Schools and Playgrounds
These days when you hear people talk about school safety, they're usually referring to recent violence. However, studies indicate that school-age children are nine times more likely to sustain an unintentional injury than to be the victim of violence while at school. In fact, an estimated 2.2 million children ages 14 and under sustain school-related injuries each year, and in elementary schools 80 percent of students will see a school nurse for an injury-related complaint over a two year period.
But parents who do their homework about why and how kids are getting hurt can help keep their children safe. Knowledge is power: knowing what kind of playground surface your school needs, what should be included in any organized sports program, how to help kids stay safe when riding the bus and other tips you'll find in the links below could save your children from serious injuries ? or even save their lives.
On this Page:
Also, check out these National Safe Kids® links if your children walk, bike or ride in cars to school.
Why Kids Are at Risk:
More than 53 million children in the United States spend almost one-fourth of their total waking hours in school or on school property. So it's not surprising that an estimated 10 to 25 percent of the more than 14 million unintentional injuries sustained by children each year occur in and around schools. The most common sites of injury are on playgrounds, in physical education classes and organized sports activities, and around school buses.
Playground Risks:
Playground injury is the most common school-related injury among children ages 5 to 14. Most of these injuries (79 percent) involve falls. Falls also account for 90 percent of the most severe playground equipment-related injuries (typically head injuries and fractures) and 24 percent of playground-related fatalities. The risk of injury is four times greater if a child falls from playground equipment that is more than 1.5 meters high (approximately 5 feet).
Strangulation, typically occurring when children's clothing becomes tangled or when kids become trapped in equipment, is a serious playground risk. Strangulation accounts for nearly half of all playground equipment-related deaths.
Whatever the cause, kids are at greater risk of injury when unsupervised. Lack of supervision is associated with 40 percent of playground injuries. A recent study found that children play without adult supervision more often on school playgrounds (32 percent of the time) than on playgrounds in parks or childcare centers. Young children who play on equipment designed for older kids are also at increased risk.
Sports-Related Risks:
Sports injury can be serious: almost 75 percent of all school-related spinal cord injuries occur during sports. Among organized school sports, football has the highest injury rate, followed by basketball, baseball, wrestling and gymnastics. Most organized sports-related injuries (60 percent) occur during practice rather than during games. Yet a recent National SAFE KIDS Campaign survey indicated that most kids and parents do not take the same safety precautions during practice as they do for a game. The majority of sports injuries result from falls, collisions, being struck by objects or overexertion.
Although risk of injury is proportionally greater for students playing school sports, physical education classes result in a greater total number of injuries. For more information on how to help your kids play safely, check out the National Safe Kids® Sports Safety Tips & Resources.
School Bus-Related Risks:
School buses are one of the safest ways to travel to and from school. Still, an estimated 6,000 children were injured in school bus-related incidents in 1998. Ninety percent of those nonfatally injured were occupants. In 1999, however, pedestrians accounted for 55 percent of the school bus-related deaths.
Many injuries occur when children are boarding or exiting the school bus, because the driver has a "blind spot" that extends approximately 10 feet around the bus. Children ? especially younger children ? may not be aware of this blind spot and may mistakenly believe that if they can see the bus, the bus driver can see them. Most school bus-related pedestrian deaths occur in the afternoon ? 42 percent between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Other Risk Factors:
- Older children (ages 10 to 14) account for 46 percent of school-related injuries.
- Boys are three times more likely to sustain a school-related injury than girls. Male children also account for 62 percent of playground-related deaths.
- More than half of all school-age pedestrians killed in school bus-related crashes are between the ages of 5 and 7.
Protecting Your Family:
"What did you do in school today?"
Being aware and involved makes a big difference in protecting your children from school-related injuries. Since most of us can't be with our kids throughout the school day, SAFE KIDS recommends that you advocate for safer practices and teach your child how to protect him- or herself.
Eliminate Potential Hazards:
- Check playgrounds where your children play. Look for age-appropriate equipment and hazards such as rusted or broken equipment and dangerous surfaces. Report any hazards to the school or municipality.
- Remove hood and neck drawstrings from all children's outerwear to avoid strangulation hazards on playgrounds.
- Make sure children remove bike helmets before using any playground equipment.
- If your child is involved in a sports program, talk to the coordinator or coach to make sure the following are included: proper physical and psychological conditioning, appropriate safety equipment, a safe playing environment, adequate adult supervision, enforcement of safety rules, and an emergency medical plan.
- Make sure children playing sports are appropriately grouped according to skill level, weight and physical maturity, especially for contact sports.
Teach Kids Safety:
- Teach children proper playground behavior: no pushing, shoving or crowding. Tell them what equipment is appropriate for their age levels.
- Teach children to arrive at the bus stop early, stay out of the street and avoid horseplay, wait for the bus to come to a complete stop before approaching the street, watch for cars, and avoid the driver's blind spot.
- Remind your children to stay seated at all times and keep their heads and arms inside the bus while riding.
- When exiting the bus, children should remember to wait until the bus comes to a complete stop, exit from the front using the handrail to avoid falls, and cross the street at least 10 feet (or 10 giant steps) in front of the bus.
Protecting Communities:
More than any other risk, school injury is a community issue. The cost of these injuries is astronomical: an estimated $2 billion in medical spending alone each year. The total annual cost of these injuries (including medical spending, lost quality of life and future earnings) exceeds $74 billion.
Some measures are already in place to help you protect your kids from playground-related injuries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other groups have developed playground equipment standards. Although these are voluntary recommendations that are not federally regulated, at least four states ? California, Michigan, North Carolina and Texas ? have enacted playground safety legislation mandating many of these guidelines. You can advocate at the state level for similar guidelines or ask your child's school to make sure its playground conforms to the CPSC standard.
Any actions you take to protect your children from school-related injury can help their classmates, as well. Working with other concerned parents, you can have a tremendous impact.
How You Can Help:
- Advocate at your child's school for loose-fill materials such as hardwood fiber mulch or chips, fine sand or shredded rubber to be maintained at a depth of 12 inches and a minimum of 6 feet in all directions around stationary playground equipment. The risk of being injured in a fall onto a non-impact absorbing surface is more than twice that of falling onto an impact-absorbing surface.
- Ask about your school's maintenance schedule. Playgrounds and all school facilities should be regularly maintained and inspected by qualified personnel.
- Ensure that playground equipment is age-appropriate and that trained supervisors are always present when your children are on the playground. If you can, volunteer to help supervise playground activities.
- Ask if school staff are certified in emergency first aid and CPR. If you're qualified, offer to help train!
- Contact your local SAFE KIDS coalition for resources and advice on how to make a difference for the students at your child's school.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What makes some playgrounds safer than others?
The safest playgrounds are those that are well maintained (no broken, protruding or loose parts) and have ample soft surfacing. Recommended surface materials include hardwood fiber, mulch chips, pea gravel, fine sand and shredded rubber.
Surfacing should be kept at least 12 inches deep and should extend a minimum of 6 feet in all directions around stationary equipment. Avoid playgrounds with asphalt, concrete, grass and soil surfaces under the equipment.
Make sure that children are supervised at all times and that they play on age-appropriate equipment.
- At what age can I allow my child to bicycle to school by herself?
Children under age 10 should never be allowed to ride in the street without adult supervision. Even at age 10, parents must determine if their child has mastered the essential traffic skills.
Whether the path to school involves street riding or not, take the time to plan a safe cycling route with your child and ride it with them. A safe cycling route may not be the same as a safe walking route.
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