Imagine getting the phone call that there was a shooting at your child's school and they didn't make it. You had no idea that when you walked them to the bus stop that morning it would be the last time you would see their face. In the last ten years alone there have been over 200 school shootings in the United States alone. This is an early statistic that reflects a big problem in this country. In this essay I will discuss why we need a policy that every school in America should have security systems and plans in place to prevent violence and, in some cases, death. April 20, 1999 was the day one of the most famous school shootings took place. If you were to ask someone where they were when they first heard about the Columbine shooting, I'm pretty sure they would remember it vividly. It was such an amazing event that shook America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Two students, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, participated in a shooting and attack at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The result was 15 dead students and 24 injuries in addition to the two students committing suicide. The shooting consisted of approximately 900 shots and bombs found planted around the school. This terrible event that happened at school was a wake-up call for many. No one expects that when they go to school they won't come home, and this incident has put that very thought in the minds of many Americans. In a nationwide survey conducted by the CDC, approximately 6% of students had skipped school at least 1 day in the 30 days prior to the survey because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school. With regard to recent cases of violence in American schools, student well-being and safety have become a topic of concern. School safety is much more than just student violence. School safety concerns anything that has a negative impact on the well-being of students and the school as a whole. It is critical to create a safe atmosphere where students feel they can do their best. Although I believe that a safety policy in schools is a must, I believe that there is a need for balance so that schools do not become a place of tension. If safety methods and procedures became the primary focus, the importance of education would be lost and could create tension for students. That said, there are ways to incorporate less stringent plans and rules to keep students safe. The first of the security methods that would be implemented by this policy are security cameras, this would help hold students accountable for fighting, breaking rules, etc. The second would be the use of the school card to enter the school. This would prevent outsiders from entering schools, which is currently very easy to do. Finally, security systems such as metal detectors or security guards would protect students especially in areas prone to violence and gun use. It would also provide safety for students because it would make it nearly impossible to carry weapons. I think all these methods of providing a safe environment must go hand in hand with creating a comfortable atmosphere. Schools are generally safe spaces. After the last decade of school shootings and violence, they are more likely to have reported fear of harm or attack at school (6.3%) than those surveyed beforeof the accident (4.8%). However, most schools are safe places and in reality most children are safer in school than out of school. As Watson and Watson stated in the preface of their book The School As a Safe Haven, “Most schools are safe – we know this – and we do not wish, by writing this book, to frighten anyone and put false impressions in their heads.” Overall, existing crime continues to shrink to even smaller numbers. Between 1995 and 2001, the percentage of students who reported being victims of crime at school dropped from 10 percent to 6 percent. This included a decrease in thefts (from 7% to 4%) and a decrease in violent victimization (from 3% to 2%) over the same time period. The 2000 Annual Report on School Safety published by the Department of Education and Justice found that “violent deaths at school are extremely rare. In 1998-99, 34 violent deaths were reported, compared to a high of 49 deaths reported in 1995-96. These numbers are significant in underscoring that schools are a safe place for nearly all children and that safety, while a concern, should not be the top priority of school administrators. In recent years, especially after the Columbine incident, many schools have increased their security to resemble that of a prison. These high measures, while their intentions may be good, can make learning a second priority and have other negative effects on students that administrators often forget. Fear of lawsuits and loss of funds may fuel these extreme measures, but that doesn't mean they're always the best solution. In the mid-1990s the Dallas, Texas, school system opened a new $41 million high school. The school had 37 surveillance cameras, six metal detectors, anti-intrusion gates, walkways over the cafeteria and perimeter lighting around the entire 70-acre campus. While every school system is unique and what is right for one may not be right for another, this example is ridiculous. Tom Latham, a recently retired law enforcement officer in Garland Texas, said, "A 10-foot fence is absolutely ridiculous. ... Students need to know they're in a safe place, and this doesn't tell them that." The goal of school safety should not be to turn it into a fortress. As Dr. Gordon Crews and Jeffrey Tipton point out in their article A Comparison of Public School and Prison Security Measures: Too Much of a Good Thing?, there are many similarities between schools with overbearing security and prison. These similarities include metal detectors, identification badges, uniform or dress standards, use of two-way radios, correctional officer resources, locked perimeter doors, and controlled movement. An overly controlled environment could negatively affect individual creativity and intellectual development as students are forced to conform to new rules and regulations regarding school safety practices. According to Dr. Crews, these new measures “come at the cost of sacrificing the overall experience of being a student and the outcomes achieved in the school environment. According to him, another effect of increased security could be the distrust that students develop towards the school administration. If students see that they are surrounded by high security measures they may think that they should worry or that administrators should not tell them something. Instead, mistrust will inhibit promoting open communication between the administration and the student body. Students may worrymore about their safety than their academic performance, which of course is the main reason they are actually in school. There are many ways schools can remain safe without making students feel like they are serving a life sentence. These more subtle tactics include integrating safety into environmental design, limiting public school use, creating crisis plans, using officials and communicators, cameras, and photo ID cards. The design of a school can greatly influence the overall safety of the environment. Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) helps schools choose building layouts and features that promote desired behavior. It does things like limit the number of entrances to buildings, establish boundaries between the school and related properties and make sure administrative offices have a clear view of the main entrance, parking lots and play areas. This is something that should be done in every school's future planning to help prevent violence and crime in schools. Schools are often the center of communities and often organize after-school activities that may not be school-related. Without completely restricting access to schools out of hours, there are things that can be done to ensure that certain areas remain out of access, thus decreasing the chances of vandalism, theft or anything else that could compromise the safety of the school environment. One thing that can be done is to limit out-of-hours access to a small area of ​​the school. For example, if there is a basketball league that uses the school gym on the weekend, school officials should ensure that unused hallways are closed. New schools should be based on designs where potential public areas have a separate entrance so that the rest of the building can be closed off. Another subtle but sure safety measure is the creation and use of crisis plans. If problems occur in schools, administrators should know how to respond. Instead of making major decisions in a scenario of chaos, officials should have comprehensive crisis plans in place in anticipation of problems. These crisis plans should outline what will happen if something goes wrong. Schools should regularly conduct crisis training and practical exercises. They would have to address potential problems such as fires, school shootings or terrorist activity. Resource officers or security guards are another way to keep schools safe. “A 2001 survey of school resource officers by the National Association of School Resource Officers found that 92 percent of officers reported preventing one to 25 acts of violence per school year, and 94 percent said they students had been notified in advance of any violent incidents that were expected to occur.” These resource officers do not have to be sworn, uniformed municipal police officers. To make security seem smoother, these security guards may wear casual clothing. Of course, more than one would be needed to be able to monitor the entire school. At the time of the Columbine shooting, they only had one security guard. These security guards, and even school administrators, could also be equipped with communicators, such as two-way radios, to further help connect all areas of the school. If there is more funding available for a school's security system, CCTV is a cost-effective way, 2012.