At the beginning of another school year, school safety is at the forefront of every parent’s mind. But what exactly are parents and students thinking? An online survey commissioned by Raptor technologies and Safe and Sound Schools aimed to find out.
Walking into the Unknown
The first day of school is hard for parents and students alike. Today, however, the school security climate makes walking through the school gates even more anxiety-inducing. According to the survey, 89% of parents and 81% of students expressed anxiety over the potential of school shootings with the start of the new year.
What Do Parents and Students Fear Most?
Parents and students fear many of the same risks but rank those risks differently. For parents, bullying tops the list with 49% citing it as their top concern, followed by an active shooter at 44%, physical assault 30%, sexual assault 29%, and weather/natural disaster emergencies at 23%. Students rate an active shooter as one of their top concerns at 32%, followed by sexual assault and bullying at 19% and physical assault at 15%.
How Important is School Safety?
Every parent wants their child to be safe at school, but how does that play out concerning funding? The majority of parents, 54% of them, felt school safety deserved the most additional funding, above even academics and art. It is so important to them that 75% of respondents said they would be willing to pay for additional security out of their own pockets.
Overcoming Hurdles in School Physical Security
One of the biggest barriers to improving school physical security is the lag time between identifying a problem such as an active shooter and that information getting to police. Recently, Alarm Systems Inc. alongside the Quincy Police Department had the privilege of testing new Honeywell technology that will allow schools to upgrade existing security systems with advanced analytic technologies that identify the shape a gun and the sound of gunshots and trigger automatic responses such as doors locking and notifying law enforcement.
While not yet available, the new Honeywell software will be the most advanced, efficient, and affordable software solution of its kind, making school security technologies easily accessible. You can read more about the testing here.
