September 18, 2024

Ways to Improve School Safety

Prioritizing school safety ensures students have a positive environment in which to learn, grow, develop friendships and discover their talents and passions. It also allows faculty members to educate and nurture students in their journey to adulthood.

If you’re wondering how to make your school safer, consider using the four pillars of school security — physical safety, social and emotional well-being, cybersecurity and prevention.

How to Improve Safety With the Four Pillars of School Security

These four pillars will allow you to improve school safety holistically. Let’s take at the school safety ideas you can employ at your institution based on the four pillars of school security:

1. Physical Safety

The pillar of physical safety entails maintaining a secure school campus using tactics such as:

• Erecting a perimeter fence around the campus.
• Putting up a gate and keeping it locked when classes are in session and in the evening.
• Hiring security personnel to stand guard.
• Setting up 24/7 video surveillance cameras indoors and outdoors.
• Implementing access control measures like designated parking and student drop-off zones.
• Separating student and visitor parking lots.
• Installing films to exterior windows and doors.
• Developing a visitor management system where visitors sign in at a security desk and receive an identification badge.
• Installing automatic and programmable lighting to illuminate the school’s exterior at night during after-school activities.
• Maintaining one entrance for students, visitors and staff members.
• Engaging the local community and police in your school safety programs.

2. Social and Emotional Well-Being

The social and emotional well-being pillar seeks to create a warm and inviting environment where students and faculty feel safe. It entails mitigating mental health stressors using programs that encourage resilience and intervening early when staff detect an issue to regulate behavior. To get the best results, incorporate social and emotional learning (SEL) into the curriculum.

Here are examples of SEL-based security school safety ideas:

• Clubs: Develop clubs to help students connect with like-minded peers, participate in activities they enjoy and build friendships. You can also encourage students to propose club ideas so that everyone can find a group that suits their passions and talents. Clubs and sports activities like swimming, gymnastics and basketball can run after school.
• Group work: Ask teachers to incorporate group work tasks and bonding activities in classrooms to create positive relationships.
• School programs: Creating school-wide programs to mitigate unique safety issues. For example, you can launch an initiative encouraging students and staff to report bullying. This establishes support services and encourages students to come forward when they need help.
• Counseling: Start a counseling program for at-risk students who have experienced trauma or hurt others or themselves. The program can also provide conflict resolution and encourage kindness.

3. Prevention

The prevention pillar involves preparing staff members and students for risky situations. The security measures you can take to stay ahead of threats include:

• Performing fire, lockdown and disaster practice drill procedures.
• Ensuring a reliable alarm system is in place to alert students and staff when they’re at risk.
• Creating a session for teachers to learn to identify concerning signs in students and resolve violent situations.
• Asking parents to communicate any concerns and suspicions with the school.
• Encouraging students to report security threats and helping them distinguish reporting from snitching.
• Creating a safety resource for each classroom with information on how to act during a crisis or emergency.
• Updating safety policies often.
• Examining safety equipment regularly to ensure it’s working correctly.

4. Cybersecurity

Protecting student and staff data is essential to keeping everyone safe. So, consider engaging an IT expert to secure the school network and all personal data. They can also run a cybersecurity risk assessment to identify vulnerabilities and continuously monitor the school network for threats.

Other cybersecurity measures you can take include:

• Creating a response plan on what to do before, during, and after a cyberthreat.
• Teaching staff how to create strong passwords and recognize phishing attempts.
• Ensuring all school software stays up to date.

Contact Vigilant Tiger Security for Effective School Safety Solutions

If you’re looking for school security solutions to improve safety, consider Vigilant Tiger Security. We provide effective guard security services to educational institutions, giving you, your students and staff peace of mind.

Our security officers are more than just guards — they play the role of law educators, enforcers and counselors. They have the skills and experience to protect your students and staff in any situation.

Contact us online to schedule a consultation with a security specialist.