Cyberbullying

This image shows someone on a computer
educating themselves on cyberbullying. 

Cyberbullying in the United States has, in my opinion, been a riding issue for the last 15 years or so. Cyberbullying can be hard to define, but it is known as the intended harm caused by people through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices. This is a deliberate, not accidental, behavior, as well as it reflects a pattern instead of just one isolated event. Computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices is what differentiates cyberbullying from just normal bullying. Cyberbullying is something that needs to be talked about greatly, because it is something that the perpetuator and the victim usually only see, whereas with regular bullying face to face, you can have witnesses and more people to stick up for you. It is extremely important to specifically talk about inside of schools though, because teachers are extremely influential in children's lives. I know personally for me, I am going to teach 5-8 year olds, and their minds are like sponges. We can be the source to help students prevent any kind of bullying by talking about it, creating a safe space in schools and inside classrooms, as well as creating strategies for students to use in case they find themselves in an encounter with someone cyberbullying them. I want to instill safe and respectful behavior in my students as early on as possible. As a teacher, I have the power to help and prevent cyberbullying inside my classroom. 

I have been lucky enough to never have experienced cyberbullying personally, but you see it everywhere on social media. It truly is hard to avoid. Whether it happens to celebrities, or everyday people like me and you, there isn't an excuse for it. Cyberbullying can effect students' physical and emotional well-being and safety, but it can also impact their academic success at school. In a survey done by the National Center for Education Statistics, showed that in 2019, 16% of students in grades 9-12 reported being bullied online in the last 12 months. Although this survey was done for high school, in Elementary school the bullying can be just as persistent. They may not be as "tech savvy", and the bullying can be caught under the rug. It is not excusable though, and schools should implement policies to help prevent cyberbullying such as pushing and promoting a positive school climate, monitor at-risk behaviors, and provide interventions for not only the victims, but for the bully as well. A lot of the times someone who feels the need to bully has it come from a deeper place, and need healing to prevent this behavior in the future. Teachers should be trained on what cyberbullying is, what it looks like, and how to respond to it in order to create a safe and fun learning environment for everyone. 

School Security

When talking about "School Safety", a plethora of topics come to mind. School safety is a big umbrella term that can include topics such as bullying and cyberbullying, public and mental health, school climate, as well as the more obvious terms that come to mind when you think of school safety such as targeted threats and things of violent nature. In this post, I will be talking specifically about school safety in the form of school security. School security can have a lot of meanings as well, but for the sake of this post, I will specifically talk about things schools can do better to make a students learning environment feel more secure, and ensure that, to the best of their ability, they are able to make school a safe place again. This includes physical safety such as school police officers, as well as technological safety when it comes to doors and school perimeters. This is such a prominent topic in our society today, and something that schools should make a priority. No school is safe if the people in it aren't doing what needs to be done to ensure a child will go home to their parents that day. 

This is an image of 5 security officers  
graduating to work in Knox County Schools. 

Now even though I have been fortunate enough to never have experienced a "real" active shooter within any of the school's I've attended, I feel so hard for those who have. I know that emotionally it is something people have a hard time ever overcoming, no matter how big or small the incident is. There is real trauma that is happening within schools, students, teachers, as well as even the families affected by these horrible situations. In my opinion, in majority of the active shooter situations within schools, there has been some lack of security. Whether that is technology based, or a lack of personal security, there is still a gap that seems to be a common denominator throughout these events. School Security Officers (SSO's) serve many roles within schools such as giving a sense of safety to students and teachers inside the school, can control who access the school and from where, monitor cameras, enforce school rules, report suspicious activity, and be the first person to respond immediately after a treat is recognized. The key for these officers is that they are armed and ready to respond to any treat, which we have seen does not happen all the time. It is important for all school districts to prioritize hiring at least one officer for each of their buildings, because you never know when an event like this is going to happen. I have always had a crippling fear that it will happen to me, and I could only imagine what the victims of these shootings feel like. Things like this can be prevented from school technology advances as well. In the case of the Uvalde, Texas shooting, a teacher had propped open a door to get her cell phone. When she recognized the danger of the situation, she quickly went to shut the door, thinking it would automatically lock. The door did not lock, and that is how he was able to get into the school. Although this wouldn't have ensured that the shooter wouldn't have made entry into the school, it could have given police and rescue more time to get there before the situation become too fatal. Ensuring all doors lock, and need a key fob to enter on every door, can ensure the safety of students in everyday life, even if there is not an active shooter. The security of schools needs to be of the upmost priority, or we will continue to see cases like this happen all over the country.