School Emergency Plans & School Violence

Purpose

The purpose of this module is to provide you with an overview of issues related to school violence, mental health, and school emergency plans.

Retrieved from: TOT 1: School Emergency Plans and School Violence (2019)

General Discussion Post:

What safety/emergency drills do you remember participating in? How many of you were involved in school shooter drills? Bomb threat drills? What does it suggest about the potential for school violence that such drills even exist? Consider the number of events in relation to hundreds and thousands of schools. What is the real potential for one of these events? In the long rung what could be the effect of these sorts of drills? How do schools balance safety with fear?

When I was going through school, I can remember participating in a number of drills. I attended a Catholic school (St. Isaac Jogues) in a predominantly White, middle to upper-class community. I remember being corralled out of the school during fire drills and sitting in the hallways for tornado drills. I do not remember doing lockdown drills in grade school, but I do remember we did them once a year in my high school (Hinsdale Central). My sophomore year at Central, there was a bomb threat written on a bathroom stall, so the administration made class optional that day and my mom let my brother stay home. I don’t remember ever having a bomb drill or even tornado drills in high school. We had fire drills (or pulled fire alarms) and maybe a couple of lockdown drills in our “homeroom” class that we only had once each quarter. Until recently, Hinsdale Central and St. Isaac Jogues did not have any gun safe building structures or gun safety training for their students. When I graduated in 2012, however, gun violence in the school was limited to the Columbine shooting in 1999. Since my graduation in 2012, both Hinsdale Central and SIJ have redone the front portions of their schools to promote a safe campus where all visitors must check-in, provide a photo ID, a reason for their visit, and they must check out once they leave the building. I think the fact that Hinsdale Central and SIJ in such a safe community says a lot about the amount of violence that is occurring throughout our nation’s schools. It is not necessarily the number of shootings and bomb threats, but the randomness of them. There is no pattern, rhyme, or reason to which schools will be targeted or which kids are willing to go through with a planned attack, but they have been more prevalent in our society. The potential, again, I do not think is a high number, but it is a defense measure if a kid has been bullied or teased and they are willing to go through with an attack it saves the lives of so many children who are required by law to be in that building for a certain number of hours per day. The kids in schools are just sitting ducks. They are required to be in the building by the state for a known number of hours with a set schedule. It is not hard to injure a lot of people in a school, so it becomes an easy target. Because schools have such a target on their backs and the school shooting has become more common in recent years, I think having drills set in place are a good way to keep the crowds calm when a real crisis occurs. The body is instinctually designed to “fight or flight” when stress is placed upon it. By having drills and allowing the kids to prepare for the worst-case situation, they know where to go and what to do rather than having a bunch of kids running around not knowing what is going on. The students are usually the last group to be informed of anything within a school, so knowing a plan and a potential exit strategy is beneficial in my point of view. By allowing kids to have a structured plan, I think this is how the schools also balance safety with fear. The threat is already upon the school system, but ensure safety hopefully decreases the fear the kids might feel when a real situation occurs.

School Violence

School violence is a broad way to classify overt aggressive behaviors (i.e. physical fights, assault, arson, shootings, stabbings) that occur on school property, on the way to or from school or a school-sponsored event, or during a school-sponsored event (Furlong et al., 2010). School violence also pertains to more covert behaviors that compromise school safety and insight fear such as threats of physical harm, having possession of a weapon, and harassment. School violence is strongly associated with the crime statistics for the surrounding neighborhood, proximity to gang activity, and by the size of the school (Social Work Speaks, n.d.).

Some additional data related to the prevalence or perceived prevalence of school violence include:

74% of public schools reported one or more violent or serious violent incidents on campus during the 2009-2010 school year (NCES, 2011).
6% of students (ages 12-19) reported being scared that they might experience violence at school (Dwight et al., 2011).
5.9% of students admitted to carrying a gun or a weapon to school at least once during the 2009-2010 academic year (NCES, 2011). This number increased to 6.9% according to a CDC (2015) report.
8.1% of students (grades 8-12) reported being in a physical fight at school (CDC, 2015).
7.1% of students (grades 8-12) reported that they missed at least one day of school because they felt unsafe or worried what might happen to them at school or on their way to/from school (CDC, 2015).

