People still remember the turmoil of the 1999 school shootings in Colombine, Colorado. 12 students and one teacher lost their lives in the incident which still haunts many. School shootings did not stop there - the most recent example is the Newtown shooting, which targeted students in an elementary school. Each time a student opens fire in school on his teachers and schoolmates, a lot of people and most security agencies across the country wonder what could have pushed them to do something this drastic. It makes every parent wonder how they can stop this violence before it reaches their kid.

Precautions that are being taken include many measures; some of them good, and some just outright wrong. Experts in the field of education and security do not agree efforts such as beefing up the physical security of schools by installing metal detectors, etc. according to the experts it is crucial to address this issue more on a human level than mechanical. Students need to be counseled and the root causes of such senseless and brutal violence must be explored and addressed. Stressful elements which push students off the edge, like bullying, lack of respect and discipline, neglectful teachers and depression in students, need to be dealt with effectively and quickly.

While the federal government in liaison with several government agencies including the FBI, the Center for Disease Control and the Bureau of Justice Statistics is trying its best to bring down the rising crime rate inside schools, somehow so far it is not proving as effective.

According to a survey 24% of have witnessed and are aware of  violent gangs withn their schools, 25% of high school students have access to illegal drugs within school property, clearly someone some where is dropping the security ball and making American schools as vulnerable to violence as any random city street.

Under these circumstances, security for children is imperative. It is best to stay prepared and take a few precautions on your own for the security of children in schools all over the country:

• Praise and Encouragements: Kids no matter what their age may be, will always respond positively to being praised and encouraged for good behavior.  Advice teachers in your child’s school to make this a rule of thumb and practice it yourself as well. Praise and encourage.
• Stay on Guard: teachers and parents must get into the habit of paying more attention to what the kids are up to, this could encourage better bonding as well.
• Genuine Care & Friendship: show affection towards kids. A kid who knows he is loved is less inclined to turn violent. Try to be friends with them so they trust you more and can always come to you with their problems.
• Counselors and Psychologist: seasoned counselors or psychologist can spot indicators of school crime and safety instantly if allowed regular interaction with students. So make sure that the school encourages its students to seek counseling and psychological  support as much as possible. 
• Extra Curriculum Activities:  make sure the school is giving students as much times as they can for physical activity to help them distress. Numerous extra curricular activities help kids maintain a balance in their lives.
• Weapons: demand zero tolerance for weapons of any kind to be brought to school. Kids who do should be sent home or outlawed from carrying weapons. Parents who leave weapons with in easy access of their children should be prosecuted and have legal charges brought up against them

These are just a few of the measures you can force your child’s school to take in order to ensure school safety and security.