Safe Schools Manual: A Resource on Making Schools, Communities, and Families Safe for Children

NEA's Safe Schools Manual: A Resource on Making Schools, Communities, and Families Safe for Children synthesizes the best research on school safety and offers guidelines on making children safe in three broad areas: schools, communities, and families. This important publication was updated in October 2005.  Please use this resource in your community.

You may view or download the entire Safe Schools Manual     (PDF, 2MB, 58pgs) or you can print out only the sections you need from the list below.

Introduction and Table of Contents   (PDF, 482kb, 10pgs): This section of the Safe Schools Manual contains a forward from NEA Executive Director John Wilson, an introduction, and the table of contents.

Background Information   (PDF, 156kb, 6pgs): This section describes why school safety is important and briefly reviews some of the available research on school violence.

How to Make Schools Safer   (PDF, 152kb, 8pgs): This section provides suggestions for making schools safer. Three general areas are covered: establishing a school safety committee, developing and implementing action and crisis management plans, and monitoring and assessing progress.

How to Make Communities Safer  (PDF, 168kb, 4pgs): This section outlines a series of activities to be taken in mobilizing the community around school safety issues. These activities include involving key community leaders, forming a community safety committee, conducting a survey, and planning programs and evaluation criteria.

How to Make Families Safer    (PDF, 103kb, 3pgs): This section provides information about the family and how it can be instrumental in reducing crime and violence in the schools. Three areas of concern are briefly discussed: working with students, working with parents, and training education employees.

Appendices  (PDF, 278kb, 21pgs): The appendices contain suggestions for discussion topics, checklists, reporting forms, procedures, guidelines, and NEA HCR programs and publications.

• Appendix 1: Suggestions for schools to promote and make use of community support
• Appendix 2: Possible topics for antiviolence seminars
• Appendix 3: School Safety Checklist
• Appendix 4: Action Plans for Specific School Emergencies
• Appendix 5: School Violence, Crime, and Vandalism Reporting Form
• Appendices 6-8: List of NEA HCR programs, publications, working papers, and articles

Bibliography  (PDF, 98kb, 4pgs): The bibliography lists the resources used in this manual.