware of other potential criminal activity, becomes a victim of bullies, or is just generally fearful of a future attack. A recently released survey from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center of Education Statistics included some interesting numbers about theft, gangs, drugs, and bullying on campus.

During the 2006-07 school year, just more than four percent of students ages 12-18 reported being a victim of any crime–theft, violent victimization, or serious violent victimization–at school.…Read More