An Examination of School Safety Preparedness in Canada

Date
2017-01
Authors
Matt, Janel Leigh
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Publisher
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina
Abstract

Although a rare occurrence, at least 32 Canadians have died in school shootings since 1902. School shootings and incidents of serious school violence in Canada are not as prevalent as they are in the United States, however, educators and school staff should be prepared for these critical incidents. This study uses an online survey to collect information from school staff across Canada about their preparedness for incidents of school violence. Topics solicited in the survey are: respondent beliefs about the prevalence of violence at their schools, their awareness of school safety plans, and strategies used to promote school safety. The researcher hypothesized that school staff have not received the appropriate training and they are unfamiliar with school policies and procedures related to school violence, including threat assessment processes and strategies implemented by their school divisions to prevent violence. Of the 223 respondents to the online survey, all respondents strongly agreed they felt safe at their schools although a majority of them believed there was a high likelihood of an assault that leads to serious injury happening at their school within the next year. With respect to less serious incidents, between one-quarter and one-third of respondents believed that minor and serious acts of violence were very big or fairly big problems at their schools, whereas one-third to one-half of respondents felt that bullying and cyberbullying were very big or fairly big problems. A majority of the respondents indicated having safety plans in place at their schools. Most schools were reported as having practice drills for school shooters but not for hostage taking or bomb threats. In regards to training and feelings of confidence in executing the safety plans, the respondents reported mixed findings, with almost equal proportions reporting either having adequate, or not enough familiarity with these plans. Inferential statistical tests, including chi-square, t-tests, and analysis of variance were used to analyze the results. The key findings were that respondents working in schools with more than 250 students were more likely to report having a school safety plan in place, have a security or police presence at their schools, report insufficient supervision and a lack of student connection to their schools. Respondents working in smaller schools, by contrast, believed students were more likely to bring weapons to school. Respondents also indicated that high schools were more likely to utilize security cameras and have a security or police presence at their schools compared with elementary or middle schools. Respondents working in middle schools were more likely to report that students lacked a connection to their schools whereas those working in elementary schools were the least likely to report that cyberbullying occurs. When compared with respondents from other provinces, Saskatchewan respondents reported having more trained crisis intervention teams although fewer Saskatchewan schools deployed safety measures such as closed circuit video systems, identification badges for staff and visitors or had a security or police presence at their schools. The results of this research offer school administrators and agencies responsible for ensuring community safety, such as the police, information about future training needs. The results suggest that school safety plans may exist but it is imperative that staff members be aware of their plans and be prepared to carry them out. Keywords: School violence, Threat assessments, Risk factors, School safety plans

Description
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Justice Studies, University of Regina. viii, 137 p.
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