Get the Word Out About School Safety

Good communication can ease anxiety. That’s especially true of the concerns many parents have about the dangers their children may face at school. Catalyst presents five ways crime prevention practitioners can help schools communicate with parents about school safety.

By Joselle Shea, NCPC Staff

As a crime prevention practitioner, you may work with local schools to increase the safety of school campuses and students. But how much do parents actually know about what schools do to protect their children? How much do they worry that their children might be harmed while at school?

The National Crime Prevention Council commissioned a survey of 1,400 parents of children in grades K–8, which was conducted by the research firm JustKid, Inc., in July 2008. Among other things, the survey examined the worries about school safety held by parents of students in grades 6 to 8, and communication among middle schools and parents around the issue of safety. The recommendations below will help you encourage schools to be more proactive in communicating to parents about safety efforts. After all, good communication and accurate information often ease anxiety and can lead to better participation by parents in school activities, one key to children’s scholastic achievement.

1. Assist school administrators in becoming the voice of school safety.

Fewer than 20 percent of parents hear about incidents of bullying, theft, and other safety issues from school administrators directly; the majority of the time parents learn about safety incidents from their children or another child at the school. However, young people may not have all of the facts about these incidents or the school’s response to them, and parents might form negative views because of misinformation passed along from nonofficial sources. Work with schools to identify ways they can communicate directly to parents about activities designed to make the school safer. Help school officials develop a communication plan if an incident occurs that affects many students so they can communicate the facts to parents and detail what actions the school is taking to prevent future incidents.

2. Help schools find ways to communicate routinely about safety efforts.

Although tragic incidents of school violence have periodically focused national attention on school safety, two-thirds of parents have never talked to their children’s teachers about safety issues, and fewer than one-quarter of parents say that their child’s school frequently communicates with them about school safety measures, disciplinary policies, and safety curricula. Don’t wait until a tragedy leaves parents in your community questioning how safe their children are at school. Encourage school administrators to be proactive and inform parents of programs and activities they implement to prevent violence.

3. Encourage schools to highlight bullying prevention and conflict resolution efforts.

Bullying and fighting are among parents’ top school safety concerns. Thirty percent of parents of middle school students are extremely or very worried that their child will be a victim of bullying, and more than 25 percent of black and Hispanic parents worry that their child will be a victim of a hate crime at school. Many parents—14 percent overall and 22 percent of parents in urban areas—are also extremely or very worried that their child will be involved in fights with other students. Help schools communicate to parents how they teach children about conflict resolution and bullying prevention. Share any training that the school staff receives related to these issues, resources available to students (such as guidance counselors or peer mediation programs), and awareness-raising efforts.

4. Promote communicating to parents via phone and email, and at school events.

More than 50 percent of middle school parents prefer phone calls and emails as the primary method of communication from schools. Just over 30 percent of parents prefer paper newsletters mailed home, while 25 percent prefer newsletters brought home by children. Fewer than 15 percent of parents preferred announcements posted on the school’s website, online newsletters, or text messages. Encourage schools to take advantage of school events to educate parents about school safety and how they can keep their children safe. More than 90 percent of parents attend school activities, so offer to attend and hand out safety brochures along with the program to a winter concert or school play. Ask administrators if you can deliver a 10–15 minute presentation before a talent show or during the half-time of a sports event.

5. Help schools identify opportunities for parents to get involved in school safety efforts.

If the school has a safety committee, suggest that they recruit one or two parent representatives. If the school asks you to conduct a safety walk-through, invite parents to join you. Suggest that schools offer parents the opportunity join staff at training events focused on school safety, or ask parents to distribute safety brochures to other parents, neighbors, and community members. Propose that the school start the Be Safe and Sound in School program, which provides a model for engaging parents in making schools safer.

For more information on engaging parents or building safer schools, visit the National Crime Prevention Council’s website.