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There were at least 60 incident reports prior to the April 16, 2007, shooting at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, but the school had no central repository to collect that data, such as a dedicated database where all of these various types of information could be stored and analyzed, he said. “They just didn’t have a way of collecting and connecting the dots,” Mr. Shaw said. “What if all of the Virginia Tech incident reports were routed to a threat assessment team?” For full article: http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20140608/NEWS06/306089983#Read More →

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In: Success

Stories of violence, weapons, abuse, self‐harm and bullying are being reported in school systems nationwide. A small rural school in Oklahoma is taking a proactive stance by establishing a school‐wide prevention program. Turpin School recently selected Awareity’s TIPS platform to help keep their students safe. TIPS, an award‐winning web‐based software tool, empowers students (and parents, staff, teachers, and community members) to anonymously report Bullying, Cyber Bullying, Drugs/Alcohol, Weapons, Vandalism, Suspected Abuse, Threats of Violence and Bus Incidents. When a report is submitted via the TIPS REPORT INCIDENT button on the Turpin School web site, all team members (principals and superintendent) are instantly notified and canRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Campus Safety, Risk Management, School Safety

  Frogs, Excuses and Budgets   Most everyone has heard of the Boiling Frog Syndrome…. When a frog is dropped in boiling water it will jump out…but when a frog is placed in cold water that is gradually heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be ‘cooked to death’. The same is true for Schools and Colleges (and other organizations too) failing to recognize the impact of a gradual rise in risks, threats, incidents, headlines, settlements and tragedies. As student safety incidents and tragedies become more common in the headlines, several common excuses from School Officials and College Officials indicate many may notRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, School Safety

  Questions Reveal Answers   IF old school advice and hundreds and hundreds of stop bullying programs/curriculums were the solution – why would the CDC cite bullying and suicide as a significant public health problem? http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying-suicide-translation-final-a.pdf   IF old school advice and stop bullying programs/curriculums were the solution, why would a 2013 Student Survey of nearly 4,500 students in schools across 19 states reveal that 85% of students witness/experience bullying in their schools? https://www.awareity.com/public/StudentSafetyReport.asp   IF millions and millions of dollars spent on security products was the solution – shouldn’t campus and community violence prevention be millions of times better? Do school/college leaders believe theyRead More →

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Rick Shaw, President and CEO of Awareity, has been selected as the risk management session chair at the upcoming Annual Pan‐Pacific Conference in Sakai City, Osaka, Japan, June 2‐5, 2014. This year’s conference theme is “Designing the Shared Future through Co‐Creation”. Now in its 31st year, the Pan‐Pacific Business Association provides a forum for scholars, executives, and government officials from Pacific‐Rim countries to discuss important issues relating to a better quality of life in this region. Management scholars and practioners will assess the adaptability of various new management innovations to their own business environments. Shaw will join 3 other experts in a special session onRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Uncategorized

  The Prevention Gapidemic and Connecting the Dots Shootings:  Twenty-eight innocent students and staff members were killed in 44 U.S.A. school shootings in the 14 months following the tragedy at Sandy Hook. Stabbings: Multiple stabbings in Canada, China and USA, including 16-year-old student in PA who stabbed 21 students and an adult — leaving four seriously injured.   In a 2013 Student Safety Survey – 37% of students said they were aware of an individual that poses a potential risk to their school.  (scary by itself and even scarier since most school officials don’t know) https://www.awareity.com/public/StudentSafetyReport.asp Bullying & Suicide:  The CDC (Centers for Disease ControlRead More →

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In: Research

I am being bullied. I talked to my school and nothing happened. What can I do? This student guide has been created to help you and your classmates make a real difference with proactive actions… This is not your average bully guide…We will not tell you “kids will be kids” or “bullying is a rite of passage”. To request your guide, click here.Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Education, School Safety

  Earlier this month, an elementary school in Buncombe County, N.C., banned 9-year-old Grayson Bruce from carrying his My Little Pony backpack, saying it triggered bullying. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/03/18/my-little-pony-backpack-banned-school-north-carolina/6565425/ According to the student’s mother, one of the school counselor’s suggestions was to hide it. “If you have something like this you’re asking for trouble.” Think about it…BANNING is actually teaching and reinforcing intolerance, BANNING is not helping youth learn how to be tolerant and inclusive. If a school bans My Little Pony backpacks because it might lead to bullying, what’s next?  Banning students with red hair, banning students who are overweight, banning students in wheel chairs andRead More →