Safety for Adults in Schools

Creating Emotionally Safe Schools: A Guide for Educators and Parents
by Jane Bluestein, Ph.D.

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I've had to break up a number of cliques among my faculty. I want everyone to feel that they belong in our school community.

Elementary school principal

Nobody messes up with a kid in the classroom because they want to. But that's what we hear about. The lack of respect and constant criticism, from everyone from parents and upper administration to the media, makes it hard to support one another if our morale is shot.

Middle school teacher

Emotional safety means I can live and work without being afraid of threats of abuse. Where parents have the right to know and participate in their child's education, but do not have the right to physically or verbally abuse the administration or staff in the school system. Where administrators, have the right to effectively manage, but not through fear, intimidation, bullying, anger or any other manner that would be construed as emotional intimidation or harassment.

Ross Logan, Elementary school counselor

If schools are going to be safe for kids, they're going to have to be safe for grownups as well. Teachers, counselors, administrators and other school staff whose energy is distracted by a need to self-protect for any reason just don't have as much to offer kids as adults who feel secure, supported and valued in their positions. Interestingly, the factors listed in the definition of emotional safety for children are quite similar to those required by educators, counselors, administrators and other adult staff, with the important addition of the ability to experience the following:

• respect for one's professional judgment and opinions

• respect for one's teaching or management style, special skills and preferences, especially when these can be matched and accommodated with appropriate grade level, subject area or administrative assignments, partner and schedule configurations, room and environmental configurations, resources and materials

• requests and respect for one's input, and a feeling of being included in decisions that have a direct impact on one's well-being and ability to perform effectively

• a sense of being valued and respected by the administration, policy makers and community

• a sense of being supported (backed up) by the administration, policy makers and community

Just imagine the climate in a school in which all of these safety factors were present! Indeed, there are currently many, many people committed to making sure that these conditions are in place in their own classrooms, schools and districts. The point is, once we agree that creating schools that are emotionally, socially, intellectually and psychologically safe-in addition to being physically safe-is a goal worth pursuing from a comprehensive and inclusive standpoint, we can start working to achieve the specifics described by the various safety factors above. The more of these factors that exist in any school setting, the more we increase the odds of schools not only being safe, but also feeling safe-all the time and for all students and adults. As we will see, establishing such a climate has enormous implications for student learning, success and behavior.

It's reassuring to know that kids are, in fact, safer in school than anywhere else, but it's well worth whatever commitment it will take to stack the odds in favor of an emotionally safe school climate, because statistics are, after all, just numbers. For even if there's only a billion-in-one chance of a house falling on you from out of the sky, if you are that “one,” it can really ruin your day.

© 2001 Health Communications, Inc.

About the Author

Jane Bluestein, Ph.D. is an expert in the field of parenting with more than 20 years professional experience. A dynamic and entertaining speaker, she presents engaging and accessible training programs to groups around the globe. Dr. Bluestein currently heads Instructional Support Services, Inc. a consulting and resource firm that provides staff development and parent training programs worldwide.