Modern schools are designed with safety and security in mind. Due to the fact that most schools handle high numbers of students at a fast pace every day, security has become a science in these establishments. Both passive and active security measures are taken to defend a school from internal and external threats. When these measures fail or a school faces a threat that cannot be turned away such as a tornado or earthquake, it is important that proper disaster contingency plans are in place to minimize the danger. Just as in other fields, school security must keep up with modern technology and adapt to become more effective. It is true that the technology used to defend schools has grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade and schools have begun to use such high tech measures as automatic locks, electronic perimeter access control, and security cameras. Unfortunately, little has been done to merge security technology with personal technology. It is a reality of the modern age; almost everyone has an iPhone or an Android phone. These devices are capable of running a wide variety of applications, from games to social networks to utilities. Properly utilized, these devices can be used to increase overall campus security and augment existing safety measures.
Over the past several years, a phenomenon has occurred: crises on school grounds have become increasingly common. Since the 2012 catastrophe at Sandy Hook, there have been forty four school shootings in the United States. Though almost none of these events received any significant media attention, they are still an indication that security must be taken very seriously in schools. Fortunately, most schools have begun to make changes within the past decade. In the wake of C...
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...“it can happen here” until a crisis actually occurs. This type of unrealistic thinking puts everyone on a school campus at risk since the reality is, a crisis can happen anywhere. Even the smallest, most secluded schools can face a violent intruder on campus just as the largest can, and natural disasters can strike anywhere. “When do people want increased airport security? After a bomb or security scare. When do people want increased school security? After a crisis or tragedy occurs somewhere else. Months and sometimes weeks later, everyone forgets and it is back to normal” (Trump 19). In reality, school security isn't about inciting panic in a student body, it is really about helping avert a crisis before it happens, as working to stop one after it has happened is a mistake that can cost lives.
Through the careful observation of several school crisis case studies,
Gee, Denise J. "After Sandy Hook, a New Wave of School Security - The Buffalo News." Www.buffaloNews.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.
On December 12, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School was invaded by an unstable, armed man. Earlier that year the principal of the school, Dawn Hochsprung, implemented a new security system that required all visitors to buzzed into the school by visual identification. Many schools have also put in similar security systems to have school doors locked at all times during the school day, helping insure students’ safety. For Sandy Hook this minor security system would not be enough. When the gunman arrived to the school, he shot his way through the front do...
Populous places such as shopping malls or airports contain metal detectors in all the exits but in schools they are not necessary. People think they wont change much and they can be added to the school without any negative effects but they disrupt the school much more than that. The article discusses, “The weapon detection program requires 9 security officers for approximately 2 hours
The history of school shootings has shown an increase in mass school shooting. The very first known school shooting in the United States occurred on July 26, 1764 in present-day Greencastle, Pennsylvania. As part of the Pontiac's Rebellion, four Lenape Native Americans entered the school house and started shooting, killing the schoolmaster Enoch Brown and about nine students. Only two students survived the massacre (“History”). Since the 1700s the United States society has changed in many ways. Schools have become more than just one room school houses and each grade has its own teacher. Furthermore, the problem of school shootings has not decreased but rather increased over the years. On the one hand, reports from the Centers for Disease Control showed that in general school violence decreased from 1992 to 200...
It is a sad time in American history when one can easily recount recent school shootings in their own area. This ease stems from a sharp increase in the number of firearms brought into elementary and middle schools across the country, with an intense focus on the issue beginning after the shooting of 20 children from Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. Most school shooters are male, white, and often upper middle class. They are also more, often than not, under some type of mental stress that is causing them to create this type of violence in our communities. In fact, many school shooters are never suspected of doing any harm to their peers and teachers until it is much too late.
Preventing School Shootings From 1980’s till now, there are has been many school shootings. Many researchers have made many hypotheses as to why these occur. The most tragic shooting took place in Sandy Hook Elementary. 2.
In light of recent acts of violence in the nation’s schools, school safety and security have become a hot topic. However, the issue of school safety goes beyond student violence. It includes property damage, theft, and anything else that concerns the overall well being of schools. While it is important to create a safe environment in schools it is also necessary to make sure students feel comfortable in this atmosphere. The security can not be so overbearing that it becomes a negative tactic that gets in the way of the students main objective, learning. Barely noticeable cameras, ID cards, and security guards without uniforms can help generate this safe, but comfortable learning environment. On the other hand metal detectors and mini police forces may be a little too reminiscent of George Orwell’s novel, 1984, or even modern prisons. School security should not be overbearing or obtrusive where it gets in the way of a comfortable environment that is conducive to learning in the nation’s schools.
