Background: Schools should be safe spaces for students, teaching staff and non-teaching staff. For the concept of "safety" to be meaningful, it must be interpreted broadly to encompass well-being in its widest sense. A common challenge for schools and educational authorities is, therefore, to manage school safety appropriately not only…

By nearly all accounts, the staff and students at Sandy Hook Elementary School did everything right on Dec. 14--and with the security measures they took before that day--when a young man armed with powerful weapons blasted his way into the school. But the deadliest K-12 school shooting in American history, a day that President Barack Obama has…

Presents two cases of on-campus student injuries caused by other students; school administrators' responses to the cases can help them to evaluate their understanding of liability for school security. School safety is in a state of flux, and courts are reflecting a change in public perception of the duty that schools owe students. (MD)

Brief information is presented about life-threatening traumatic injuries (blunt trauma and penetrating injury) which may occur in the classroom and on how teachers can respond before medical help arrives. Suggestions include evaluating the student's responsiveness, checking breathing ability and circulation, and keeping the situation as calm as…

To obtain the best student accident insurance coverage for the least cost, programs offered by various companies should be compared on the bases of coverage limits for specific injuries, injuries not covered or only partially covered, whether students are overinsured or underinsured, and premium costs. (MLF)

Guidelines are offered here for school practitioners to follow in order to safeguard themselves against tort action, which can arise from student accidents occuring during school activities, on or off campus. (Author)

The fact that a teacher is not present when a child is injured does not automatically mean that the teacher will be held liable. Liability attaches if injury is due to a dangerous situation that could have been prevented if the teacher had been present in the classroom. Courts do not hold teachers liable for unforeseeable behavior of children. (MD)

Safety has not been stressed adequately in most school systems, leaving students and teachers in unnecessary danger and schools subject to lawsuits. Creation of an effective school safety program involves establishing a written safety policy, appointing an active safety committee, and conducting safety inspections. (PGD)

In 1998, an estimated 3.4 million uninsured children were of high school age. Among highly populated states, there were wide differences in the percentage of these uninsured children, ranging from 28 percent in Texas to 6 percent in Massachusetts. Ten states and the District of Columbia require high school students to have health insurance before…

Noting that 90 percent of serious playground injuries result from falls to hard surfaces, this paper reviews the advantages and disadvantages of various playground surfacing materials in terms of cost, climate, durability, aesthetics, and play value. Findings are based on the personal experience of the author, government documents, laboratory…

In the development of a school safety program, several steps are important: (1) a strong board of education policy statement; (2) the appointment of a qualified safety professional to implement and coordinate board policy; (3) an accident reporting system; (4) a school safety committee; and (5) a school safety handbook. (GC)

This article provides teachers with an overview on tort liability as it applies to their profession, especially in relation to student injuries. Such legal concepts as tort, negligence, and in loco parentis are discussed and guidelines are drawn from selected court cases. (SJL)

Discusses the goal of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the role of industrial arts teachers in helping students understand the importance of safety in industry. Four instructional approaches which industrial arts teachers may use to develop positive student attitudes toward safety are also described. (SH)

Describes an epidemiology of school injuries in Utah's public schools, analyzing 1990-97 school injury data from a standardized Student Injury Report form. Results find that 85 percent of the state's 44,565 school injuries were evaluated at a medical facility. High risk students were males and students in 4th-6th grades. Contributing factors…

Compares and contrasts two recent court cases concerning injuries to school children resulting from a lack of adult supervision. Although in Louisiana the courts awarded financial compensation to the family of the injured child, North Carolina courts dismissed the claims of a similar suit. (JBM)