Tag: Advocacy Groups

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.

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Cautious Kids

Some of the most important lessons we can teach our young ones are safety guidelines and how to approach dangerous situations when unattended. When children approach the age of 3 years they become very impressionable and are suitable for learning some important life lessons. This is the idea time to start teaching them some basic safety rules.

Hazards at Home

Hazards involving intense heat can cause many injuries to children every year, this is often because they are unaware of all potential dangers in their own home. Hazards such as a boiling kettle, hot radiators, lit ovens and fireplaces can all cause injuries to unsuspecting children. Little ones are particularly explorative when unsupervised to be sure they have a safe area to play in when they are left with time to themselves. Putting safety measures in place around your home is a good way of reducing the risk of children getting injured, but teaching them to be cautious themselves is an invaluable lesson that could make a large difference when they stumble across a shiny hazard without parental supervision.

Travelling Alone and Dealing With Strangers

As children reach the age in which they go to play with friends and make short journeys to and from nearby houses and shops, it’s vital that they know the importance of travelling safely and not to engage in conversation with any unfamiliar faces. Ensure they have a safe route to all destinations and remain in public view the entire time. If possible they should travel with groups of their friends to ensure they are not alone while travelling home.

The potential danger involved with a child engaging strangers is something no parent wants to think about, but ensuring your child knows when someone is clearly bad news can make a huge difference in the way they approach strangers.

Environmental Hazards

As children grown older and are approaching high school, they are always more likely to travel further out to play with friends, ride bikes and play sports, but there are important lessons they must learn about environmental hazards. An unsupervised reservoir may seem like an idea place to play and swim to a group of children, if they are uneducated on this topic they may be unaware of generally how difficult it becomes to clamber back out again once wet.

Pylons may appear to be giant climbing frames with which to play and show off to friends, but children may not know about the tens of thousands of volts flowing through the pylons electrical system. It is vital that children learn lessons such as these at a young age; a sensible child is much more likely to stay safe when left alone and can have a positive impact on their more troublesome friends.

Written by Daniel Travis – Brown on behalf of Gray & Co Criminal Defence Solicitors , follow him on Twitter @DanTravisBrown

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