NCJ Number
180393
Date Published
2000
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video provides guidance for a school safety plan and a crisis response plan for preschools and elementary schools.
Abstract
The format of the video consists of comments by school administrators, teachers, students, and safety experts regarding the rationale for and elements of school safety and crisis response plans. The video is interspersed with insightful comments by the narrator and video camera shots of school activities related to safety procedures. The narrator advises that a primary threat of violence for preschools and elementary schools is the intrusion of deranged nonstudents who perceive preschools and elementary schools to be "soft" targets for the venting of their rage. In profiling a safe school plan to thwart such threats, the video recommends that a security plan be developed by administrators, teachers, and appropriate experts. Such a plan should include the establishment of security that prevents unsupervised access to the school by nonstudents and involves visitor screening procedures as well as the use of identification badges. Students as well as teachers should be informed of these security procedures and how they can assist in enforcing them. Although not as severe a threat, the video also focuses on bullying, aggressive, and violent behavior by the young students. A safe school plan should involve the teaching of nonviolent conflict resolution to students, the involvement of parents in plans to help children with early warning signs of aggressive behavior, and referral to mental health services. The video also provides instruction in the development of a crisis response plan. This plan should specify procedures for responding to various kinds of threats in process and have flexible responses tailored to the circumstances of the threat. These plans should not only be on paper but also be practiced by students and teachers periodically.