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School Violence can and may happen anywhere, at any time! |
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| The reality
is that some school violence incidence cannot be prevented. But there
are steps which can and should be taken to reduce the risks, and to
prepare to minimize losses should they unfortunately occur. Many of
the risk reduction measures require fewer costs than most board members
and administrators perceive. Several bills have been introduced in
Congress dealing with "hotlines" relating to school safety.
(See the attached addendum) Since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, many states have passed legislation and funded programs at thwarting school violence: Maryland-Prince George's County established an anonymous, toll-free hotline for school children to report delinquency in school and community. Indiana trained nearly 500 educators and police as school safety specialists. One of the top priorities is to get students to share information about about drug use and potentially violent situations. (Caller anonymity has proven to be effective with all types of crime related hotlines.) Georgia established a state sponsored toll free number manned 24 hours a day. Recently a prominent commission of law enforcement experts in Colorado issued a list of 10 recommendations was to have the School Liaison Officer work with educators to end the "code of silence" prevails in student culture. Schools should set up anonymous tip lines for students to report threats or rumors of violence. ENROLLING in UTIP is a significant step your school can take to reduce the potential threat of crime. UTIP is a program that can help provide a safe and secure school environment, conductive to learning with the cooperation of students, parents, teachers, school administrators and the community. ADDENDUM: SCHOOL SAFETY HOTLINE ACT of 2001 (HR 899 IH) Sec. 2 Findings / The Congress finds: 6. "tools should be created for, and provided to, students, teachers and administrators across the country so that they have the ability to provide the information necessary to law enforcement authorities to take action before other tragedies occur: and 7. school safety hotlines allow students, parents, and school personnel the opportunity to report threats of school violence to law enforcement authorities, thus reducing incidents of youth violence." Sec. 3 Amendment: 3. ..... (P) programs related to the established and maintenance of a school violence hotline, based on a public-private partnership, that students and parents can use to report suspicious, violent, or threatening behavior to school and law enforcement authorities;" SCHOOL ANTI-VIOLENCE EMPOWERMENT ACT (HR 1812 IH) The Secretary of Education is authorized to provide grants to local educational agencies to establish or enhance crisis intervention programs, including the hiring of school counselors and to enhance school safety programs for students, staff, and school facilities. SCHOOL SAFETY FUND ACT OF 2001 (S 747 IS) Sec. 6. Authorized Activities " A local educational agency may use grant funds provided under this Act--- (1) to establish hotlines or tiplines for the reporting of potentially dangerous students and situations" |
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1-866-261-UTIP (8847)
