Safety in Schools

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Nov 24, 2024

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Running head: ENHANCED SAFETY IN SCHOOLS 1 Justification for Enhanced Safety in Schools Student Name Affiliation Course Professor Name Date

ENHANCED SAFETY IN SCHOOLS 2 Abstract This research highlights the importance of implementing appropriate security measures in schools to ensure the safety of both students and staff, amidst concerns over a rise in violent crimes and school shootings over the past decade. While some may argue against more stringent security measures, the article suggests that procedures including metal detectors, cameras, and school resource officers are necessary to not only protect individuals, but also deter potential attackers. Additionally, the report stresses the need for a comprehensive approach that addresses underlying factors such as mental health, bullying, and social marginalization. The study recommends finding a balance between security measures and creating a safe learning environment for children.

ENHANCED SAFETY IN SCHOOLS 3 Introduction School shootings have become endemic in many public-school systems. It is critical to pay urgent attention to and take immediate action regarding the safety of kids and staff members within schools. The prevalence of shootings at schools and violent occurrences has grown in the past few years, posing a substantial danger to the well-being as well as security of students and faculty. The number of shootings in the USA schools has been rising over the years, indicating the scope of the problem. Schools are intended to be safe havens for pupils to study and grow beyond fear of danger. However, the present scenario is far from ideal, which means there is a critical need to put in place measures to ensure the safety of kids and personnel on school grounds. Shootings at schools and other violent acts have been a prominent worry in recent years. In the USA alone, there were 24 attacks on schools in 2018, leading to 113 people being killed or wounded Reese et al. 2019). Indeed, such reports are a clear indication of deep-seated problems. This has resulted in an upsurge in public demand for school safety protocols to safeguard children and faculty. Despite the fact that certain educational institutions have previously installed security measures like metal detectors, surveillance cameras, and qualified safety workers, many schools still don't have these. Several reasons, notably mental health concerns, access to guns, bullying, and social exclusion, violent occurrences. Understanding the underlying causes of such instances is essential for establishing effective remedies to the problem. Schools differ in their adoption of security measures, with some acting sooner than others owing to cost and effectiveness problems. Evidence reveals, however, that effective safety procedures can help avoid violence, dissuade possible attackers, and protect kids and instructors (Curran et al. 2020). Furthermore, safety precautions can provide people with a sense of security

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ENHANCED SAFETY IN SCHOOLS 4 and comfort, allowing them to focus on their job and learning without the worry. A comprehensive strategy for school safety is required, one that tackles the underlying causes of such tragedies. This includes addressing mental health issues, encouraging psychological and social growth, and launching anti-bullying programs. Security measures, however, are an essential component of any holistic strategy to school safety. The main purpose of increasing security measures in schools is to stop violent incidents before they happen. A National Center for Education Statistics report shows that there was a overall of 93 shootings in schools during the 2020/21 school year (NCES 2022). Tools like metal detectors and security cameras can help identify and prevent potential threats from turning into violent incidents ( Schildkraut et al., 2019) . Moreover, increased security measures can act as a disincentive for potential attackers. This means that attackers may think twice if they know the school has security measures that would lead to their arrest. The most crucial reason for increased security measures in schools is to safeguard students and staff from possible harm. Metal detectors can find weapons and other harmful objects that students may bring. This can avoid possible violence and improve safety among students and staff members. However, using metal detectors has been disputed because they can be seen as intrusive and may create a negative environment within schools. Security cameras are a different vital security precaution that schools should have. Cameras in corridors, classrooms, and other public areas can be put in to monitor behavior among pupils and detect possible threats. They can also conduct investigations and present evidence for disciplinary action. According to research, the installation of cameras can reduce criminal conduct and boost students' and faculty members' sentiments of safety (Ahmed & Echi, 2021). When a would-be attacker notices that there are security cameras installed their actions

