School Safety - Are your children safe at school?

To contribute to an environment of nonviolence at your child's school, you can take steps to help your child approach problems in a nonviolent manner. Even if he is showing signs of acting aggressively, you can help curb these tendencies. Just as violence can be learned, so, too, can it be unlearned. This process begins even before a child enters school. You can do the following:

• Make your home a safe, secure place.
• Promote respect for people of different racial or ethnic groups. Model for your child your respect for people of diverse backgrounds, Find opportunities for him to interact with children from different backgrounds.
• Get to know your child's friends and steer him toward good role models.
• Observe how your child relates with other children and encourage considerate behavior.
• Discipline your child without using physical punishment.
• Make it clear, if necessary, that teasing or bullying other children is absolutely unacceptable.
• Review the school's code of conduct and let your child know you expect him to abide by it.
• Monitor your child's television watching and video game playing to limit his exposure to violence.
• Keep your child from seeing violence in your home or in your community.
• If you have a gun in your home, lock it away securely, and consider removing it.
• Solve

  Keeping Kids Safe By Kenneth Shore

  conflicts at home in a reasonable, nonconfrontational manner. This will model good problem-solving skills.
• Talk to your child about the consequences of violent behavior.