TikTok leads to more self-diagnosis, School Law Updates.
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April 11, 2024

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Center for Safe Schools, from the desk of Joey Melvin, Director

In this week’s email, the recent decision by Colorado’s Supreme Court provides another extremely valuable reminder of the value of school implementation of Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTA) processes. The multiple-disciplinary BTA team was integral to the court’s decision. -Joey Melvin

Recent School Safety News 

False activation of emergency system triggers police response, lockdown at middle school in Gurnee

Picture of Woodland Middle School Marque

By Sam Borcia, April 8, 2024, 12:55 p.m.

 

The all-clear was given after a false alarm of an emergency response system triggered a large police response and lockdown at a middle school in Gurnee on April 8.

 

The Woodland Middle School was put on lockdown around 11:20 a.m. Monday.
The BluePoint Emergency Response System was activated, prompting the lockdown.

 

School officials were working with the Gurnee Police Department to go room by room to clear the building.

 

Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor said the alarm activation triggered the response of all available Gurnee police officers.

Read False Activation article.

Students Using TikTok to Self-Diagnose Mental Health Issues


One school counselor says she has heard students as young as third grade say they have anxiety or depression.


By Amy Rock, April 9, 2024    

 

Concerns are growing among educators and the medical community as the majority of students admit to using TikTok to self-diagnose their mental health issues.

 

According to a new poll from EdWeek, 65% of educators said they have seen students “sometimes” or “frequently” use social media to diagnose their mental health conditions, while 68% said students have used social media to diagnose others’ mental health conditions. Around 55% of students said they have used social media to diagnose their own mental health conditions at least once. Another 28% said they do it “sometimes” and 10% percent said they do it “all the time.”

Read Campus Safety Magazine article.

Podcast Episode

Podcast Tall Cop Says Stop

On this week's podcast, Officer Galloway goes into great detail on how phenibut travels well with other depressants and acts as a drug enhancement. It’s a powerful over-the-counter product with no age restrictions. Typically located in shopping malls, gas stations and smoke shops near kratom. It is difficult to identify without a specialized test, typically users appear highly intoxicated. Find out more details in this week's episode.

Listen to the latest podcast.

School Law News

In Colorado, the Colorado Supreme Court affirmed a student’s adjudication of delinquency for possession of a handgun as second-time juvenile offender and possession of a weapon on school grounds. The court held that the search of the student conducted on school grounds in accordance with an individualized, weapons-related safety plan by a Behavioral Assessment Team was reasonable under Fourth Amendment. The appellate court reasoned that because of the nature of the multi-agency threat assessment process, implementation of the safety plan was complete in itself. “Additional individualized suspicion stemming from the student's behavior is not required.” Because the safety plan was individualized, the student had a “substantially diminished expectation of privacy because the safety plan established that his property was subject to search.” After acknowledging the legitimacy of behavioral threat assessments, the appellate court noted that, “we recognize the special responsibility that schools have for all students in their custody during the school day…. This responsibility requires schools to balance the interests of each individual student against their broader obligation to keep all students safe and to provide an appropriate learning environment for them… The threat assessment process requires a multi-disciplinary team to gather and consider a broad swath of information including… input from school personnel.”  People In Int. of J.G., 2024 CO 16 (2024).

 

In North Carolina, the New Hanover County Board of Education is calling for a new committee focused on school safety. Two incidents are prompting the decision. “In February, a father was charged after a gun was found inside a bag brought by a preschool student at Rachel Freeman School of Engineering. In March, a student at Laney High School was charged after a school resource officer allegedly found a gun in the student’s possession.”

 

In Illinois, officials in the Chicago Public Schools are seeking public feedback in a survey as it prepares to remove police officers from its campuses. The hope going forward is for a safety policy based upon a “holistic” approach.

 

In California, an ad hoc committee made up of Santa Rosa City Council members and Santa Rosa City School Board trustees has created a plan to bring police back to its schools. The mayor says, “The funds aren’t there.”  “Students, parents and staff concerned about safety at Santa Rosa City Schools have been pleading for the return of campus police… since the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old on the Montgomery High School campus last year.”

 

Source-Dr. Bernie James               Schoolsafetylawblog.com

Training Opportunities

Southeast School Safety Summit 2024 May 29 & 30 Bowling Green KY. Rethink school safety with Safe and Sound Schools and the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC) at the Southeast School Safety Summit. Learn and network with nationally recognized speakers and walk away with best practices and programs for comprehensive school safety.

The Southeast Summit will focus on bridging relationships to implement a “whole community” approach to school safety. It truly takes a diverse team to ensure the safety of our schools, so gather your team and join Safe and Sound Schools for this exciting event!

Register for the Southeast School Safety Summit.
Prevention Forums Photo. Register at https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/2e7dd9b0-8284-4663-9566-77cde6790cbf@3ccde76c-946d-4a12-bb7a-fc9d0842354a

Preventing Targeted Violence in Your Community: The Role of the Mental Wellness Field in Prevention

Violence is preventable, and everyone has a role to play. 

Tuesday, April 16, 1-2 p.m. EDT | Virtual


Join Center for Prevention, Program and Partnership (CP3) for our April Prevention Forum to learn how mental wellness practitioners can help to prevent targeted violence and terrorism. This one-hour event will consist of a panel discussion featuring CP3's multidisciplinary team and our prevention partners. Attendees will learn how to include targeted violence prevention in current mental wellness practices.

 

Who should attend? 

  • Social workers 
  • Psychologists 
  • Counselors 
  • Researchers in social sciences 
  • Other individuals interested in prevention work 
Register for April Prevention Forum.

Resources

CSS Unveils New Website Home Page

Center for Safe Schools launched its new website home page, highlighting our top products and services. Check it out and let us know what you think! 

Screenshot of Center for Safe Schools website, www.centerforsafeschools.org
Center for Safe Schools updated Model Door and Window Classroom Numbering System Guide

The establishment of an external door and window numbering system can be extremely valuable to emergency responders and will also assist your students and staff in acclimating themselves to door locations in case of an emergency. Request a free copy of our updated Model Door and Window Classroom Numbering System Guide.

Request the Model Door and Window Numbering System guide.

Thank you,

Joey Melvin

Director

Center for Safe Schools

Visit CSS website for more about our services and resources.

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Center for Safe Schools (CSS) is an initiative of Center for Schools and Communities (CSC).

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