Every year schools and educational organizations come up with a list of school back to school safety tips to help students re-adjust to another year in class. While most safety tips are common sense, introducing new technology and electronic devices has brought about the need for a few new tips. Health concerns, safety precautions and effective ways to handle themselves during conflict should all be re-introduced and emphasized so that students have the tools they need to be successful in an educational environment.
Preparing for a New Year
Students who are entering a new school or graduating from elementary school to middle or middle to high school have some adjustments to make. The first year in a new school can be a rite of passage in some aspects. Older upper-level students may try to intimidate or bully younger students as part of an “initiation” process. How the younger students react will determine how they are treated for the rest of the year.
Students can prove themselves in several ways and avoid confrontation and conflict by following a few safety tips:
- Friends stick together
- Walk to and from classes with friends
- Be self-confident
- Be true to oneself; students must not let others define who they are
- Remember to respect others for who they are
- Always be aware of their surroundings
- Never do what another student says unless it has been verified by a teacher or faculty member
- Obey school policies
- Help other students who are in distress
Students who have been taught to be observant of their surroundings and mindful of what is happening around them are less likely to be picked on or harassed by other students. Obeying school policies and helping to be a part of the solution to bullying will prevent the problem from getting out of control.
Entering high school can create an entirely new set of issues for a young adolescent. Not only are they entering puberty and dealing with dramatic physical changes, but their emotional state is also on a roller coaster. They are beginning to grow into a whole new person, complete with new physical features and emotions that, at times, can be difficult to understand. It becomes a growing process. Part of that process is remaining true to the things that are important to them. Peer pressure can make a teen do things they may have otherwise avoided.
Remembering to think before they act can be difficult, especially when other students are close by and demanding an immediate response. Learning to stand up for themselves can be difficult, but after the first time of having to stand up for themselves, it becomes much easier. Once other students realize they will stand their ground, they are much less likely to get picked on or teased.
Health-Related School Safety Tips
School safety tips to protect a student’s physical health are normally taught in elementary school and reinforced as they progress through the other grades. A student’s mental and physical health should be of primary concern throughout their academic career. Safety tips are available to help protect a student’s well-being and general health. Reinforcing them both in and out of school will help students stay focused on their education.
Safety tips for remaining physically healthy include:
- Wash often hands or use hand sanitizer
- Cuts or scrapes should be treated by the school nurse as soon as possible
- Never attempt any activity that can result in a physical injury
- Avoid physical altercations of any kind
- Report broken objects to a faculty member immediately
- Don’t run or act recklessly when going from class to class
- Obey traffic laws when walking to and from school
Staying physically healthy can be difficult when students are in an environment where they are constantly exposed to an abundance of germs and viruses. Common sense tips for practising good hygiene are the key to preventing the spread of illnesses in a school environment. Another important factor for remaining in good health is to avoid possible injuries.
Accidents will happen, but it’s always a good idea to be as careful as possible. Avoid running and roughhousing in school hallways or near stairs. In cases where a physical altercation is in progress between two students, let adults break it up. If students try to intercede, they may be injured or hurt worse than the two involved in the fight.
Tips for remaining emotionally balanced include:
- Have an effective support system
- Students should be taught to embrace the qualities that make them unique
- Realize that no one is perfect
- Students should accept themselves for who and what they are
- Students should be taught to appreciate the differences in others
Emotional stability can be difficult to achieve as a teenager. Accepting each other for who they are is important to making new friends and connecting with others with different beliefs and lifestyles. Bullies often thrive on finding a person who doesn’t fit into any one category and then systematically harassing them until they are easily manipulated into what the bully wants them to be.
Parents and teachers who constantly strive to lift their students can help to smooth out the rough edges of growing up through the teenage years. Allowing students to work through the problems they face and helping them to make necessary adjustments will enable them to grow into emotionally balanced and productive adults.
Dealing With Bullies
Dealing with bullies is never an easy thing for students of any age. Remaining safe and keeping a good head on their shoulders can be difficult if a bully constantly tries to wear them down or make them feel bad about themselves. Understanding how to effectively handle a situation when one is being bullied takes common sense and the ability to overcome obstacles.
A few safety tips that can help a student when confronted by a bully include:
- Never confront a bully alone.
- If a bully threatens a student with violence, tell a teacher or person of authority immediately.
- Never accept an invitation to fight.
- If a bully tries to get a student to do something dangerous, the student should walk away and report the incident to a teacher.
- If a student is being bullied regularly, they should always try to travel with a friend.
- Maintain a safe distance from individuals that are known to cause fights or instigate physical confrontations
- Students should always ensure an adult knows where they are going and when they will be arriving.
- Never talk to strangers while on the internet.
- Never give strangers an email address or any other type of contact information.
Cyberbullying and bullying in schools are reported much more often than just a few years ago. Parents should closely monitor their student’s internet activities and closely watch who their children are friends with. Make sure to know who their friends are and where they live. Parents should attempt to meet at least the parents of the children their kids spend time with. Bullying takes many forms, and ensuring students are prepared for whatever comes at them is an important part of protecting them as they enter high school.
Common Sense Ways to Stay Safe at School
Staying safe at school takes a limited amount of skill. It takes common sense and knowing the difference between right and wrong. Simple school safety tips taught when a person first enters kindergarten will carry them through the next 12 years without fail if they remember to think smart and take extra care not to take risks that could result in physical injury.
- Walk, don’t run through halls
- Never pick a fight with anyone who is bigger and has more physical strength
- Don’t judge other students on their appearance or by the clothes they wear
- Students should remember to treat others the way they want to be treated
- Respect is earned, do something today to earn the respect of other students and faculty members
- Respect other people’s property
- Be honest
- Be accountable for their actions
- Take responsibility
- Give credit where it is due
- Never underestimate the power of a smile
Being safe at school means keeping one’s wits about them and facing challenges with grace and style. Sometimes things happen that are out of a student’s control. Knowing when to stand up and be accountable is part of the learning process. What growing up is all about is taking on new responsibilities and being the best possible person.
