Back to School Safety Checklist

Posted on August 5, 2019October 2, 2019 by Doral Andersson

As summer draws to a close and children start heading back to school, family life can get pretty hectic. It’s important to remember – and share with your children – some key tips that will help keep them safe and healthy throughout the school year.

Written by the National Safety Council at www.nsc.org

Transportation Safety

Whether children walk, ride their bicycle or take the bus to school, it is extremely important that they take proper safety precautions. Here are some tips to make sure your child safely travels to school:

Walkers »Review your family’s walking safety rules and practice walking to school with your child.

Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available; when on a street with no sidewalk, walk facing the traffic
Before you cross the street, stop and look left, right and left again to see if cars are coming
Make eye contact with drivers before crossing and always cross streets at crosswalks or intersections
Stay alert and avoid distracted walking

Bike Riders » Teach your child the rules of the road and practice riding the bike route to school with your child.

Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, and in a single file
Come to a complete stop before crossing the street; walk bikes across the street
Stay alert and avoid distracted riding
Make sure your child always wears a properly fitted helmet and bright clothing

Bus Riders » Teach your children school bus safety rules and practice with them.

Go to the bus stop with your child to teach them the proper way to get on and off the bus
Teach your children to stand 6 feet (or three giant steps) away from the curb
If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, teach him or her to walk on the side of the road until they are 10 feet ahead of the bus; your child and the bus driver should always be able to see each other
Get the facts on bus safety from Injury Facts

Driving Your Child to School »Stay alert and avoid distracted driving. Put your cell phone down.

Obey school zone speed limits and follow your school’s drop-off procedure
Make eye contact with children who are crossing the street
Never pass a bus loading or unloading children
The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them to safely enter and exit the bus

Teen Drivers » Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens. Fortunately, there is something we can do.

Teens crash because they are inexperienced; practice with new drivers every week, before and after they get their license
Set a good example; drive the way you want your teen to drive
Sign the New Driver Deal, an agreement that helps define expectations for parents and teens

School Safety

Many School-related injuries are completely preventable. Follow these steps to ensure your child’s safety at school.

Backpacks » Choose a backpack for your child carefully; it should have ergonomically designed features to enhance safety and comfort.

Ask your children to use both straps when wearing their backpack to evenly distribute the weight on their shoulders
Don’t overstuff a backpack; it should weigh no more than 5% to 10% of your child’s body weight
Rolling backpacks should be used cautiously since they can create a trip hazard in crowded school hallways

Playgrounds and Sports »

To reduce strangulation hazards on playgrounds, have your child leave necklaces and jackets with drawstrings at home
A few bumps and bruises can be expected when your child plays sports, but head injuries should never be ignored

National Report of Students Bullied at School from 2005 – 2017

Posted on July 1, 2019August 1, 2019 by Doral Andersson

The National Center for Educational Statistics published a chart in 2018 with a breakdown for the percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, by type of bullying and selected student and school characteristics: Selected years, 2005 through 2017.

In reviewing the material it looks like bullying has decreased by 8% since 2005. In reviewing the chart some observations are:

The reports in the chart are of bullying at school, not off-campus as well.
The reports do not mention cyberbullying which is an increasing form of bullying.
It does include statistics by race where mixed-race and native Indians and Alaskans have a higher percentage of bullying reports.
It covers 6th- 12th grades where 6th and 8th grades report the most bullying.

Here at SaferCampusLife, we know that bullying starts sooner in most cases before 6th grade. We also know prevention and reporting need to be taught earlier in an effective manner. We believe bullying can lead to terrible acts of mass violence in schools as we have seen grow over the past decade.

Our No2Bullying™ course teaches student individual accountability. The course is online and interactive for students only. It covers cyberbullying and cyberstalking as well.

Please contact us for more information at info@e-conceptsinlearning.com or 844-662-4293.

See chart details: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d18/tables/dt18_230.45.asp

Bullying: How Many Students are Bullied at School?

Posted on June 1, 2019August 1, 2019 by Doral Andersson

In 2017, about 20 percent of students ages 12–18 reported being bullied at school during the school year. Of students ages 12–18, about 13 percent reported being the subject of rumors; 13 percent reported being made fun of, called names, or insulted; 5 percent reported being pushed, shoved, tripped, or spit on; and 5 percent reported being excluded from activities on purpose. Additionally, 4 percent of students reported being threatened with harm, 2 percent reported that others tried to make them do things they did not want to do, and 1 percent reported that their property was destroyed by others on purpose.

NOTE: “At school” includes in the school building, on school property, on a school bus, and going to and from school. Students who reported experiencing more than one type of bullying at school were counted only once in the total for students bullied at school.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2018 (NCES 2019-047), Indicator 10.

Is Your Child A Victim? Learn About Bullying Prevention

Posted on May 13, 2019May 13, 2019 by Doral Andersson

Do you suspect your child might be the victim of bullies? Maybe you think your child is responsible for bullying?

As a child, I stood out. I was much taller than many of my peers, which left me as an open target for bullies.

Unfortunately, it ran in the family, and my first born was also tall from an early age, susceptible to bullying until high school when everyone started catching up.

