Whereas, every student has a right to attend a school that is safe and secure, one that is free of fear and conducive to learning;

Whereas, everyone, whether a participant or observer, has a right to attend school co-curricular activities, without fear of verbal and or physical violence to themselves and others;

Whereas, the public sees safe schools as an issue requiring attention;

Whereas, reliable data indicate that students are safer at school than away from school; and,

Whereas, the causes for violence are multiple; be it therefore

RESOLVED by the Board of Directors of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals that:

• school administrators must implement "zero tolerance" policies consistently, fairly and responsibly; ("Zero Tolerance" means a school or district policy mandating consistently applied processes and consequences for various student offenses [i.e., violence, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and weapons]); and
• principals must use the school's student leadership groups and student meetings to obtain ideas to develop a safe and caring school environment ; and
  
• school leadership teams must conduct school safety audits, share findings with staff, students, school partners and the community, and provide student and staff training for school safety; and
• schools must implement prevention, intervention, apprehension and counseling programs to combat possession of weapons and curb violent behavior; and
• schools must engage parents and community members to develop and implement programs that create violence prevention strategies; and
• school districts must establish violence prevention curriculum, grades K-12; and
• school districts must promote collaboration to ensure continuity in policies and practices; and
• parents have a responsibility to monitor and control their children's viewing and listening habits of media products; and
• schools partner with parents, law enforcement, public and private social service agencies, and other agencies to develop programs and services to foster caring schools and communities; and
• schools partner with the news media to ensure responsible reporting about school safety issues; and
• advertisers take responsible steps to screen the programs they support on the basis of their violent and profane content; and
• the Federal Communications Commission continue its efforts to monitor and provide oversight of broadcasters' programming during prime time and children's viewing hours.

Approved by MASSP Board of Directors May 10, 2000, Lansing, Michigan
Approved by the NASSP Board of Directors February 3, 2000, San Antonio, Texas