Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 19, 1998
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke, Bergeson release School Safety Summit Report

OLYMPIA—Gov. Gary Locke and Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson today released a Report on School Safety, which draws on recommendations from the public at an Aug. 19 School Safety Summit.

The summit was called by Locke and Bergeson to address ways to help students cope with anger without resorting to violence. Helping develop the recommendations was a Youth Safety Summit Citizen Advisory Group, composed of 61 community leaders from around the state. These included parents, students, teachers, school administrators and law enforcement officials.

"Improving safety in our schools, and helping our young people cope with frustrations and anger in a peaceful manner is essential to preventing the kind of violence that devastates communities," Locke said. "In order to improve school safety, it is important that members of our communities get involved and work toward concrete solutions to prevent the violence in schools. This report represents the dedication and hard-work of many citizens coming together to work on preventing other tragedies in the future," said Locke.

Bergeson said that for far too many years, public schools have been asked to solve problems that society has lacked the will to tackle. "Kids can't learn if don't feel safe; or, if their parents and communities don't care," said Bergeson. "Because this report is being released during America's Safe Schools Week, it is a reminder that we need to continue our efforts to create a safe environment where kids can learn and teachers can teach," said Bergeson.

The report covers recommendations in the following six areas:

Youth Involvement: Many violence prevention efforts succeed because youth help set the goals and provide strong leadership;

Violence Prevention: Programs based on research teach awareness, encourage youth mentoring, and foster total well-being of the community;

School and Community Support Structures: Resources that currently exist such as, community social services, counseling programs, and community or school juvenile justice services;

Parents and Families: Community resources for parenting skill training and parent support groups, and involvement at school can improve social skills at home;

School Safety and Security: Security resources may include law enforcement partnerships, security personnel, communication equipment, and surveillance cameras; and

Media Roles and Responsibilities: The influence of entertainment media and news on attitudes and behaviors about violence must be understood.

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