Action Inquiry: Safety on Campus after School Release - Essay Example

? Action Inquiry: Safety on Campus after School Release Action Inquiry: Safety on Campus after School Release ment of Problem “Formulating strategies to ensure safety on campus after school release” With the onset of alarming dramatic situations on school campuses widely, safety on campus has become a major area of concern. Schools have witnessed variety of crimes ranging from simple assaults to deadly weapon use in the recent times. Distressing incidents at schools can negatively affect the mental makeup and thereby performance of the students, teachers and the entire system linked with it. Providing a safe environment for better emotional and intellectual development of children is the call of the hour. If such a perilous issue is neglected, we may be producing a mentally handicapped society in future. School management, teachers, parents, policy makers and the police can play pivotal role in resolving the issue effectively. This is an area that requires immediate attention and extensive research. Relations of the Problem to Specialization This problem has far reaching consequences than perceptible. A precise and consolidated plan of action to overcome the presumptive behavioral hazards in a school environment during the after school hours is not only beneficial to the improvement of school law but also the augmentation of disciplinary behavior of the entire community associated with the school, in all walks of life. The grasping ability of kids is remarkable. When they see elders engaging in a scuffle they imbibe it all on a sudden and imitate it whenever appropriate. In addition to that these disturbing events can create deep rooted memories in children which can lead to a troubled adulthood. So the implementation of well planned strategies to disentangle this complexity can lead to minimal school offences thereby better mental stability and societal growth. Background and Content for the Problem The necessity of probing in to safety on campus after school release arose when there was an onslaught of attack between two moms who came to pick up their children from elementary school after the school release. Apart from this there were many similar incidents which took place at the peak hour of school release. Such episodes attract wide attention from the crowd around and further discussions that can impair the reputation of the school. Policies ensuring safety on campuses has been developed in the governmental level as a result of studies in this field. Research Questions 1. How to formulate and implement an effective safety strategy to arrest the occurrence of violent outbursts on campus after school release? 2. How to restrict parental entry and interaction during the rush hours? 3. How to install a powerful visitor documentation system in the school? 4. How to ensure the efficient functioning of surveillance tools to comprehend the exact situation? Significance of the Study Amidst the rising unrest and intolerance among parents as well as children in homes and schools this study has extreme relevance. Obnoxious images of parents or peers fighting get imprinted in the minds of the little onlookers. They hurt them intensely which results in severe anxiety, stress and unnecessary fear. Moreover this gives a bad impression about the school among other parents which affects the goodwill of the school. Furthermore such kind of rumbles can cause destruction of valuable school properties which in turn leads to heavy financial loss for the school (School Violence Statistics and Facts, n. d.). Developing valid strategies for reducing violence and crimes in schools can boost the law and order system of the school. The student cluster groomed and nurtured in such a secure and disciplined environment will grow up to be fruit bearing citizens of the nation. On the contrary, there are studies indicating that too much emphasis on safety measures has a disruptive effect on learning environment and student behavior (Hurwitz & Weldon, 1996). Literature Review According to a study from the School Violence Resource Centre (as cited in FBI Uniform Crime Reports), there was a soaring rise in the percentage of students engaged in crimes using weapons from 1993 to 2001. The nations need to understand outburst of violence and aggression on campuses a law was officially placed by the US congress by passing Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act6 (Security on Campus Inc., n. d.). To reduce the occurrence of violent acts on campus the principles and staff should provide explicit teaching and training to facilitate responsible parent student behavior in accordance with the code of school behavior. As Canfield, Ballard, Osmon and McCune (2004) point out, in Northern Louisiana School district the inclusion of school based family counseling aided to the reduction of fighting in school. According to the after school supervision and safety measures of Westborough Middle School, there will be monitoring from a campus control supervisor. In his absence there are alternate arrangements for the staff at the school to monitor the activities on campus after school. Erwin Street Elementary school website provides information regarding the deployment of school police to avoid violent outbursts in the campus. They have also insured the reporting of parents at the office for identification before picking up their wards from school. As per the National Association of School Psychologists (n.d.), unnecessary importance to safety enhancement techniques in school has not much influence in reducing aggressive onslaughts in schools. Methodology The methodology involves preparing anecdotal records of problem makers in the school environment. This may include both parents and students. Observation of the behavioral patterns can help in providing remedial help for the people under question. Interviewing, counseling, questionnaire distribution etc can help in gaining opinion regarding the type of safety measures adopted in the campus to prevent further mishaps. Quantitative method like survey will be used to know about the intensity of safety measures at present in the schools and also to know the level of satisfaction in it. Data Collection Employing qualitative data collection methods like interview, observation and questionnaire distribution among parents, teachers and administrators of the school can provide information about different types of safety measures functioning in the schools under study. By conducting a survey among the students and parents in the sample schools we can collect data regarding the efficiency of security outfit, monitoring measures, visitor documentation system, and training in crisis management in the schools included. Quantitative analysis can be done using various statistical methods depending on the frequency scores obtained from the survey. Data Analysis Quantitative analysis can be done by statistical methods like t-test, ANOVA. These techniques can be utilized to assess the positive relationship between students, teachers, parents and the administration in creating a safe environment at school. Qualitative data can be analyzed using coding, logical analysis, metaphorical analysis, and discourse analysis. References Canfield, B. S., Ballard, M. B., Osmon, B. C & McCune, C. (Oct. 2004). School and Family Counselors work together to reduce fighting in school. ASCA Professional School Counseling. 18 (1): 40-46. Retrieved from http://www.bermudacounsellors.bm/news_pdf/School%20and%20Family%20Counsellor%20Article.pdf Hurwitz E. & Weldon W. (1996). Critical Issue: Developing and Maintaining Safe Schools. Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/drugfree/sa200.htm FBI Uniform Crime Reports (n. D.). Crime in Schools and Colleges: A Study of Offenders and Arrestees Reported via National Incident-Based Reporting System Data. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/nibrs/crime-in-schools-and-colleges National Association of School Psychologists (n. d.). Research on School Security: The impact of security measures in schools. Retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/advocacy/schoolsecurity.pdf School Violence Statistics and Facts (n. d.). School violence. Nssc1.org. Retrieved from http://www.nssc1.org/school-violence-statistics.html Security on Campus, Inc. (n. d.). The Jeanne Clery Act. Retrieved from http://tulane.edu/wfmo/upload/TheJeanneCleryDisclosureofCampusSecurityPolicyandCampusCrimeStatisticsAct.pdf http://tulane.edu/wfmo/upload/TheJeanneCleryDisclosureofCampusSecurityPolicyandCampusCrimeStatisticsAct.pdf Learner Questions and Concerns The scope of a follow up program in the schools, which have implemented the measures suggested in the study to assess the rate of violent upheavals Preparing a review of the functioning of School Discipline Council and its effect on school safety Read More