• Safety Tips:
• School Safety: Preventing Fatalities on the Playground
• Personal Safety: Parents Anonymous
• Question & Answers:
• Statistics: Gun Violence in Schools
• One Opinion: Open to Discussion

School Safety Tip:

A fall from as little as one foot high onto asphalt, or from four feet high onto packed grass, can be fatal, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. When there is too little "cushion" under playground equipment, there is potentially fatal danger. Who is checking your school's playground?
 
Take a moment today to notice, and do not hesitate to bring this issue to the administration for prompt action if you see that the playground does not meet basic safety standards. Look for the following to ensure the safest possible surfaces on a playground:  
Sand (10 inches deep)  
Wood chips (12 inches deep)  
Rubber outdoor mat (follow manufacturer's instructions)

 "Each year about 250,000 children ages 15 and younger get hurt on playground equipment and are treated for their injuries in emergency rooms. Between 10 and 20 children die each year from playground injuries. About one-fourth of all playground injuries happen on home equipment, but most occur at school and public playgrounds. Falls cause about 75% of playground injuries."*  

When choosing which type of surface, consider that no surface is ideal. You need to select those that best meet your needs, and not neglect the upkeep. While sand offers a nice cushion, it also is liable to attract cats and other litter. Sand is also not a good choice if the children are young enough to be throwing it. Small stones can end up in children's ears, but otherwise make a good choice. Rubber surfaces can be expensive. Mulch needs to be good quality to prevent splinters. 

A mulch, stone, gravel, or sand covering needs to be raked into place frequently, and replaced when it eventually wears thin. Don't ignore the "worn" spots on a playground - that is where the greatest danger lies.  

* Footnote from and for more information visit http://www.aap.org/family/playgrd.htm#safer or write for the Handbook for Public Playground Safety, US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207.  

Personal Safety:

Parents who are feeling at wits' end with the challenge of disciplining their child may wish to contact Parents Anonymous for supportive suggestions. By recognizing your growing frustration and reaching out for help, you may well prevent yourself from exploding with frustration in a way which may harm your child. Call 1 -800- THE KIDS and find out that you are not alone in feeling at the end of your rope with a child you love.

• Tell Us What You Think!  E-mail us!     

Questions From Readers and Our Answers:
 
Q: Is it appropriate for my 10 year-old's classroom assistant to be joking with the children about their buttocks? Certainly 10 year-olds will make these kinds of jokes between themselves, but it is appropriate for the teacher's aide to be joining in and sharing these jokes? 

A:It is not professional. Therefore, it is not appropriate. Is it immoral? That is more difficult to determine. The gray area of where an adult needs to draw the line and not participate in any behavior which could be construed as detrimental to a child's development seems to fluctuate depending on the situation. For example, if a child's uncle is sharing a silly flatulence joke at the family's picnic, that is seems safe enough. But when serving in a professional situation, it is not so clear if buttocks jokes are harmful to the child. Certainly, it undermines the authority of the adult, and in a small way may influence a child's losing a sense of adult protection. One also wonders where the silliness may turn into a more predatory relationship, and care should be taken to stay alert to the dynamics between the children and that adult. You should mention this issue to the aide's supervisor as well.

Q: Are children living in homes located close to schoolyards in greater danger from lurking predators than children a few blocks away?

A: If you have any verifiable information to answer this question, we’d like to hear your response. Please click here to contact us. Watch here to learn what we find out. If You Have A Question or Answer, Let Us Know.   E-Mail

Statistics:

"Shootings are the most common cause of violent death in schools, and while school shootings have declined in recent years, they are now more likely to result in multiple killings than they were in the early 1990s" - Washington Post, April 16, 2000.  

"In the last eight years, 267 individuals have lost their lives because of school related violence. Of these, 206 (77%) were due to gun violence."
Source: http://www.csgv.org/content/resources/resc_studies_school_violence.html

"More than half of the guns that criminals use are purchased from federally licensed dealers using gun traffickers."
Source: http://www.csgv.org/content/resources/resc_dyk.html

Open to Discussion – One Opinion

Those employed in child protective services may want to consider the innovative team approach that is being implemented in some parts of the country in order to relieve the stress of multiple interviews on young victims.

Investigations of sexual abuse allegations may be less traumatic for a young victim if a coalition of law enforcement, medical, mental health, and social service representatives interview the victim at one time. Care must be taken not to overwhelm a young child; meet in an informal situation, not a boardroom with a big scary panel facing the child.

This approach also gives professionals the opportunity to receive immediate feedback from each other. Enough evidence may be gathered to substantiate allegations and help determine the how the prosecution may proceed, without making the victim endure repeated interviews.

It is important that counseling is offered to the victim and his or her family after the investigative interview.

**NOTE FROM THE EDITOR**

The following ACTION ALERT was submitted by a Kidsafenewz reader. While we at Fingerprint America condemn all forms of domestic violence or crimes against women and children, our role is to provide tools for parents to keep their families safe. Inclusion of reader submissions regarding political efforts does not imply endorsement.
-ed.

ACTION ALERT:
As of September 25, 2000 -

The Violence Against Women Act is in danger of expiring, causing thousands of women and children to live in danger. This legislation is needed to continue the progress made in fighting domestic violence that has happened since the federal government had implemented this legislation. While there is strong support for this legislation, no one can even vote for it since the leaders of the House and the Senate are holding it up while they use it negotiate for their special interests. Please, call them and urge them to let this bill come to the floor for a vote NOW, as Congress recesses very soon! If this bills dies, so could someone's parent.

When you call, you simply need to tell them you support VAWA, and leave your name and address. To learn more, visit http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org.

Call Senator Trent Lott's office at 1-202-224-3135 (bill S. 2787)
Call House Speaker Dennis Hasert's office at 1-202-225-0600 (bill H.R. 1248)

What’s Your Opinion? E-Mail

Learn more by visiting Dr. Jim Hopper's site at http://www.jimhopper.com/abstats/ and the Pandora's Box site that has much information on the topic of sex abuse at http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/sitemap.htm.

What’s Your Opinion? E-Mail

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