School Security

Security expert Kenneth S. Trump outlines school security issues and provides nuts-and-bolts strategies for preventing violence and preparing for crises. Includes author's companion website.

Police officers, armed security guards, surveillance cameras, and metal detectors are common features of the disturbing new landscape at many of today's high schools. You will also find new and harsher disciplinary practices: zero-tolerance policies, random searches with drug-sniffing dogs, and mandatory suspensions, expulsions, and arrests, despite the fact that school crime and violence have been decreasing in the US for the past two decades. While most educators, students, and parents accept these harsh policing and punishment strategies based on the assumption that they keep children safe, Aaron Kupchik argues that we need to think more carefully about how we protect and punish students. In Homeroom Security, Kupchik shows that these policies lead schools to prioritize the rules instead of students, so that students' real problems--often the very reasons for their misbehaviour--get ignored. Based on years of impressive field research, Kupchik demonstrates that the policies we have zealously adopted in schools across the country are the opposite of the strategies that are known to successfully reduce student misbehaviour and violence. As a result, contemporary school discipline is often unhelpful, and can be hurtful to students in ways likely to make schools more violent places. Furthermore, those students who are most at-risk of problems in schools and dropping out are the ones who are most affected by these counterproductive policies. Schools and students can and should be safe, and Homeroom Security offers real strategies for making them so.

School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program, Second Edition emphasizes a proactive rather than reactive approach to school security. Readers are introduced to basic loss prevention and safety concepts, including how to communicate safety information to students and staff, how to raise security awareness, and how to prepare for emergencies. The book discusses how to positively influence student behavior, lead staff training programs, and write sound security policies. This book isn't just for security professionals and will help educators and school administrators without formal security training effectively address school risk. As school safety challenges continue to evolve with new daily stories surrounding security lapses, lockdowns, or violent acts taking place, this thoroughly revised edition will help explain how to make educational institutions a safer place to learn. Includes new tabletop exercises for managing emergencies Contains coverage of the new risks commonly facing schools today, from access control to social media Presents updated school security resources Serves as a comprehensive guide for building an effective security program at little or no cost Covers fundamental CPTED concepts Addresses bullying, teen suicide, harassment, and dating violence Takes a holistic approach to school security rather than focusing on a particular threat or event

School security officers face tough challenges. They are charged with the responsibility of protecting children in the schools. In The School Security Officer: What Makes a Good One? author James Puckett shares the common challenges you can expect daily on the job and how to deal with them. He will teach you how to improve your relationship with students, administrators, parents, teachers, and faculty. From personal experience gained during eight years as a high school security officer, Puckett goes inside the school and shows firsthand what it's like to work as a school security officer. He focuses not only on the duties and responsibilities of a school security officer but also on what it takes for a school security officer to carry out those duties and responsibilities effectively, including the qualities, traits, and characteristics that many other professions and jobs don't require. Whether you're a young school security officer just starting on the job, or a seasoned one who has been on the job for several years, The School Security Officer: What Makes a Good One? communicates how you can best carry out your duties and responsibilities. It can help you become a good school security officer on your way to becoming a better one.

Lessons in Danger, the result of a joint OECD-US Department of Education collaboration, provides valuable insight into how school safety and security, particularly in emergency situations, are addressed in over 14 countries.

School security is one of the most pressing public concerns today. Yet in most schools, there is little security expertise or detailed knowledge about how to implement and manage a security program. The Handbook for School Safety and Security rectifies this problem by providing the salient information school administrators and security professionals need to address the most important security issues schools face. Made up of contributions from leading experts in school security, The Handbook for School Safety and Security provides a wealth of practical information for securing any K-12 school. It discusses key approaches and best practices for school crime prevention, including such topics as crisis management and mass notification. It also covers the physical measure needed for protecting a school, including detailed discussions of access control, lighting, alarms, and locks. While there is no single fix for the myriad of security challenges facing today’s school security professionals, the best practices found in The Handbook for School Safety and Security will help increase the safety and security of any school. Brings together the collective experience of industry-leading subject matter specialists into one resource. Covers all the key areas needed for developing and implementing a school security program. Includes a list of 100 things to know when developing a school security program.