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Simple practices for parents to help improve school security

by Paul Kazlauskas

School security - how parents can help

Parental involvement is critical when it comes to creating safer schools. You are the bridge between your child’s school life and home life and you should feel empowered to promote and advocate for school security. Schools will implement the physical security measures and develop the procedures for what to do in various kinds of emergencies. They will perform drills with staff and students to train them on how to act in certain situations. However, parents serve an important role of reinforcing what the child learns at school about safety and security. Here is a list of simple practices you can do to help improve your child’s school security.

Learn the emergency procedures of your child’s school. It is the school’s responsibility to inform parents of emergency protocol and procedures. These plans, along with critical phone numbers, are usually included in student handbooks, start of the year “welcome” emails, and/or posted in the classrooms themselves. Parents should take a few minutes to get familiar with these school security procedures. Teachers will go over these emergency procedures with the students, but reinforcement from a parent will help the child remember.

Follow visitor sign-in procedures when visiting the school. Sometimes parents don’t feel like they should have to follow a school’s visitor management policies. Some identify themselves as a “parent”, not a “visitor”. Others simply feel that by having a child in the school system, they shouldn’t have to be forced to sign in and be badged while on the school grounds. School security measures, such as the use of a visitor management system, are for everyone to follow. Doing so as a parent sets a good example that school rules should be followed by everyone, even mom and dad. If your child feels a rule is wrong, explain how the rule can increase school security and help keep everyone in it safe.

Familiarize yourself with multiple travels routes to and from school. During a time of an emergency, there may be a need for local law enforcement to block certain roads, depending on what is occurring. It is a best practice to know multiple ways to go to the school just in case the usual route is blocked. If this isn’t thought about beforehand, you may lose precious time figuring out an alternative way to get to school during a time of crisis. Clear thinking is hard to come by during an emergency, especially if you are distracted with worrying about your child’s safety.

Communicate with school staff about any concerns for your child’s well-being. There are a lot of circumstances that affect a child’s well-being. Perhaps they have a physical disability or a food allergy. Perhaps they are upset because their parents are having issues at home. The child could also have been subject to bullying. Whatever the concern, it is a best practice to keep your child’s principal and teachers aware of what is potentially adding stress to your child’s life.

Talk with your child about safety. It is imperative as a parent to never assume your child “knows the basics” about safety and security. Kids absorb a lot of information on this topic, but sometimes that information is from inaccurate sources. Allow your child to get the correct information from you. Be honest. School violence is a serious issue, but more damage can be done by minimizing or exaggerating the facts. Explain what to do if your child doesn’t feel safe. In a time of emergency, make sure they know how to get in contact with you or another loved one. Build a trusting relationship with your child so they feel comfortable discussing their feelings with you. They may see something strange or potentially dangerous and need to feel confident enough to say something to you about it.

What other ways can parents help with school security measures? Please add your ideas to the comments section below. Want the latest, best security practices delivered straight to your inbox? Enter your email address in the "Subscribe" area (on the left side navigation).

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