School safety tips for kids (and parents, too)

Misty Lovell, PCPNP

Pediatrics

Each day during the school year, millions of children head out to spend morning through afternoon in classrooms full of other students, teachers, admin staff and more. It’s understandable that parents worry, especially when it feels like danger lurks around every corner.

How can parents help their kids stay safe? Certified pediatric nurse practitioner Misty Lovell, PCPNP, offered school safety tips that can help children and parents feel more secure at school.

Keep contact info up-to-date and keep communication open

“When it comes to school safety tips, one of the most important is to make sure all contact information is correct,” said Lovell. “Not just basic emergency contact info such as phone number or address, but also any backup contacts in case you can’t respond right away. Double-check on who is allowed to pick up your child from school and take a look at any listed allergies or medical information to make sure it’s accurate in case of an emergency.”

Lovell also advised parents to keep speaking openly and honestly with their school-aged children. Talk to them every day and let them know they can come to you for any reason, such as another person making them feel unsafe through words or if someone has tried to touch their body without permission.

“Remind your child, especially if they’re going into school for the first time, that bodies are private,” said Lovell. “No one should ever try to look under their clothing or show them something beneath their own clothes. No one should try to show them pictures or videos that aren’t appropriate.”

The more your child trusts that they can come to you with these worries, the more likely it is that you will hear about it early and be able to take action.

Model personal safety habits and behavior

“Memorizing their own address, phone number and vital information could come in handy during uncertain situations,” said Lovell. “We also suggest that you speak with your child about which adults at the school they could speak to if needed.”

Lovell advised spending time working with your child on things like using crosswalks, locking doors and keeping up awareness of their surroundings. If you follow safety rules, your child is more likely to consistently follow them, too.

After all, rules around safety are important and designed to keep us from harm.

What standard rules are schools using to keep kids safe?

“Every school may have slightly different reasons for the rules they follow or have a slightly different list of important security practices,” said Lovell. “For most, things like locking the doors, utilizing school resource officers, monitoring online content and security cameras are all standard.”

• Locking the door: All doors to schools and buildings remain locked throughout the school day. Parents or guests will usually be funneled through a specific entry where they need to check in and be approved before they can enter.
• Ignore the Door: Ignore the Door includes guidance for students and staff to ignore attempts by people outside to enter from anywhere other than the specific, approved entrance.
• Emergency plans: Every school has emergency plans to respond to a wide range of possible emergencies, including fire, bomb threats, severe storms and active shooters.
• School resource officers and law enforcement: Schools will often maintain a partnership with local law enforcement. While more common in middle and high schools, it’s also not uncommon for elementary schools to have a school resource officer, or SRO, assigned to the school for security.  
• Online monitoring: Schools often monitor content online that may be relevant to the school to detect potential threats and activate appropriate response protocols.
• Anonymous options for communication: Not every school maintains this, but the ability to report bullying, threats, harassment or abuse anonymously can be an effective tool to prevent violence.
• Security cameras: Security cameras mounted in high-traffic locations throughout the school, able to be accessed by individuals with specific credentials, help keep an eye out for trouble.

How to speak to your kids about school safety

“Sit with your child and ask them if they have any worries or confusion over the upcoming school year,” said Lovell. “Answer those questions honestly, but gently, and try to use age-appropriate terms. Especially for children aware of tragedies that have happened at schools elsewhere, they may want reassurance from their parent as to their own safety when the school year begins.”

Practicing for potential scenarios, and helping your child develop and practice appropriate responses, can help them feel better prepared in the event something happens. Model for them how to safely move away from the area if they witness a fight to find and inform an adult. Make sure they know that bystanders can also be injured, even if they themselves aren’t fighting.

Talk to your child about ‘tricky people’

“It’s also essential for your children to understand the reality of what we call ‘tricky people’,” said Lovell. “While many of us grew up being warned about ‘stranger danger,’ that term isn’t accurate for the risks children are most likely to face. Using the phrase ‘tricky people’ makes it clearer that they may be made unsafe by someone they know or are familiar with, not only strangers.”

A tricky person is anyone, stranger or someone they know, who tries to get them to break safety rules or do something that makes them feel confused, uncomfortable or unsafe. Your child needs to feel prepared for what steps to take if someone asks them to let them into the locked school, offers to give them a ride or asks them to keep a secret from their trusted adults like parents or caregivers.

Let your child know that while being polite is important, their safety is far more important than being nice. It’s 100% fine to say no or walk away, even to an adult.

How can parents talk about school safety without causing anxiety?

“Focus on empowering your child,” said Lovell. “One of the best ways to do that is to focus on what your child can do to stay safe and how adults are there to protect them, rather than on what there is to be afraid of.”

Children can become easily overwhelmed, so stick to details and essential information unless they ask for more. Reassure your child that being nervous or uncertain is normal, and that you’re there to help them feel supported.

“We really need to normalize safety conversations,” said Lovell. “Don’t make it a Big Scary Talk, but blend it into your regular conversations on setting goals for school, back-to-school planning or as part of a regular check-in on how they feel after fire, weather or lockdown drills or even news stories they may have heard about. The more common a topic of conversation is, the less nerve-wracking it will be. For your child, and for you, too.”