Why i Want to be a Safety Patrol

Introduction

Safety patrols are student organizations that are sanctioned in many elementary and middle schools. They are responsible for providing student traffic control, monitoring hallways, and recess, as well as other various assisting roles within the school. Environments that are characterized in programs involving safety patrols are early adolescence developmental settings. Early adolescence programs were a response to significant traffic problems created by the increased numbers of students now attending schools, as well as a safety concern for these students. The original intent of this organization was simply to promote safety for student pedestrians.

In the ensuing years, the idea of having youngsters sign up to help promote greater levels of safety and responsibility among fellow students took off and is still evolving. Safety patrols can fill in temporary or often even permanent help gaps that may exist regarding school safety.

The goal of safety patrol programs is to develop greater responsibility among young people and better safety awareness in the occupants of the safety patrollers’ cars. Safety patrolling is made up of several orchestrated teams from each school, with generally each team of children made up of two teams consisting of a captain and a lieutenant. The subordinate ranking officer leads the patrol and generally helps to provide guidance and suggestions for the chief lieutenant to effectively solve operational problems and also deal with the officer corps as necessary. The safety patrol teams are trained well in advance of service. Often, schools may train them during the summer or during the first few days of the fall. These patrols are volunteers who must complete an application form to be selected and must meet specific eligibility requirements. All volunteers must possess leadership skills and demonstrate responsible citizenship.

Benefits

There are various benefits to being a member of a safety patrol team. For one, being a part of a safety patrol group helps develop leadership skills and increase self-confidence in children. Not only are safety patrols instrumental in creating and maintaining a safe atmosphere in and around your school, but they can also provide safety empowerment for all their classmates. It has been found that a school fostering an environment of safety at an early age becomes a much sought-after institution, as parents believe this preference will also help create a better learning environment by discouraging bullying, teasing, and cheating as the child matures to middle and high school. Another benefit of being involved in the safety patrol is its ability to foster camaraderie. Everybody in safety patrol works as a team, and friendships are quickly formed as everyone is involved in working together towards the same goal. Patrol members also learn to take responsibility and become accountable. Patrol members at many schools assist with safety at arrival into neighboring parking lots. Failure to do one's job, which sometimes keeps classmates from being hit by a car, makes members aware of how paramount they are to all of their classmates' safety. Safety patrols make a very concrete and important contribution to the school. But there are also much broader impacts on the school that being on a safety patrol has. Being a safety patrol is like being at the nucleus of a series of ripples emanating from a stone hitting the water. The energy expands outwards to everything and everyone the water touches.

Skills and Values Developed as a Safety Patrol

Research shows that safety patrols develop important skills. Such organizational abilities are important for administrators, business leaders, and management of non-profit organizations. The chance for students to develop these skills early in life increases the likelihood of their early success. The student leaders for the club noted that students need effective communication skills when directing fellow students participating in the organization. Those in charge need to be "able to communicate well, to show and explain to everyone who is involved with what they need to be doing." Research also endorses problem solving and decision making as essential for leadership roles in organizations. Adolescents need to practice problem solving and decision making in order to increase the likelihood they will become effective leaders.

Safety patrols also develop important values. They list ten positive values for elementary school children. These include learning to keep one’s word if a commitment has been made and showing respect to others. The student leaders of the safety patrol spent time self-reflecting and identified the following words that represent their desired leadership behavior. Encourage leaders believe in self and encourage others. Punctual, on time and ready to work. Integrity means "doing what is right, even when no one might find out and keeping your word if you promised something and letting people count on you." Service means putting "others ahead of yourself" and responsibility means doing what is expected and concentrating on your duties. The early development of the aforementioned skills and values is positive for young adolescents. Academic performance has been shown to improve when students hold active leadership roles in secondary school. Furthermore, missing adults in schools often transport secondary school age children to and from school. Adolescents who learn the necessary skills there are called upon to operate as monitors in schools across the nation. Academic, social, and emotional skills developed through the safety patrol experience will provide participants with tools that will lead to a more rewarding life for themselves and for the people with whom they interact.

Impact of Safety Patrols on School Communities

Safety patrols play a vital role in a school’s safety program, but their influence transcends the day-to-day operations of a crossing or bus duty. Given responsibility, students rise to the challenge and acquire a sense of accountability for their actions and for those responsibilities. As word of success spreads, others vie to be inducted into Student Traffic Safety Patrol and also pledge to support their own safety programs. As the pool of safety-conscious students grows, they are eager to pass that information on to those brand-new kindergartners, who will then instruct those younger than themselves and so on. All corners of the community begin to coordinate their efforts to promote a culture of safety and collaboration because they realize that they too might need to rely on and trust one of these children in an emergency or even in general. This growing school, parent, and community understanding, partnership, and collaboration is good for kids.

Studies have shown that schools with collaborative programs have experienced a significant reduction in crime, primarily in the areas of weapons, drugs, and bullying. In these schools, everyone, not just adults, is taking responsibility for keeping their school safe. In partnership with various organizations, training has been provided to school resource officers in safety patrol advisor development. We are using case studies to show not just evidence on crossing and bus incidents that show a decrease in injuries but also the growing understanding of the importance of these everyday students who teach us all about the basics and the importance of teamwork and collaboration in our communities.

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