The Biggest concern of parents is the safety of their children. The likelihood of children getting abducted while on their way to school, in school or afterwards is always worrisome for a parent. Although most schools are safe, no school is immune.

Below are some guidelines for the parents and their children.

Contents 1 General Advice 2 Safety Tips for admistrators 3 Keep Kids safe at school 3.1 In the Classroom 3.2 Traveling To and From School 3.3 On the bus

[edit] General Advice

• Always TAKE A FRIEND when walking or riding your bike to and from school. It’s safer and more fun to be with your friends. Walk and ride in well-lit areas, and never take short cuts. Follow all the bicycle rules, especially the one about riding on the right side of the street.

• Stay with a group while waiting at the bus stop. If anyone bothers you while going to or from school, get away from that person, and TELL a trusted adult like your parents or teacher. If an adult approaches you for help or directions, remember grown-ups needing help should not ask children for help; they should ask other adults.

• If someone you don’t know or feel comfortable with offers you a ride, say NO. Never hitchhike, and only accept a ride from someone if your parents have told you it is okay.

• If someone follows you on foot, get away from him or her as quickly as you can. If someone follows you in a car, turn around and go in the other direction. Always be sure to TELL your parents or a trusted adult what happened.

• Have a WHISTLE handy to blow on if there is danger. A whistle will attract attention and may ward off a crime.

• Never leave school with someone you don’t feel comfortable with or know. Always CHECK FIRST with your parents or another trusted adult. If someone you don’t know or feel comfortable with tells you that there is an emergency and they want you to go with them, always CHECK FIRST before you do anything. Make sure you TELL a trusted adult if you notice someone you don’t know hanging around.

• Learn how to contact your parents in a hurry. MEMORIZE your parents work phone number and leave a detailed messages if there is an emergency. Learn how to CALL COLLECT. Learn WHEN and HOW to call 911.

• If you want to change your plans after school, always CHECK FIRST with your parents. Never play in parks, malls, or video arcades by yourself. Make sure you have your parents’ permission, and they know where you are going to be. Never accept money or gifts from anyone until you CHECK FIRST with your parents.

[edit] Safety Tips for admistrators

• Enforce zero-tolerance policies toward the presence of weapons, alcohol, and illegal drugs.
• Establish and enforce drug- and gun-free zones.
• Establish policies that declare that anything that is illegal off campus is illegal on campus.
• Engage students in maintaining a good learning environment by establishing a teen court.
• Develop protocols between law enforcement and the school about ways to share information on at-risk youth.
• Develop resource lists that provide referral services for students who are depressed or otherwise under stress.
• Involve teens in designing and running programs such as mediation, mentoring, peer assistance, School Crime Watch, and graffiti removal programs.
• Insist that all students put outerwear in their lockers during school hours.
• Require all students to tuck in their shirts to keep them from hiding weapons.
• Develop and enforce dress codes that ban gang-related and gang-style clothing.
• Establish a policy of positive identification such as ID badges for administrators, staff, students, and visitors.
• Deny students permission to leave school for lunch and other non-school-related activities during school hours.

[edit] Keep Kids safe at school

For most of the year, children spend more time at school than anywhere else other than their own home. At school, children need a secure, positive, and comfortable environment to help them learn.

Overall, schools are one of the safest places children can be. However, some schools have problems, such as bullying and theft, which make them less secure. These problems make students and educators feel less safe, and it makes it harder for students to learn and for teachers to do their jobs.

But there are specific ways that parents can make going to school a safer and more valuable learning experience for their children.

[edit] In the Classroom

Kids need a safe and comfortable environment to learn to the best of their capabilities. This means they have to feel safe in their school and be able to positively interact with their teachers and classmates. By doing the following, parents and other adults can help make sure children have a positive school experience.

• Talk to your children about their day. Sometimes children won’t tell you right away if they are having problems at school. Ask your children if they see anyone bullied, if they are bullied, or if anything else makes them feel uncomfortable. Look for warning signs, such as a sudden drop in grades, loss of friends, or torn clothing.
• Teach children to resolve problems without fighting. Explain that fighting could lead to them getting hurt, hurting someone else, or earning a reputation as a bully. Talk to them about other ways they can work out a problem, such as talking it out, walking away, sticking with friends, or telling a trusted adult.
• Keep an eye on your children’s Internet use. Many elementary schools have computers with Internet access. Ask your children’s school if students are monitored when they use the Internet or if there is a blocking device installed to prevent children from finding explicit websites. Talk to your children about what they do online – what sites they visit, who they email, and who they chat with. Let them know they can talk to you if anything they see online makes them uncomfortable, whether it’s an explicit website or a classmate bullying them or someone else through email, chat, or websites.
• Ask about the safety and emergency plans for your children’s school. How are local police involved? How are students and parents involved? What emergencies have been considered and planned for?

[edit] Traveling To and From School

• Map out with your children a safe way for them to walk to school or to the bus stop. Avoid busy roads and intersections. Do a trial run with them to point out places they should avoid along the way, such as vacant lots, construction areas, and parks where there aren’t many people.
• Teach children to follow traffic signals and rules when walking or biking. Stress that they should cross the street at crosswalks or intersections with crossing guards when they can.
• Encourage children to walk to school or the bus stop with a sibling or friend, and to wait at bus stops with other children.
• Teach children not to talk to strangers, go anywhere with them, or accept gifts from them without your permission. Tell them that if they see a suspicious stranger hanging around or in their school they should tell an adult.
• Help children memorize their phone number and full address, including area code and zip code. Write down other important phone numbers such as your work and cell phone on a card for your children to carry with them.

[edit] On the bus

• Have your children arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to pick them up.
• Make sure children know to stand on the sidewalk or on the grass while waiting for the bus.
• Teach children to make sure they can see the bus driver and the bus driver can see them before crossing in front of the bus. Tell them to never walk behind the bus.
• Be aware that often bullying takes place on the school bus. Ask children about their bus - who they sit with, who they talk to, and what the other kids do. Let them know that if they see someone being bullied, or are bullied themselves, they can talk to you, the bus driver, or another trusted adult.