Retrieved from: TOT 1: School Emergency Plans and School Violence (2019)

Violence & Mental Health

Exposure to school violence can have a profound and lasting impact on a student’s mental health and learning. Terr (2003) and statements by the APA note that experiencing childhood trauma at school can commonly manifest in the form of anxiety disorders (i.e. Acute Stress Disorder, PTSD, Panic Disorders, and phobias), with PTSD being the most commonly seen for 3-15% of female students and 1-6% of male students. Additional mental health issues include: sleep disorders, substance use disorders, and depression (Howen, 2004, Terr, 2003;).

It is important to note that the psychological symptoms in children can present in a variety of ways based on the student’s age and developmental stage. Preschool children and those in early elementary grades are more likely to exhibit clinginess, separation issues, sleep problems, irritability, incontinence, aggressive and hyperactive behaviors (Novis, 2005). Older children tend to report more physical symptoms (upset stomach, headache) and present with distractibility, difficulty in maintaining attention and focus, a decline in school/academic performance (Novis, 2005). Lastly, Novis (2005), found that adolescents and young adults often turn to alcohol, drugs, or other potentially high-risk or harmful behaviors (i.e. suicide) as a means of coping with exposure to violence. It is important to note that all of these mental health problems pose a risk to academic performance, the teaching-learning process, and school behavior.

Retrieved from: TOT 1: School Emergency Plans and School Violence (2019)

Group Discussion Post:

After you have listened go to your group discussion board and post your thoughts in the Forum titled Harper High School. What is important to understand about what these children are dealing with every day? How might occupational therapy contribute to the mental health team at Harper High School?

After listening to this podcast, I was astonished. I found this high school to be one of the most interesting places I have ever learned about. The number of students shot and the lack of care in the media is such an eye-opening realization in today’s society. I think it is so important to understand where these children are coming from and understanding why they have to deal with certain things every day. I shadowed at Curtis Elementary School back in high school (which is not far from Harper High school in Englewood) and I was amazed at how strong some of these children were. One girl came to school 2 hours late and when the teachers asked where she was she just responded “sorry we had to sleep in our car last night and my mom had to park really far away and then our car wouldn’t start because it was so cold.” My jaw hit the floor. This girl was in first grade. By understanding the stressors these children go through, I think it can help clarify why some people are suffering from mental health issues. I this specific case, when they talk about how people are assigned to gangs based on geographic locations, even if they don’t want to be in a gang, I couldn’t imagine how stressful and scary that must be. It then affects your school work, your friendships, family ties, and potentially can land you in jail for crimes you may not have wanted to commit. I think OT can be helpful in a school like this by providing things that the students like to do that are not gang related. Helping the student find other areas of the city to hang out in when they are not in school or other activities that might help their futures. OTs can provide strategies and skills for success in school and promote helpful life skills to benefit the kids in the long run. I think OT is so important in an area like this to potentially decrease the gang activity by helping student find new hobbies and IADLs, play, and leisure activities that give these kids meaning in their lives.

Preventing Violence

The good news is that most school violence is preventable. According to the CDC (2014) and MMWR (2007), universal, school-based (that’s right….TIER 1 strategies) efforts that address prosocial behavior, emotional self-awareness, positive mental health, conflict resolution, and teamwork can significantly lower rates of aggression and violent behavior in schools. Schools have begun to understand the importance of supporting efforts that seek primarily to promote a positive school climate, support school-wide PBIS and alter the conditions that might unintentionally foster violent acts (Raver, 2012). Additionally, research suggests that having a comprehensive school Emergency Operations Plan (school EOP) can stop an emergency from occurring or reduce the impact of the incident. As we seek to expand our roles in schools, it is important for OT practitioners to assume a role on multidisciplinary crisis teams and provide support in developing high-quality school Emergency Operations Plans.