ENHANCED SAFETY IN SCHOOLS 5 can be deterred. Security cameras or experienced security staff can help schools limit damage and preserve lives in the event of an attack. As a result, greater security procedures are required in schools to avoid violent occurrences, hinder prospective attackers, as well as safeguarding children and employees from injury. Additionally, having school resource officers (SROs) on staff may be quite advantageous for schools. In contrast to schools without SROs, those with SROs saw much less violent occurrences, according a research (Petrosino et al., 2020). SROs are law enforcement personnel who have received specialized training to work in schools, therefore, their presence may serve as a powerful deterrence to prospective offenders. Additionally, they can help school officials recognize and handle potential problems before they worsen. Although some may contend that the expense of employing SROs is excessive, it is crucial to take into account the possible costs of implementing insufficient security measures to safeguard employees and students. Counterarguments have been made by opponents of tighter security in schools who argue that it affects students’ learning. The initial response is that tighter security measures make school life for pupils unpleasant and frightful (King & Bracy, 2019). Metal detectors and surveillance cameras, according to critics, can give pupils the impression that they are in a jail rather than a classroom, which can have an adverse effect on their psychological health and academic performance. This is due to the impression that the pupils are always being surveilled. While it's true that certain safety precautions might be intrusive, it's also crucial to take into account how they could help lower the likelihood of violent situations. The second response is that maintaining and implementing more stringent security measures might be costly. Although certain security measures can be expensive, it's crucial to compare their price to the possible advantages of better safety and security for staff and students.

ENHANCED SAFETY IN SCHOOLS 6 Finally, detractors claim that stepping up security measures risks creating a false sense of security, which would encourage complacency and disregard other crucial safety precautions. Although it is true that no one security measure can provide total safety in schools, it is crucial to understand the possible advantages of several measures acting together to lower risk. It is critical to give preference to the safety and well-being of children and employees inside schools while also taking into account the possible costs and downsides of heightened security measures. Enhanced safety precautions in schools are frequently opposed by those who raise issues including oppression, expense, and the potential for generating a false feeling of security. Although these worries are legitimate, they must be compared to the possible advantages of more stringent security measures. Initially opponents claim that tighter security might lead to a tense and unpleasant learning atmosphere (Mowen, 2019). The implementation of such measures may, however, be done in a way that upholds students' rights and dignity while also assuring their safety. Furthermore, even if putting security measures in place might be expensive, the cost of doing nothing can sometimes be far higher, as seen by the devastation caused by school shootings. The financial gains that can come from averting violent situations might help cover the expense of putting safety precautions in place. Last but not least, some claim that enhanced security measures may encourage complacency and disrespect for other crucial safeguards like mental health facilities and mediation programs by providing individuals with a false sense of security. But a comprehensive security approach for schools should only include a few precautions. They have to implement a number of safety measures to make sure they are prepared for any dangers. Higher importance must be given to the security and welfare of students and employees by educational institutions since the benefits of more stringent security

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ENHANCED SAFETY IN SCHOOLS 7 measures in schools ultimately outweigh the disadvantages. To arrest the number of school shootings, as well as minimize casualties, there is need for more studies on the efficacy of such measures.

ENHANCED SAFETY IN SCHOOLS 8 References Ahmed, A. A., & Echi, M. (2021). Hawk-eye: An ai-powered threat detector for intelligent surveillance cameras. IEEE Access , 9 , 63283-63293. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9408578/ Curran, F. C., Fisher, B. W., & Viano, S. L. (2020). Mass school shootings and the short-run impacts on use of school security measures and practices: national evidence from the Columbine tragedy. Journal of school violence , 19 (1), 6-19. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15388220.2019.1703713 King, S., & Bracy, N. L. (2019). School security in the post-Columbine era: Trends, consequences, and future directions. Journal of contemporary criminal justice , 35 (3), 274-295. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1043986219840188? journalCode=ccja Mowen, T. J., & Freng, A. (2019). Is more necessarily better? School security and perceptions of safety among students and parents in the United States. American journal of criminal justice , 44 (3), 376-394. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12103-018-9461-7 NCES. (2022). New NCES Data Show Increases in School Shootings and Cyberbullying in K– 12 Schools Over the Last Decade. National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/whatsnew/press_releases/06_28_2022.asp Petrosino, A., Fronius, T., & Taylor, D. (2020). Research in brief: School-based law enforcement. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED595716

ENHANCED SAFETY IN SCHOOLS 9 Rees, C. A., Lee, L. K., Fleegler, E. W., & Mannix, R. (2019). Mass school shootings in the United States: a novel root cause analysis using lay press reports. Clinical pediatrics , 58 (13), 1423-1428. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0009922819873650?journalCode=cpja Schildkraut, J., & Grogan, K. (2019). Are Metal Detectors Effective at Making Schools Safer?. WestEd . https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED595716

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ENHANCED SAFETY IN SCHOOLS 10

Safety in Schools

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