NEWS: Schools urged to rethink safety strategies

As reported by CYP Now, charity recommends school leaders consider unproven youth violence prevention methods, including police presence and knife education

While the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) report says resources “are best spent on evidence-based strategies” it is urging schools, colleges and alternative education providers to also consider strategies without robust evidence of success.

Trauma-informed teacher training and knife education programmes are among other unproven strategies to be considered, it adds.

The charity says while “there is very little research on the impact of having a police officer in school” settings should still consider this approach, which is already taking place in some settings and often organised through local Safer Schools partnerships.

“A police officer can work with several schools concurrently or with one school at a time,” explains the charity’s report.

“They might also work with schools on an ad hoc basis to address specific needs. Officers can be based on school premises or in their usual stations.”

Those that choose to have a police officer regularly on site are urged to ensure they are there for a specific aim, such as building trust between the police and children, that can be evaluated.

Schools should also set clear boundaries, such as ensuring police do not intervene in behavioural incidents, and communicate the move to parents, children and carers.

Similarly, while “there is no robust evidence” regarding the impact of knife crime education programmes, these should still be considered, says the charity’s report.

Already almost half of secondary school teachers are reporting that knife crime education assemblies or lessons are taking place in their school.

While advocates of such lessons and assemblies say it shows children the consequences of knife crime, critics say they can make children feel unsafe and lead to more carrying knives for protection, says the charity.

When running such programmes, schools are urged to use real life and local stories of knife crime, and link up with skills knife crime experts who can lead “lively discussions” on the issue.

Trauma-informed practice teacher training is also widely used, according to two in five secondary school teachers, and should continue despite a lack of knowledge around the best way to train teachers to recognise and deal with pupil trauma, advises YEF.

But education settings should avoid programmes, “that have been proven to cause harm” such as prison awareness programmes, adds the youth violence prevention charity.

According to the YEF research prison awareness programmes “could increase the likelihood that children become involved in crime” and should be avoided.

Currently just one per cent of teachers in England are reporting that prison visits are arranged and only five per cent say their school hosts assemblies involving talks by former prisoners.

Other recommendations made by the YEF include reducing the exclusion rate through targeted behaviour support, and providing one-to-one mentoring to support vulnerable children.

Involving children in sports, implementing an anti-bullying strategy and helping pupils to develop their social and emotional skills are among other calls made by the charity.

In addition, schools are called on to investigate where and when violence most often occurs to help efforts to better safeguard pupils.