Schools were once traditionally viewed as a safe place for children, teenagers, and adults. The educational setting coupled with community involvement gave no reason for violence to occur in schools. As years progressed, the occurrence of violence in school shocked communities across the nation, calling for state lawmakers and school districts to produce a solution to prevent these acts from occurring. Events such as the 1999 school shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado urged schools throughout the U.S. to increase their security measures with more stringent policies and procedures while spending millions of dollars on security equipment from security cameras to metal detectors. While schools increase their safety measures to prevent another major incident from occurring, such as a suspect with a firearm (active shooter) from entering school property, some of the security measures have not been effective. An example is the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, where the shooter was able to bypass a locked door which is one of the security measures the school had in place, making personnel visiting the school required to request entrance into the building (Barron).
“That could never happen in my school.” This is one of the first thoughts that goes through a students mind when they hear about a school shooting. The fact is though, it can. School shootings can happen at any school at any time. Lack of security is only a small part of the problem. The major issue lies in the low morality of students and warning signs overlooked by administration.
It is necessary for the schools in the United States to take more action in order to keep the students safe during the day. It is obvious that schools are not safe, forcing everyone to take a part in stopping the violent behavior which takes place in schools on a daily basis. There are many warning signs and ways to prevent this violence from taking place, it is just a matter of using money more wisely and creating more programs for preventing violence before it erupts in schools. There is no excuse for students to feel unsafe in an environment which the government forces them to be in. It is necessary that more action take place and that more training take place in order for schools to be safer, and in the event where violence does occur, the staff of the school is equipped to stop it before it gets out of hand. There is no time like now to keep the children and our schools safe from predators and especially from school violence.
In recent years, tragedies have been visited upon schools across the country. From Kentucky to Oregon to Colorado, the notion of schools as safe havens has been shattered by the sound of gunfire. These acts are not limited to any geographic regions or family backgrounds, nor do they have a single catalyst. Those who have committed such heinous acts have done so for different reasons, at different times, in different schools. But these acts of school violence have at least one thing in common- they have spurred all of us to take a look at what can be done to better protect children and teachers at school. Protecting our children is not simply a matter of public policy. It is a matter of strengthening basic values, of teaching children right from wrong, of instilling in them respect for others. We each have a responsibility to work to end youth violence and to keep schools safe for children and for those who teach them. Youth violence in many schools has reached universal proportions. It is not only happening in our high schools, it has also made its way into our elementary and middle schools. Everyone seems to have a different perspective on why there is such a problem with school safety. Some say it is the parents’ fault, some say it is the media, and others blame the schools. Yet, the question still remains. What can be done to make schools safer for the children and staff? One thing we need to do is learn to listen to our children and observe their behavior. According ...
If you ask most parents they will say the most important thing for their child is to be healthy, safe and get a good education. Most parent believe it is important for their child to get a good education so they can go to college and get a good job so they can have a better life. All children receive education and are required to go to school k-12. It is important for teachers to understand and use theory in their classroom. If teachers understand theory and the theorist it could help bring a better learning atmosphere for schools. Schools though out the United States bring a different learning atmosphere. The United States is faced with the ongoing problem of poverty. Families all over the United States are struggling. A lot of child who grow up in a family struggling with poverty drop out of school to get a job to help their family survive. Poverty is a big problem but so is school safety. Safety in schools is so important and over the last ten years there has been a lot of school shooting and violence. Giving children an education while keeping them safe is important. Teaching school safety continues
Thousands of people are affected by the lack of school safety in schools across the nation. Students everywhere are attending schools that are more dangerous than expected. This is a growing concern everywhere, and schools need to improve, or else they are prone to being unsafe. Whether it is building, drill, concussion, social, or technology safety, schools need to improve to lower the risk of an incident.
The issue of school safety has become a controversial topic in the United States, due to tragic acts of violence occurring on a daily basis. American citizens should never have to cope with the negative impact of school violence, no matter how often they hear about the tragedies (Jones, "Parents" 1). In the past, schools were viewed as a safe place for children to get an education. Recently, the concern over violence in schools has taken a toll on many parents, school administrators, and legislatures (Eckland 1). Studies have shown that there are over 3 million acts of violence in American public schools each year. Not all occurrences are serious and deadly, but they occur on a daily basis throughout our country (Jones, “School” 6). This has caused many parents to worry about the well-being of their children while they are in class. This has also led to an increase in questions and concerns by parents and guardians. Many people have asked, “What are you doing about safety and security on my child’s campus” (Schimke 2). School violence is the cause of elevated worry and fear for their children, and school districts should enforce better security.
Ever since incidents such as 9/11 and Columbine, high schools have started implementing new rules regarding cellphones. Cellphones attract the attention of building managers, teachers, parents, and students. Although teachers see them as a distraction and a way to cheat, they can be quite helpful to students. School districts should permit students to use cellular devices in school for purposes of improving their education and providing themselves with a sense of security. By permitting the use of cellphones in school, students can increase their knowledge and complete school work by using applications and other features on their smartphones.