Annual Report on School Safety--October 1998

A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

What Students Can Do

1. Behave responsibly.

School crime is made up of everyday occurrences and can be reduced through everyday actions.

Students can:

• Resolve problems and disputes nonviolently.

• Refrain from teasing, name calling, and other seemingly innocent behaviors that actually hurt others' feelings.

• Respect other students, school staff, and family members.

• Know and follow the school rules.

2. Report crimes and threats to school officials.

Students know better than anyone else what is going on in their school. They need to tell their parents, teachers, and principal what kinds of crimes and threats occur and what can be done to stop them. Some youth may not want to get involved, some may believe that upholding the code of silence and protecting their peers is the right thing to do, and some may be afraid that the students they report will find out and retaliate. The fact is that reporting crimes and threats can protect students and sometimes even save lives. Students need to take responsibility for sharing the information they have. Administrators need to take responsibility for setting up an easy-to-use, anonymous reporting system.

3. Get involved in or start anticrime programs at school.

Students can directly reduce school crime by becoming peer counselors or mediators, learning conflict resolution and problem-solving, hosting fun and safe weekend activities for students, tutoring or mentoring younger students, and starting a teen court. Students can assist school and community officials by serving on a safe schools committee, talking to school officials about gaps in security (places where weapons are hidden, drugs are sold, fights occur, and students are threatened), and suggesting ways for students to report crimes without fearing retaliation.

4. Learn how to avoid becoming a victim.

No one chooses to be a victim and no one can control everything that happens. However, students can significantly decrease their chances of becoming victims by doing simple things such as deciding to walk away from fights and avoiding dangerous places. They can also decrease their chances of becoming victims by carefully thinking over with whom to associate, such as whether to join a gang. Many students join gangs for protection, but gang members are much more likely to get into fights and be injured or killed than nongang members.

5. Seek help.

Students can seek out adults in the community whom they trust and to whom they can talk about problems. Often, adults provide the help and resources needed to resolve a troubling issue.

[What Schools Can Do]

[What Parents Can Do]