Violence is a problem all over the world, and it can make students feel insecure when violence happens in the place where they are supposed to feel safe, the place where they spend almost 40 or more hours per week.
It is generally accepted that schools should be safe places for learning, and district personnel, including teachers and administration, routinely consider how to create a safer environment for students and staff.
Having a secure, safe educational environment that provides emotional and physical safety in school directly impacts learning, according to the National Center on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, a federally funded organization that offers information and technical assistance to states, districts, schools, institutions of higher education, and communities focused on improving school climate and conditions for learning.
Even with support in place, not all violence can be prevented. Some students have witnessed at least one fight in their time at East. Physical and emotional harassment can negatively impact students, potentially leading to attendance and academic problems, according to the NCSSLE.
“We want students to be aware of their surroundings but hope that measures we take as a school make them feel safe,” Dean Taylor Schultz said.
Violence in school often involves various roles for students, whether they are considered bystanders, perpetrators, or victims, etc. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 1 in 5 high school students across the U.S. have reported being bullied on school property in the last year. Sometimes incidents turn into physical fights.
“I have witnessed fights at school on multiple occasions,” junior Carson Rollings said. “I think I see some form of violence in my school at least three times a week, rather it be physical, verbal, or anything in between really.”
Reports of school violence and fights are of concern and district administrators and teachers put in a lot of effort to ensure the safety of everyone at Bellevue East.
“We are always concerned about the safety of students and staff. We are aware of surrounding situations and are concerned and try to take extra precautions here,” Schultz said.
Some of the precautions East is taking to prevent violence in school and ensure safety among the school population are the cameras throughout the hallways and common areas. According to EdTech Magazine, having security cameras placed around the school prevents school violence. They can help to deter the perpetrator, and also help the administrators identify students involved in a situation because they are able to look back at the recordings and see a student’s face.
“[fights in school] can be prevented by being visible in classrooms and hallways and having an open door policy for students to feel safe to come and report any issues,” Schultz said.
The school is continuing to put in effort to make the student body feel safe. They also think it’s important for the students to make themselves feel safe by avoiding violence. Some students also believe its important to avoid school violence.
“It’s important to avoid school violence because we are here [at school] for a reason and that’s not to fight each other, and also when you get into the real world, you can’t resolve everything with fights,” Rollings said.
