Why Safety In The Classroom Needs Addressed Now

*This blog has been updated for freshness. Original post date 1/11/17.

I went on a hunt to find the programs that schools are using to prevent problems relating to substance abuse, bullying, and other health and wellness topics — it was alarming. Most pages I found have not been updated for 4 years. This is an area of growing concern and we need new material to address the situation.

Students are not the same as they were 4 years ago and though the core problems (alcohol, drugs, bullying, etc.) are the same there are things about the problems that have changed (social media, etc.). So what are we doing to fix it? What is going on in our school systems to prevent and protect children, assuring safety in the classroom?

2017 should be the year we all try to be proactive instead of reactive and here is why!

1. "5.6% reported that they did not go to school on one or more days in the 30 days before the survey because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school." (source)

2. "Young people aged 12 to 20 drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the U.S." (source)

3. "52 per cent of young people report being cyber bullied." (source)

These stats are just the beginning. You can find these stats and more all over the internet! So let's make 2017 the year that things change.