Tuesday, March 30, 2010

National School Safety and Security Services

www.schoolsecurity.org

SCHOOL ANTI-BULLYING LEGISLATION IS WRONG APPROACH, EXPERT SAYS

New laws 'sound good, feel good" but provide little-to-no new resources to educators

[CLEVELAND] --- Most schools already have policies and programs in place to deal with bullying, and anti-bullying legislation is simply the wrong approach to dealing with the issue, according to Kenneth S. Trump, a national school safety expert.

"Anti-bullying laws sound good, feel good, and are politically correct, especially in light of a high-profile tragedy. But by-and-large, on a day-to-day basis, they have done little-to-nothing in terms of giving new resources and tools to educators and school administrators," said Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services.

Trump says anti-bullying legislation has created a false sense of hope and resolution of a complex problem. The laws require schools to have anti-bullying policies, but school policies already address those behaviors which would constitute bullying: Harrassment, intimidation, extortion, assaults, threats, menacing, sexual assaults, etc. The anti-bullying laws are typically unfunded mandates requiring educators to spend more time doing paperwork to say they have anti-bullying practices instead of being in the hallways and cafeterias preventing bullying, he says.

Trump's web site on bullying and anti-bullying legislation provides a deeper look at the issues:

http://www.schoolsecurity.org/trends/bullying.html

"Most, if not all, schools already have policies in place to address harassment, intimidation, threats, school disruption, and physical assaults. Many schools have also developed school climate strategies and programs addressing bullying-type behaviors since the spate of school shootings in the late 1990s. Another law won't solve the problem. The question is whether the schools have the prevention and school safety funding for programs, and if they are using school policies, discipline codes, and tools already in place," Trump said.

Trump testified at a July 9, 2009, House Joint Subcommittee hearing which addressed bullying and the need for comprehensive school safety programs. His testimony is online at:

http://www.schoolsecurity.org/news/House_Education09.html

Effective school safety planning requires a balanced emphasis on safe schools components ranging from prevention and intervention programs to security and emergency preparedness strategies. While bullying is an important issue which adversely impacts school safety and anti-bullying programs are encouraged, safety threats also go beyond bullying and must also address issues such as gang violence and assaults stemming from interpersonal student conflicts, Trump noted.

"Bullying is a serious issue which needs to be addressed. We have to make sure it is done, though, as a part of a comprehensive approach to school safety. There is no single cause of school violence and no single cure. Too often, legislators jump on a single-issue bandwagon, skew the focus on one aspect of school safety, and neglect a more comprehensive approach which includes strategies from prevention to preparedness," Trump said.

Trump is a four-time invited Congressional expert witness on school safety, security and emergency preparedness issues. He has authored two books and over 60 professional articles on K-12 school security and emergency preparedness issues. Trump has appeared on all cable and network news channels, and is quoted regularly as a school safety expert in national daily newspapers and professional publications.

Expert Background and Contact Information:

Kenneth S. Trump, MPA

President

National School Safety and Security Services

Cleveland, Ohio

216-251-3067

For full biographical see

www.schoolsecurity.org/school-safety-experts/trump.html

Kenneth S. Trump, M.P.A., is the President of National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based national firm specializing in school security and emergency preparedness training and consulting. Ken served as a school safety officer, investigator, and youth gang unit supervisor for the Cleveland City Schools' safety division, and as a suburban Cleveland school security director and assistant gang task force director.He has authored two books and over 60 articles on school security and crisis issues. As one of the leading U.S. school safety experts, Ken has 25 years experience in the school safety profession and has worked with school and public safety officials from all 50 states. He is one of the most widely quoted school safety experts, appearing on all national news networks and cable TV and in top market newspapers. Ken is a four-time invited Congressional witness testifying on school safety and emergency preparedness issues. For more background, see www.schoolsecurity.org/school-safety-experts/trump.html