1 + 1 = Crime prevention in school
As an educator I used to dread August because of all the back to school ads. Why were we rushing summer? Now that the ads have officially begun I guess it’s time to think about how schools can advance the work of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council and its community partners in informing the public and creating momentum for keeping communities safe and thriving. I’m not proposing yet another “add-on” to an overburdened school system that is sometimes seen as the place to solve society’s ills. Schools can help, but we can’t expect teachers to carry the load regarding things like recycling, social justice, bullying, gangs and other worthwhile causes. Rather, we need to partner with them and build upon opportunities that already exist within the curriculum.
For instance, students at the secondary level often wonder about the relevance of Mathematics, frequently asking teachers “when am I ever going to use this in real life?” Here’s a thought…with the recent publication of the latest crime rate statistics from StatsCan and the media attention given to the decline in crime with some notable exceptions, why is there still a significant proportion of the population worried about crime? How can the rates of crime and their severity be graphed? What can explain the differences in regions? How can we compare them visually? Can we broaden the discussion through an interdisciplinary approach with History, Sociology or Philosophy classes working with Math classes to analyze data and formulate possible interventions that may be less costly than incarceration? What are the costs of incarceration vs early intervention? Can these be graphed? What about the rate of recidivism for certain crimes? Using the interdisciplinary approach, teachers from diverse subject areas work together to create a seamless and timely approach to learning using current events and materials. Guest speakers could also be brought in and debates staged so that students begin to develop a deeper awareness not only of the issues, but the use of language to effectively message a position.
Single discipline courses like History, Philosophy and Sociology offer several opportunities to discuss social and government policy that can be related to issues of crime prevention such as corrections, roots of crime, gangs, sentencing and the political responses to fear of crime. Not only will students better appreciate the complexity of these issues related to the core curriculum they must cover, but they will have the added benefit of becoming better informed voters. Teachers can devote a few minutes at the beginning of the day or each class to discuss current events. Technology exists to bring up online versions of major newspapers or other media outlets so that students who don’t have access to a daily paper or device can view breaking news. A few minutes each week, if not every day, will add variety to the lesson and engage students by helping them see the relevance of their learning. As a History teacher, students used to revel in getting me ‘off topic’ but to a History teacher who sees History as the totality of human experience, he/she can easily tie events together with the current day’s lesson.
Many schools already partner with local agencies in offering programs on emotions management, anti-bullying, roots of empathy, what some might call “soft skills”. Emotional self-regulation and awareness of our actions, along with an understanding of the adolescent brain help students appreciate the gifts and challenges this age brings. Youth crime can often be attributed to a lack of emotional management directly attributed to their still developing brains. How else to explain the phenomenon of ‘sexting” where young people send sexually explicit images of themselves, unaware that once out “there” they can be forwarded to others, making this a criminal offence? Not only that, but photos of this type never really disappear and may come back to haunt the young (or even older person, Anthony Weiner for example). Working with police and other agencies students themselves can take the lead in educating their peers about the dangers and consequences of the dark side of social media. Online bullying is yet another example and schools can play a role in reducing the rate of these occurrences.
Schools offer several occasions for healthy choices in terms of teams, arts, volunteer activities, social justice initiatives and so on. These help fill the void of boredom that can be a precursor to criminal activity.
There are several more avenues for schools and crime prevention networks to work together to create safe and caring communities. But, it’s can’t be up to schools alone. What can you do to help?
Author: Frank Johnson is a regular guest writer for Smart on Crime in Waterloo Region. Frank is a retired principal with the local Catholic school board, a dad, and sometimes runner who possesses an irreverent sense of humour that periodically gets him in trouble. He lives in Waterloo, Ontario.
Frank Johnson’s writing reflects his own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views or official positions of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.