GBMC SAFE/DV Community Collaboration: An Inside Look at Student & School Safety

GBMC SAFE & DV Community Collaboration: An Inside Look at Student & School Safety was an extremely informative and important conversation involving a panel of experts. The GBMC Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) & Domestic Violence (DV) Program joined forces with the Maryland Center for School Safety (MCSS) to educate our community on the dangers of social media and gaming, what the MCSS and the GBMC SAFE & DV program are doing to keep students safe, and most importantly, share the perspective of two current students. The GBMC SAFE & DV team serve as subject matter experts for MCSS and provide trainings on important topics like victimization of youth, human trafficking and child abuse/neglect.

Here are the key takeaways from this informational session:

• A School Resource Officer (SRO) is a member of law enforcement but has additional training from MCSS to be able to interact with students regularly. According to the Safe to Learn Act of 2018, it is mandatory to have an SRO or adequate coverage at every public school across the state. If you are a parent of a private school student, the best thing to do is reach out to your school and ask what safety measures they have in place.
• The term “school safety” can be applied to many areas including mental health, social media apps and the dangers that come along with using them, drug use and school threats. Student experts, Jaya and Claire, shared how important it is for parents to know what their children are involved with online and create an open line of trust and communication to keep their children safe.
• Social media comes with many risks, and some of the trends set on social media can be dangerous and even result in criminal charges. It is important to note how quickly something can “go viral” especially on an app like TikTok. Additionally, these apps can create self-esteem and comparison issues for students, which can lead to an increase in mental health problems.
• If a parent or student sees or hears something regarding dangerous activity, whether online or from an in-person conversation, the best thing to do is to report it, don’t share it. The Safe Schools Maryland tip line has three anonymous ways to safely report threats.

The SAFE & DV Program at GBMC continues to educate our community to move the needle toward prevention of crimes of sexual assault and abuse, as well as the dangers of online dating, healthy relationships and more. All training and services provided by the SAFE & DV Program are free of charge, the program relies on donations and community support. Join our loyal supporters by making a donation today.