As parents and educators, you want to ensure that your students are learning in a safe and respectful school environment. You understand the importance of teaching your students how to treat and interact with one another. You want to help create a peaceful and considerate campus environment by teaching your students empathy and creating a positive culture while also having a system in place for students to report inappropriate, offensive or unsafe behaviors.

Here are a few campus safety points to keep in mind when striving to build a positive, respective school environment:

1. Emphasize empathy

As a parent, educator or peer, drill home the fact that all people—no matter what you think of them—are capable of feeling pain and distress. Remind students how they would feel if someone caused hurt or suffering to their family members or other people they care about. If they are involved in bullying (verbally or physically) another student, or they witness it and do nothing, they need to stop and think about how they would feel if that were their loved one. No one has the right to inflict pain or suffering on anyone else.

2. Watch your tone

Remember that everything you, as an adult, do on campus helps to shape the atmosphere. If you’re shouting down other people or using insulting language, that sort of thing forms a certain school culture. It may even cause others to think that such behavior is normal or acceptable. All of us have the ability either to bring down the tone at school or help bring it up to a place where everyone feels better about being there.

3. Present a united front

We all want a safe campus, yet the reality is that seventy-five percent of all bullying at school occurs in front of other students. Teachers may not see it, but most kids know about it and yet don’t know quite what to do. Students can be superheroes by forming a “Justice League” and reporting bullies—not individually but as a group. Teach your students to let others know they don’t approve of harmful or belittling behavior, and spread the word among their friends that bullying can always be reported to administrators. If your school doesn’t have an anonymous reporting system, ask for one!

‍About our guest blogger: As a Veteran School Safety Executive and National Speaker for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Clark Morrow has over 15 years of experience.