Psy.D. Students Address School Safety with Local Officials
Students in the Combined School and Clinical Psychology doctoral program recently presented school safety plans that they developed to the mayor and police chief of Scotch Plains.
Kean Psy.D. students who are studying school violence and related issues recently presented their findings and recommendations to the mayor and police chief of Scotch Plains.
The students from the Combined School and Clinical Psychology doctoral program researched a broad range of issues that contribute to the safety of children in school, including infectious diseases, mental health, substance abuse, bullying and overuse of technology.
“It was fascinating to read what they had done,” Mayor Al Smith said. “It was a very thorough job.”
Their recommendations include limiting time spent on technology and working with parents to assist in following through at home. The Kean students said that the practice would give children time for community involvement and to build friendships.
“This a critical issue in every school district,” said Associate Professor Ann Walko, Ed.D., who teaches the Advanced Concepts in Public Administration course. “These students took a deep dive into the subject and came up with recommendations that we hope will be helpful to the Township of Scotch Plains, but which will also guide them in their careers. As school psychologists, they will be in a position to contribute to school safety in a very meaningful way.”
Another recommendation calls for a psychologist in every school.
“Having more psychologists, more people for students to talk to, is important,” said Yael Osman, a Psy.D. student from Teaneck. “It can be challenging for students when they feel like they have nowhere to go, and it could lead them to engage in activities that aren’t good for their future and can be very detrimental.”
The mayor and police chief of Scotch Plains reminded the doctoral students that all good ideas are not practical, either because of the money needed to pay for school safety or because of the restrictions that security measures would place on children.
“We want students to be safe and secure, but we don’t want school to be a prison,” Police Chief Theodore Conley said.
Jared Hammond, a Psy.D. student from Morristown, said the students took a preventative approach to school safety, with a focus on transparency and communication.
“Law enforcement is an integral part of school safety,” he said. “But one of the things we learned is that school psychologists are facilitators — people who can facilitate the sharing of information between children, parents, law enforcement and administrators, and can contribute to open communication.”
The students’ school safety plans also will be forwarded to the federal and state departments of education, which are reviewing the issue. An earlier cohort of students in Walko’s class testified on the subject before U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.