To help you consider how an OT practitioner could have a role in the development of a school's comprehensive school EOP and Violence Prevention Plans, I have included two key documents for your review in the Readings and Resources folder:

AOTA's Specialized Knowledge and Skills in Mental Health Promotion, Prevention, and Intervention in Occupational Therapy Practice (2010)
FEMA's (2013) Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans

Before the multiple school shootings in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many schools had yet to address violence prevention and were, as Klein described, “somewhat complacent about violence prevention.” Until then, most schools had disaster and emergency plans that only covered fire drills, school bus evacuations and other natural disasters (tornadoes, hurricane). Practicing for active shooter incidents on campus is becoming more common and is a critical component of high quality school EOPs. Please watch the following video to see how one school is approach this issue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRHcbJ9DHEg. (If the hyperlink does not work, cut and paste the link into your browser).

** It is important to keep these events in perspective. Even during 2012, the year of the most shootings in recent history, the chances of an event at any one school remained extremely low. According to Wachtel, the odds that a school shooting will occur in a school in 2013 can be approximated by taking the average number of school shootings per year and compare it to the number of schools in the US, you get 2.46 to 132,656.

Reducing that down reveals the following statistic: The chances of any particular K-12 school in the United States experiencing a shooting incident in any given year is approximately 1 in 53,925. The chances of a school shooting taking place in a US high school in any given year: 1 in 21,000. The chances of a school shooting taking place in a US elementary or middle school in any given year: 1 in 141,463.

This is only an approximation but you get the idea. For comparison sake your chances of dying in a car accident is about 1 to 7700 cars. This does not mean that schools shouldn’t have a plan but the approach should be considered very carefully. School drills can cause trauma for some kids, and the chances of a child experiencing other forms of violence on campus are much higher than the potential for shooting.

Retrieved from: TOT 1: School Emergency Plans and School Violence (2019)

General Discussion Post:

The following Ted Talk addresses one principal's fearless approach to "fixing" a school that had been on the persistently dangerous and poor performing list. Listen to Linda Cliatt-Wayman's story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe2nlti47kA. (If the hyperlink does not work, cut and paste the link into your browser). After you listen, think about everything that you have learned in this course. Consider all the different topics that have been addressed over the quarter. Then, answer the following question(s):

"So what? Now what? What are you going to do about school mental health? " Place your answers in the Discussion Board Form titled “So what? Now What? By replying to the introduction discussion thread. Feel free to also share your thoughts on the Ted Talk.

After learning everything we have learned this quarter in TOT, I have learned so much I did not know or realize the schools dealt with regarding mental health. I found this quarter to be a great baseline understanding of many important topics. Bullying, illegal immigrants, and the school violence were the most interesting topics for me. I learned so much and was so engaged in those modules. For the next steps or “so what? What now?” I think the next steps are important to help continue to improve the deceivingly never-ending epidemic of mental health in children. Like I have mention in my previous screening module, I think the next steps for the schools are to aim to decrease the stigma of mental health. I think screenings are not as beneficial when children are singled out and chosen to seek counseling due to behavior or performance issues in school. I think kids have so much going on and so many built up emotions that screening all children can decrease the stigma and secrecy that encompasses mental health. I think kids need to have routine check-ups and allow them to build relationships with their guidance counselors or psychologists throughout their many years in school that they will become comfortable enough to talk about any and all issues they might be dealing with at home or in school. I feel like a lot of times, students that have issues at home bring those issues with them school. If they do have issues at home, I feel like those students cannot discuss it with their parents and keep it inside allowing them to build up anger, which can affect their school performance or allow them to partake in violence or other poor behaviors.

After learning about Linda Cliatt-Wayman's story, I think this is an important step that can be beneficial to help clear up the miscommunications or misunderstandings within the school systems. The fact that Linda felt the exact same way about her school as a child as Ashley did a decade later, to me, makes me think about how and why nothing has changes. I think Linda thought the same thing, which is why she took the initiative to change. Had there been a system in place to promote a safe environment for all children to be required to speak to someone about their feelings, I wonder if things might have changed years ago. Think about all of the kids that graduated who didn’t have Linda supporting them every step of the way. I think kids need that level of understanding and the adult to truly listen to them. By adding screening and mandatory meetings with a licensed professional, I think a lot of issues can change within the schools and hopefully help our children in the long run.

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