School Violence Prevention Check List
What to Look For
Many of us are wondering what we can do as parents, educators,
and students to ensure school safety in the wake of the Columbine
High School shooting. The first step is to know what questions to
ask about safety at your school. Here is a school violence
prevention checklist from the Department of Education.
What To Look For — Key Characteristics of
Responsive & Safe Schools
Does my school have characteristics that:
___ Are responsive to all children?
What To Look For — Early Warning Signs of Violence
Has my school taken steps to ensure that all staff,
students, & families:
___ Understand the principles underlying the
identification of early warning signs?
___ Know how to identify & respond to imminent
warning signs?
___ Are able to identify early warning signs?
What To Do — Intervention: Getting Help for Troubled
Children
Does my school:
___ Understand the principles underlying intervention?
___ Make early intervention available for students at risk
of behavioral problems?
___ Provide individualized, intensive interventions for
students with severe behavioral problems?
___ Have schoolwide preventive strategies in place that
support early intervention?
What To Do — Crisis Response
Does my school:
___ Understand the principles underlying crisis response?
___ Have a procedure for intervening during a crisis to
ensure safety?
___ Know how to respond in the aftermath of tragedy?
– Author Unknown