Citation

Connolly-Wilson C, Reeves M. Communique 2013; 41(6): 16-17.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, people across the country are asking if schools in their communities are safe. School psychologists not only play a pivotal role in answering that question, but they can also provide leadership in helping to ensure a safe school climate. A critical component to answering the safety question is finding a balance of both physical and psychological safety measures. A reliance solely on metal detectors, x-ray machines, and cameras underestimates what is needed for schools to be safe and can miss undercurrents negatively impacting school safety. However, a reliance solely on the attitude of "my school feels safe" can miss critical safety measures needed to limit accessibility and opportunity. Thus, both physical and psychological safety are critical to a comprehensive safe-school approach. This article provides some areas to consider when answering the school safety question from both physical and psychological safety standpoints. Another important area to examine when evaluating school safety is school crisis planning. This article provides some guiding questions for school officials to consider when evaluating whether their school district is prepared to respond to a crisis event. Also provided are guiding principals for crisis plan development and refinement, as well as activities designed to provide assistance in gaining support from key leaders for crisis plan development or revision. The information in this article was developed from the PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum. The reader is referred to additional resources at the end of this article for a broader consideration of this topic.

Language: en