On November 30, 2021, a 15-year-old student at Michigan’s Oxford High School fired 30 shots, killing four students and injuring seven people. This act of violence was premeditated with videos, drawings and even witness evidence. As a result of this tragic event, districts across the country, including here in Ohio, are reviewing their safety protocols and systems for school-based crisis preparedness.

ESC Offers Violence Prevention Support
The ESC of Northeast Ohio’s Student Wellness Department offers support to schools and districts seeking to improve violence prevention measures. Two such offerings include professional development in restorative practices and crisis prevention programs (CPI). Interested? See below for more information.

Restorative Practices Improve Climate and Culture
Restorative practices is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities. The Student Wellness Department can help train district staff in Restorative Practices to proactively improve climate and culture and focus on repairing harm in schools. Please contact Student Wellness Consultants Meghan KanagaRaj or Heather Corcoran for more information.

Crisis Prevention Institute Teaches Skills Needed
CPI: Crisis Prevention Institute teaches professionals the skills to identify, prevent and de-escalate crises in the workplace. We offer differentiated trainings, which are designed to meet the needs of participants. More information can be found here. Please contact Meghan KanagaRaj or Dan Ogilvy if you have questions.

Say Something Week
Each year, thousands of schools and youth organizations nationwide participate in Say Something Week, a national call-to-action. With this year’s theme being “Celebrating Student Upstanders and Trusted Adults,” the week provides a great opportunity to raise awareness about the Say Something program and to plan some engaging activities. Sandy Hook Promise will recognize participants nationwide during the week March 14–18, 2022, but in order to provide maximum flexibility, schools are encouraged to select a week that works best for them.

Locally, Lakewood City Schools has participated in Say Something Week. Former Harding Middle School Assistant Principal, Robin Beavers, reports that she has seen a difference in her students, who are taking a more proactive approach regarding social media posts. "They aren't afraid to report something now," said Beavers. "Now they're more alert for things. They'll come and see if something is important. They'll report it or if they see a message online they'll check with the office to make sure something inappropriate isn't happening. So it's made a big impact."

CLICK HERE for more information and ideas on how you can bring this awareness campaign into your school buildings.

STOP School Violence: Safety Assessment Intervention Training
Did you know that ODE is offering free safety assessment intervention training to school employees across the state? Using funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance grant, allocated through the STOP School Violence Act, the goal is to train schools and communities to be able to identify and assess threats, signs, and signals to hopefully stop gun violence before it starts. Teachers, administrators, counselors, psychologists, social workers, community leaders, and resource officers all can participate in this training. The anticipated start date for in-person trainings is March 2022.

CLICK HERE for more information and CLICK HERE to register for an upcoming training.