Los fundamentos de la seguridad escolar (The Fundamentals of School Security). ERIC Digest.

This digest in Spanish presents ways that school administrators can realistically assess their schools' security needs. It opens by reporting that some types of school violence are declining, such as self-reported weapon carrying and fighting on school property, which reflects an overall decline in youth violence. However, schools still must perform periodic, routine security assessments to ascertain their security needs. Checklist surveys that involve parents, students, law-enforcement personnel, community representatives, and school staff are important measures, and a security assessment performed by an independent consultant holds several advantages. Recent tragedies in schools have prompted some districts to consider adding high-tech security hardware, such as metal detectors. The usefulness of such detectors depends on the severity of the weapons problems, the availability of funds for staff and training, and possible negative effects on school atmosphere. Other security options include hand-held detectors, security cameras, and changing procedures and space allocation. An important component of any security measure is identifying potentially violent students and intervening before serious problems erupt. Staff and parents should be trained to recognize warning signs. Finally, every school should have a written crisis plan that features procedures for responding to a broad range of possible crises, including natural disasters, bomb threats, fire, and other situations. (Contains 10 references.) (RJM)