NCJ Number
110567
Journal
School Safety Dated: (Winter 1988) Pages: 12-15
Date Published
1988
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Adults should balance their use of power and their use of control to promote a sense of emotional safety in children to help them resolve emotional and developmental challenges, develop self-control, and avoid antisocial behavior.
Abstract
Children who feel unsafe also fear being humiliated, diminished, or set up to be abandoned and will disguise their feelings and engage in extreme behavior to protect themselves from possible loss or injury. Children's physical and emotional surroundings are both critical to their sense of themselves and their ability to control their feelings. Adults must teach children that angry feelings are acceptable, that angry feelings do not need to lead to action, and that appropriate ways exist to express anger. Adults must also establish clear boundaries, separating their issues and feelings from those of the children with whom they work. Finally, adults must also be willing to work with one another to establish all the elements that create a sense of safety for children. Thus, they should create support in the form of peer groups, conduct inservice training, and provide speakers for parents about the difficult issues of raising children. 5 references.