As a parent, your child's safety and well-being are always at the top of your mind - especially when you send them off to school each day. While schools have a fundamental responsibility to provide a safe learning environment, accidents can still happen. Scraped knees from playground falls, bumps and bruises from sports activities, and other minor injuries are common in childhood. But what about when a school injury is more serious?
At Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet, our Kansas City serious child injury lawyers have seen firsthand the devastating impact a severe school injury can have on a child and their family. We believe that informed, proactive parents are critical to the student safety puzzle. While no parent can completely erase the risk of school injuries, there are steps you can take to promote your child’s safety - and be prepared if an injury does occur.
Engage in Open Conversations About School Safety
It’s important to regularly communicate with your child about school safety. Talking with them about safety issues with your child can give them the knowledge and confidence they need to be able to navigate potentially dangerous situations and prevent injuries. It’s important to:
Encourage Reporting Safety Concerns
Teach your child to promptly report any unsafe conditions, such as broken playground equipment or slippery floors, to a teacher or administrator. Emphasize that speaking up about safety issues is not tattling. Instead, it's an example of being responsible.
Discuss Bullying
Know the school's policy on bullying and talk to your child about it, both from the perspective of what to do if they are targeted by a bully or if they see someone else being bullied. Encourage them to tell an adult if they're being bullied or if they witness another child being mistreated, and be sure to reinforce that they won't be in trouble for reporting bullying.
Practice Appropriate Responses
Use age-appropriate role-playing to help your child practice how they would respond in various safety-related scenarios, such as being offered a ride home by a stranger or seeing a classmate bring a weapon to school. This can help you coach them on how to handle these difficult situations and prepare them to make wise decisions in the event of an incident.
Watch for Red Flags
Pay attention to red flags in your child’s behavior that may indicate they’re facing difficulties at school. For example, if your child seems uncharacteristically reluctant to go to school, complains of frequent headaches or stomachaches, or exhibits changes in eating or sleeping habits, these could be signs of an underlying safety issue, like bullying.
Know the School's Safety Policies and Procedures
As a parent, you have a right to be aware of what precautions your child’s school is taking to ensure student safety. Start by getting familiar with the school’s safety protocols. Speak up if any of them are unclear or concerning. Make sure you know about:
Emergency Response Plans
Ensure you know the school’s procedures for handling emergencies such as a fire, severe weather, or a security threat. Find out if there are regular drills to prepare students and staff, and ask what you can do to help ensure your child knows what to do in the event of an emergency.
Visitor Policies
Educate yourself about the school’s visitor policies, such as what procedure visitors are required to follow before being allowed entry to the school. Are they required to check in at the main office and wear visible identification? If you know this information, you can help prepare your child to recognize an unauthorized visitor quickly.
Playground Safety
Schools are responsible for properly maintaining playground equipment. Find out if the playground structures at your child’s school are regularly inspected and properly maintained. You should also ensure that there is adequate adult supervision during recess.
Bullying Prevention
Bullying can pose a significant risk to schoolchildren. Take the time to educate yourself about the school’s policy on bullying, including how incidents are reported and addressed. Ask what programs are in place to promote a positive school climate.
Health Protocols
As a parent, you should be aware of how the school handles student illnesses or injuries. For example, do they have a full-time nurse on staff, and what procedure is followed for administering medications to kids at school?
Promote Safety During Sports and Physical Activities
Sports and physical education classes are highlights of the school day for many Kansas City students. But these activities also present injury risks. To help keep your child safe:
Ensure Your Child Uses Appropriate Equipment
Make sure your child has well-fitting, sport-appropriate protective gear, such as helmets, pads, and supportive footwear. Ask the coach or a sporting goods retailer for guidance if you're unsure what's needed.
Advocate for Qualified Coaching
Verify that your child's coaches are trained in first aid and CPR. They should also be well-versed in the rules and safety precautions of the particular sport.
Encourage Warm-Ups and Cool-Downs
Teach your child the importance of warming up muscles before vigorous activity and cooling down afterward. Coaches should incorporate these elements into team practice. If they do not, it is a good idea to raise your concerns with school leadership.
Promote Hydration
Sports-related injuries in children are often related to dehydration. Send your child to school with a refillable water bottle and encourage them to drink before, during, and after sports and active play. Educate them on the signs of dehydration, such as thirst, dry mouth, headache, and dizziness.
Discourage Pushing Through Pain
Teach your child to listen to their body. If they're injured or in pain, they need to stop the activity and seek help, not try to push through the discomfort.
Know Your Rights and Options If Your Child Is Injured
By teaching your child good safety habits, you're empowering them to actively prevent and promptly address injuries. However, even with the best preparations, school injuries can and do occur. If your child is injured at school, remember - this is not your fault. Student safety is the school's responsibility. After taking care of your child's immediate medical needs, be sure to:
Document Everything
Write down your recollections of what occurred while the details are fresh in your mind. Keep complete records of your child’s medical appointments, diagnoses, treatments, and expenses related to the injury.
Ask for a Detailed Account
Request a written incident report from the school explaining how your child was injured. Obtain contact information for any teachers, staff members, or students who witnessed the incident.
Follow Up With the School
Ask the principal or another school official what actions are being taken to keep similar incidents from happening in the future. A school leadership team member should be willing to discuss the situation and their corrective actions with you.
Consult With a Child Injury Attorney
If your child was seriously injured at school and you suspect that their injury resulted from the school's negligence, it’s important to seek legal advice from an attorney with experience handling child injury cases. At Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet, our Kansas City serious child injury lawyers understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll a serious school injury can take on a child and their family. Our team is here to assess your case, help you understand your rights, and advise you on potential next steps.