As parents, we need to stay on top of this subject so we can help our children learn to do the right thing and how to deal with their emotions. Bullying is prevalent in the U.S., whether as a victim or a perpetrator. Let’s look at what constitutes bullying, who is at risk, the effect it has, and ways to prevent bullying.

Read more here: https://momlovesbest.com

Written by Jenny Silverstone

Police: DKE frat members arrested for hazing, urinating upon LSU pledges

Posted on February 15, 2019March 25, 2019 by Doral Andersson

Nine members of a fraternity under suspension at Louisiana State University were arrested Thursday on charges related to hazing pledges who were urinated on, forced to lay on broken glass, and ordered to stand for hours in painful positions, according to authorities.

The nine present and former Louisiana students, all of whom had been members of Delta Kappa Epsilon, were booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges ranging from criminal hazing to felony battery, the university said. All turned themselves in to police.

The charges stem from an investigation by LSU police, who received reports about hazing from DKE’s national organization.

One pledge told police he was forced to stay in an ice machine for more than 30 minutes that was half filled with ice and water. He was eventually taken out to lie on a basketball court covered in broken glass, according to an affidavit in support of the arrests.

While on the court, he and another pledge were sprayed with a hose. The pair also had milk cartons thrown at them and were urinated upon, the affidavit said.

National Bullying Prevention Month

Posted on October 5, 2018August 17, 2018 by Doral Andersson

National Bullying Prevention Month is a campaign in the United States founded in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center.^[1] The campaign is held during the month of October and unites communities nationwide to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. Traditionally held the first week in October, the event was expanded in 2010 to include activities, education, and awareness building for the entire month. National Bullying Prevention Month is recognized in communities across the United States, with hundreds of schools and organizations signing on as partners. Facebook,^[2] CNN^[3] and Yahoo! Kids^[4] have supported the month through media outreach and dissemination.

Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/

Sexual Assault on Campus Strategies for first year students and parents.

Posted on September 1, 2018August 17, 2018 by Doral Andersson

We owe it to our sons and daughters to have honest conversations about sexual violence and dating violence. Research repeatedly demonstrates that first-year women students, especially, are at the highest risk of sexual assault. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that much of this occurs within the first few weeks and months of school starting, so some young women are entering their first weeks of classes, already disoriented from a violation, so soon after campus orientation.

Research shows that the majority of sexual assault on campus is perpetrated by a small group of predatory males who are doing this over and over to multiple women.

by: Deborah J. Cohan, Ph.D.

Learn more: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-lights/201709/sexual-assault-campus

10 Tips to Help Stop Bullying

Posted on August 17, 2018August 17, 2018 by Doral Andersson

While generations before us may have shrugged off bullying as a part of life, we know that its effects are serious. No one at any age should be the target of repeated unwanted aggression, but school-aged children are most vulnerable. Bullies are powerful, or so they seem to the victims. Bullies use their physical strength or privy knowledge or even their social status to bring harm to others. Chronic behaviors such as threatening others, physically or verbally attacking others, spreading rumors, and excluding individuals from a group are commonly displayed by bullies. Such abuse has long-term effects on young victims. These effects include having low self-esteem, living in isolation, dropping out of school, experiencing health problems, and even committing suicide. Those who bully others face long-term effects, as well. Bullies can be more likely to abuse substances.

Courtesy of: GEDDES School Supplies

How can parents help their kids from being bullied?

Posted on August 15, 2017August 17, 2018 by Doral Andersson

Parents can play a central role to preventing bullying and stopping it when it happens. Here are a few things you can do.

Teach kids to solve problems without using violence and praise them when they do.
Give children positive feedback when they behave well to help their build self-esteem. Help give them the self-confidence to stand up for what they believe in.
Ask your children about their day and listen to them talk about school, social events, their classmates, and any problems they have.
Take bullying seriously. Many kids are embarrassed to say they have been bullied. You may only have one chance to step in and help.
If you see any bullying, stop it right away, even if your child is the one doing the bullying.
Encourage your child to help others who need it.
Don’t bully your children or bully others in front of them. Many times kids who are bullied at home react by bullying other kids. If your children see you hit, ridicule, or gossip about someone else, they are also more likely to do so themselves.
Support bully prevention programs in your child’s school. If your school doesn’t have one, consider starting one with other parents, teachers, and concerned adults.

Louisiana teachers arrested in bullying case

Posted on April 6, 2017June 6, 2017 by Doral Andersson

Cops: Teacher told girl to kill herself, forced other kids to bully her

By Tina Burnside, CNN

Updated 5:22 PM ET, Fri April 28, 2017

Forced fights

St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said he learned of the accusations back in February after the girl’s mother filed a complaint. The mother returned to the sheriff’s office in April to say the abuse was continuing.

Deputies said Shelvin, a teacher at Washington Elementary, threatened to fail three of her students if they didn’t fight the girl. She also allegedly told the bullied girl to “go and kill herself.”

In a police report obtained by CNN, a student involved in the incident told deputies that Shelvin forced her to start a fight that resulted in several students sent to the principal’s office.

Click here to read more