Safe
Each student learns in an intellectually challenging environment that is physically and emotionally safe for students and adults.
Feeling safe at school translates into higher academic achievement, increased student well-being, and greater engagement, according to numerous studies. Children who don't feel safe can’t concentrate on their studies, don’t connect with their classmates, or don't go to school at all.
What We Know
Thirty-two percent of middle and high school students reported being bullied during the 2007 school year (Dinkes, Kemp, Baum, Snyder & National Center for Education Statistics, 2009).
Nearly six percent of high school students skip school at least once in a given month because they feel unsafe at school or en route (Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007).
About one-third of adolescent Internet users have been victims of cyberbullying, and one-fifth have been cyberbullies themselves (Lenhart, 2007; Patchin & Hinduja, 2006).
The percentage of students age 12–18 who reported that gangs were present at school during the previous six months increased from 20 percent to 24 percent across urban, rural, and suburban schools from 2001 to 2005 (Dinkes, Cataldi, Kena, Baum, & National Center for Education Statistics, 2006).
Students engaged in school-based social and emotional learning attained higher grades and scored 11 percentile points higher on academic achievement tests than their peers who did not engage in such learning (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, 2008).
What We Recommend
It makes sense that for students to learn at high levels, they must first feel safe and secure. Students who are fearful, bullied, distracted by fights and other disruptive behavior are unlikely to do well academically. To ensure that all students are safe, we recommend, at a minimum:
- Students, school staff, and family members establish and maintain behavioral expectations, rules, and routines
- Families are welcomed by school staff as partners in their children's education
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