Poland said little has changed to improve adult-child relationships since the Columbine High School tragedy in April 1999. Safeguarding Our Children emphasizes much of what Poland recommends. Laying the groundwork is essential to fostering positive discipline, academic success, and mental and emotional wellness. The strategies in the manual stress a three-stage model that includes prevention, early intervention, and intensive services to address school safety needs. None of the strategies can be accomplished without a combined team effort involving teachers, mental health professionals, law enforcement officials, parents, and students.
Early intervention is an important part of the model.
School staff and community members need to know the early warning signs, especially with the 10 to 15 percent of children identified as being at risk for severe academic or behavioral problems. The guidebook recommends that warning signs be used to identify at-risk kids for referral purposes to help ensure quick and appropriate response. Getting troubled students immediate help is the last part of the model. The manual explains how schools can develop comprehensive, school-based mental health programs, special education and related services, alternative programs and schools, and other wraparound services. In the guide's introduction, Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and Attorney General Janet Reno warn school staff and communities to be cautious when using the early warning signs so children are not stigmatized, which they say would be counterproductive and harmful.