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Creating Safer Schools

We are constantly reminded that violence and cruelty take place in schools more often than we can keep track of. School shootings, bullying, violence, and unsafe situations can happen in any school and in any neighborhood. One child in four is bullied at school and one in five admits to bullying someone else. In schools where fear and anxiety are the norm, students cannot learn and achieve, but even more critically, they can be in danger.

The goal of this course is to create a school-wide climate in which all students feel safe. Participants will gain an understanding of important danger-signs, learn valuable conflict resolution strategies and the correct ways to implement these strategies, and will discover the necessary tools for creating a safe learning environment.

Carlow University ED 698 • Mercy University EDUT 515

The required text for this course is Can We ensure Safe Schools? A Collaborative Guide on Focused Strategies for School Safety edited by Fern Aefsky.

Graduate participants earn 3 semester hours of graduate credit and will receive a transcript from one of our partner institutions below. Professional development participants will receive a certificate of completion for 45 hours of professional developments credit for face-to-face classes and 60 hours of professional development credit for online classes.

Credit awarded by

Carlow
University

Professional
Development

Course Schedule

2/11/25 - 5/13/25
4/8/25 - 7/8/25
6/10/25 - 9/9/25
8/12/25 - 11/11/25
10/14/25 - 1/13/26
12/9/25 - 3/10/26

Course Schedule

Zoom

1/3-5 & 1/10-12

Millie Rivera

Textbook List FAQs

Outline
Objectives
Partner Universities
Important Information
Student Academic Integrity

Print Online Course Outline Print Face To Face Course Outline

Outline

Introduction:

Content:

Introduction Assignment

Module 1: Overview of Violence Prevention and Conflict Resolution

Contents:

Define violence
Recognize the escalation of violence in today’s schools.
Begin to develop a working definition of bullying.
Recognize the danger of gangs in our schools.
Evaluate the importance of conflict resolution in school.

Module 2: Identifying Different Types of Bullying Behavior

Contents:

Identify characteristics, traits and behaviors of of bullies
Explore the negative consequences of bullying and teasing
Identify the difference between bullying and teasing
Distinguish who bullies are, what makes them tick and what their needs include

Module 3: Victims and the Audience

Contents:

Identify characteristics, traits and behaviors of victims
Identify the different types of victims
Define and understand the nature of collusion and its relationship in the bullying cycle

Module 4: Empowering Children - Strategies for Parents and Teachers

Contents:

Research the reasons some children bully
Discover the behaviors that are present when your child is being bullied
Define strategies to use when you find your child is the bully
Explore strategies to support students that are being more than a bystander
Learn strategies to help children reduce a bully’s power

Module 5: Cyberbullying

Contents:

Discuss how generational differences in perceptions about the uses of the internet contribute to the problem of cyberbullying
Explain the definition of cyberbullying
Evaluate online platforms where cyberbullying can occur
Identify the long term negative effects that cyberbullying can have on students and their families

Module 6: Cyberbullying - Prevention

Contents:

Appraise why children are reluctant to report cyberbullying and steps to encourage reporting in schools
Identify the steps to empower parents to become active in cyberbullying prevention efforts
Identify steps educators can take to prevent cyberbullying in their classrooms and schools
Recognize how to intervene effectively when cyberbullying is reported

Module 7: Identifying Gangs in Our Schools

Contents:

Explain the definition for Gangs
Explore the reasons that kids join gangs
Identify the indicators and risk factors for the formation of gangs

Module 8: Gangs in Our Schools- Intervention and Prevention

Contents:

Discover the variety of gangs and their presence in the United States
Inspect gang symbols
Illustrate intervention and prevention strategies for schools
Construct tips for parents to deal with gang situations

Module 9: Conflict Resolution

Contents:

Compare cooperation and conflict resolution
Employ the principles of cooperative learning
Recognize the value of using perspective talking in resolving conflict
Introduction to conflict resolution and classroom management/discipline
Developing effective “I” Messages and Win-Win Strategies
Defining the Role of Perception

Module 10: Bringing it all Together

Contents:

Formulate a plan for intervention and prevention within your school or community
Construct handouts with knowledge about bullying and gangs to promote prevention

Objectives

Identify the current types of violence in the US today
Identify various types of bullying, including cyberbullying
Develop awareness of the consequences of bullying on the victim
Review research findings relating to the causes and effects of bullying
Discuss the bullying cycle and how it can be addressed
Learn and apply effective strategies for preventing and eliminating bullying both in their classrooms and their schools.
Evaluate online platforms where cyberbullying can occur

Identify the long term negative effects that cyberbullying can have on students and their families
Identify the primary signs of gangs and gang related violence
Determine the reasons that children join gangs
Evaluate gang symbols and presence in the US
Create tips for parents and schools for dealing with gang situations
Employ the principles of cooperative learning
Identify and discuss strategies to create safer schools through conflict resolution

Partner Universities

Our Partners are well-established regionally and nationally accredited colleges and universities, recognized for academic excellence and their commitment to teachers.

Important Information

Online 3-graduate credit courses are 13 weeks in length.

On-site weekend courses are held Friday evening from 6:00pm-9:00pm and Saturday/Sunday, 8:30am-5:30pm.

Weekday courses are Monday-Friday from 8:00am- 6:00pm.

It is the responsibility of the student to check with their state, county, district, or school to ensure that all requirements are being met by the course you're taking.

Check the Partner Universities page for specific university information as well as course numbers which are specific to the university partner.

Students are required to purchase their own textbook, the information for which can be found here. If no book is required it will be specified on the list. We have copies of many of the textbooks should you wish to purchase directly from TEI.

Professional development (PD) participants receive a certificate of completion from TEI for 45 hours of PD credit for face to face classes and 60 hours of PD credit for online classes. These certificates are mailed within one week of the end of the class and reflect the course title, dates of attendance, and credit hour information.

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by our partnering colleges and universities and is subject to academic disciplinary action.