Parenting Tips for How to Help Teens be Safer in School
Unfortunately, in recent years more violence has erupted in schools. It's more important than ever for children and teens to be aware of safety measures they can take to be safer during school hours. Teens can be at risk for danger just by getting off the school bus and walking onto school property. Some teens aren't vividly aware of what safety measures they should take. As a parent, you can play a vital role in making your teen more aware of how to be safer in school.
Open Communication with Teens
Open communication with teens is vital in helping the teens in your home and community to be safe at school. Talk to your teen about events happening in the schools. You will be surprised at how much your teen will tell you if you do not react with shock and rage. Most teens like to talk and when they have an open platform to do it, you can learn a lot. Listen calmly and ask how the teen handled various situations or what they feel about situations they have witnessed. Offer helpful suggestions that will help your teen be prepared.
Encourage Your Teen to Remain on Campus
Many situations can arise when teens leave campus during lunch and after-school hours, if this is something their school permits. Talk to your teen about your concern. Encourage your teen to remain on campus during lunch and after-school hours. This will help to reduce the exposure to bad situations where your teen can be unsafe during school hours.
Discuss Walking Away from an Argument
Just as adults get mad at one another, so do teens. The number of physical fights could be reduced if teens are encouraged to walk away from an argument. Walking away isn't a sign of weakness, but of strength. It can be a challenge as adult, and even more so as a teen, to walk away from an argument. Remind the teen that they are being the more mature person and will gain respect from their other friends by walking away from an argument before it escalates into a physical brawl.
Get Help in a Fight
Some teens have such tight bonds with their peers and friends they feel the need to step in the middle of a fight. They want to help their friend that is being ganged up on. They want to even the score of someone that hurts their friends. As adults, we know that stepping in the middle of any physical fight is dangerous. Encourage teens to protect and help their friends by going for help from the school staff if a physical fight should erupt during the school day. Let teens know they will be helping the friend and not telling on them. The majority of school fights will be broken up by school staff. Your teen is just speeding up the process and possibly preventing severe injuries to the parties involved.
Talk to the School Counselor Privately
The majority of high schools have a system where students can make arrangements to meet with the school counselor. Encourage your teen to talk to the school counselor if they hear rumors of a student carrying weapons, drinking alcohol or smoking on campus. If students are talking about someone that is threatening to start a fight or use a weapon, encourage your teen to talk to the school counselor. Sometimes the threats are just that, but due to dire events that have taken place on various school campuses, the threats can be followed out.
The counselor is there to intervene and get the appropriate help that is needed for the situation. The conversation should be held in confidence so your teen's identity isn't exposed.
If the teen is not comfortable talking to the counselor, step up as a parent and call the school. This is particularly important if the teen actually sees a weapon on campus such as a gun or knife. The schools have a protocol set up to handle these types of situations and being an active parent can help to protect and ensure safety of teens in the school.
Being an involved parent and staying on top on things before they get out of hand can help ensure your teen's safety. Providing a comfortable atmosphere where your teen can talk openly to you, can make a great deal of difference!
Written by Kate
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