NCJ Number
179544
Editor(s)
Buddy Broyles
Date Published
1999
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This videotape focuses on school safety from the perspectives of law enforcement, educators, a counselor, religious leaders, middle-school students, and others regarding violence in and near schools, violence prevention and intervention, collaborations and community involvement, and other strategies for school safety and campus security.
Abstract
The videotape opens with reports of recent fatal shootings of students and school personnel at schools in several states. The Director of the Department of Justice Weed and Seed Office notes that Weed and Seed has four elements: (1) law enforcement, (2) community policing, (3) prevention, and (4) neighborhood restoration. Panelists note that urban schools are becoming less dangerous, that rural and suburban schools are becoming more dangerous, that the use of semiautomatic guns is a new phenomenon, and that students’ fears about school safety may be increasing. Others express concerns about breakdowns of morality and families and the role of media violence and media publicity given to violent incidents. Students in the audience comment that they feel safe at their school and that the actions of the staff promote a feeling of safety. Panelists describe an array of interagency collaborations and involvement of community-based organizations in youth development and school staff training. The director of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention discusses school safety and emphasizes that research-based practices can help schools recognize early warning signs of violence, that promising prevention strategies involve school communities and community organizations, and that seven action steps will promote school safety. The Director of Weed and Seed notes that resources are crucial and need to focus more on intervention, prevention, and treatment rather than on incarceration.