Discusses why history and "thinking outside of the box" should encourage schools to acknowledge that they are potentially vulnerable targets of terrorism. Presents new safety and security issues raised by the threat of terrorism, including anthrax scares, cell phone use, and field trips. Describes "heightened security"…

Describes school and school district responsibilities to protect students from bullying. Includes duty to train, to remedy, to monitor, and to investigate. (PKP)

An article about play structure manufacturers includes a table which lists age range, guarantees, help available for planning installation, time needed for ordering, method of installation, and other information. Names, mailing addresses, and telephone numbers are included. (DG)

Describes the effects of Hurricane Hugo and the San Francisco earthquake on child care and child care centers and the responses of the centers to the disasters. Announces the openings of new child care centers and an expansion of Head Start.(RJC)

Although no school is immune from violence, a school can increase its resistance by identifying and seeking consensus about a safety problem, organizing a central committee, studying the problem, formulating a plan, conducting a safety audit, and training crisis response teams. Taking action to lessen staff's fears and vulnerability can improve…

Summarizes violence prevention programs and activities in five urban school systems. Chicago schools have hired their own security staffs, use cameras in hallways, and provide character education, peer mediation, and mentoring sessions. Buffalo and Memphis schools stress tight security measures and weapons confiscation. Baltimore schools and…

Cellular phones are becoming indispensable to school employees. There are three types: mobile, transportable, and hand-held, pocket-sized phones. Conversion from analog to digital technology has improved service and gained new customers. A Texas junior high school's new minicellular system allows teachers phone access to parents and has improved…

Discusses safety aspects of tree climbing and the use of sand in outdoor play areas at day care centers. Specifies ways to prune trees so that they are unclimbable and methods for maintaining sand areas. Includes a recipe for sand disinfectant. (MDM)

Through the Safe Schools project, initiated by the Education Development Center, Inc., and funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, two urban middle schools in the northeast became safer, more effective places of learning over three-year period. This article describes the process. (MLH)

The number of students killed or injured by gunfire while at schools is increasing. The National Rifle Association, the nation's powerful gun lobby, has a gun safety program; however, children's advocates say stricter gun-control laws are necessary. Briefly cites 24 gun incidents and describes 4 semiautomatic pistols that were among the firearms…

The National School Safety Center pegs the number of gun-toting U.S. students at 100,000. Unless metal detectors are employed as part of a carefully thought-out school safety plan, their use is likely to be ineffective, controversial, and a legal minefield. Random student searches are becoming common. A sidebar describes a Washington, D.C., junior…

Juvenile gang activity is not limited to low-income, inner-city youth. In February 1990, suburban Santa Rosa (California) junior high school curbed emergent gang-related activities on campus. Action plan depended on positive school climate emphasizing safety and security, early identification of gang members and possible recruits, intervention…

The 1990 Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act, designed to raise public awareness of college crime, is criticized for requiring institutions to gather large amounts of information that is used little by students or parents. Other criticisms focus on incompleteness of the data and potential for superficial and misleading comparisons. (MSE)

The rule of thumb for combating violence in school is to remove its antecedents whenever possible and train staff to handle aggressive behavior. School staff should be knowledgeable; join forces with community leaders, police, and parents; implement antigang curricula; treat each student respectfully; and make the school a safe haven. Sidebars…

Children are at high risk of exposure to dangerous chemicals because of their low weight, incompletely developed body defenses, rapidly growing body tissues, and small passages susceptible to inflammations and spasms. Five areas of concern involving school maintenance include art supplies, lead-based compounds, hazardous cleaning substances,…