Ensure Kids’ Safety in School against Offenders

Children in schools face different types of risks. Once the parents drop off their children to school, the local education authority, the teacher, and the school’s administration have the responsibility for their kids’ safety. However, there are also other agencies who can contribute to ensure security such as the fire and police departments, the equipment suppliers, maintenance companies, insurers and social services.

Wellbeing as the School’s Major Responsibility

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The main security concerns prioritised by schools include the safety of schoolchildren, staff as well as the visitors. Other concerns are those including intrusion of trespassers within the premises, arson, theft and vandalism.

One of the most important aspects for protecting children is placing schools in the position to promote and safeguard the rights and welfare of the children. This means to shield children from any forms of maltreatment, prevent harm on their health and development, and make sure that they are thriving in favourable conditions which are consistent to a healthy growth.

Children’s Security and Safety

The school has the responsibility to children by taking necessary steps to ensure that they do not suffer injury within the school premises. This must be taken into consideration when installing security measures in place. There should be a balance between reinforcing security and allowing the children freedom with putting them at risk.

Installing Fences for Protection

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In installing fences, the fence should be able to protect children from intruders and at the same time, safe enough as not to pose any harm to children playing near it. For instance, the fence should come with anti-climb and anti-cut features so that both intruders and children cannot pass through easily.

The fences should also be durable enough to withstand attempts from intruders to break in and from children playing close by. This is especially true when the fences are installed in the play area or in the school yard. While children are enjoying the warm sun, they are also prone and vulnerable to trespassers and offenders who might be lurking nearby.

Aside from safety measures, precautionary steps should also be taken. Warning signs should be installed to let people know what they should and shouldn’t do. Such signs must not only be understandable by adults but by children as well.

Use of Reasonable Force against Trespassers

School authorities are allowed to use reasonable force to stop and detain those who trespass and those who cause concern to the individuals inside the school. The school staff can do this to offenders or suspected offenders. Arrests can be made even without warrant to those who have committed an “arrestable offence” such as breaking in and trespassing unlawfully.

If the school authority deems it necessary, they can arrest and detain unwanted visitors, as long as there are reasonable circumstances behind this action. On the other and, this will also create a risk on the part of the school authorities when they implement this rule. Therefore, the school should also be aware of its duties and responsibilities to the children and the employees to prevent any harm.

Safe Site Facilities provide security measures, such as steel screens and temporary fencing for a wide range of premises including schools.

Home Security: A Familys Best Friend

We’ve all heard the stories, read the police logs and watched Law & Order SVU: Women and children are prime targets for any attacker. This doesn’t mean that women should bulk up and start training for the heavyweight Olympics – it just means families should consider taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves. One of the simplest and most basic ways a family can do this is by updating their home security system.

Massachusetts resident Chelsea White was 17 when she walked into her house, and for the first time, realized something was wrong.

“I came home from school and got a call from my mom asking if I had taken her computer,” Chelsea explained. “I hadn’t, and it was then that we both realized we had been robbed during the day.”

Chelsea is a resident on the North Shore, one of the safest areas to live in Massachusetts.

“I got this horrible feeling of violation. It was very strange knowing someone had been in your house and had gone through your things. They had gone through my drawers, my mom jewelry box and my brother’s closet,” she added.

Reported incidents of violent crime decreased in all four regions of the country in 2010. However, reported incidents of burglary rose 3.9 percent; Chelsea’s family being one of them.

Buying a security system is the safest way to prevent any unwelcomed guests into your home. In fact, intruders look for homes without alarm systems. Unfortunately, one of the two reasons homeowners consider purchasing a home security system is because they already experienced a robbery or break-in.

Don’t wait and let this happen to you and your family.

A standard residential alarm system includes: control panels, security keypads, motion detectors, door and window contacts, glass break sensors, sirens and signs.

Additional features include: backup system, two-way monitoring, remote control and more.

Leave Fido Out of It

Homeowners often consider purchasing a dog for home security. Although effective, a guard dog is not the best idea for a “family” environment. For example, in the unfortunate event that a break-in does occur and your security dog saves the day, if the dog got injured or was killed, how would you explain to your children that it was just doing it’s “job.”

Such was almost the case for Chelsea’s family.

“We had 2 dogs, two Golden Retrievers,” Chelsea said. “We think one of our dogs, Rockie, was hit by one of the robbers based on his behavior after that day.”

To Chelsea and her family, realizing that her pets were traumatized was more upsetting than finding out that the robber stole her mother’s laptop, brother’s Xbox and over 50 videogames.

Most families would agree that a pet is considered “part of the family.”

The price of safety

If you do decide to purchase a home alarm system, make sure you research the best home security companies out there.

Typically, a home security alarm system includes an installation fee ($100 to $1,500), and a monthly monitoring contract ($9 to $40). Other charges depend on the particular plan or package you choose.

Money is always an issue, especially in today’s economy. However, because of today’s economy, people are also getting more desperate and resort to crime. Protecting your family should be priceless.

About the author: Sylvia Rosen is an online writer with a background in newspaper journalism. She enjoys writing about dating, family patterns, and healthy and happy lifestyles.