Maintaining Safety Nets and Peace for Children and Youth at Risk

Abstract

A safe school environment is conducive for learning at all levels of education. However, schools sometimes enroll children who are generally at risk due to various factors. The chapter discussed how schools and early childhood centers (ECD) can maintain safety and peace for children and youths in their care. By virtue of their age, young children are a population at risk as they depend on adults for their sustenance. A safe environment for children entails physical safety, mental health, social security, and nutrition. The chapter focused on safety nets, strategies/models of maintaining safety, peace projects for children and youths, description of children at risk, stakeholders in maintaining safety, risk factors affecting children and youths. It presents Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory that informs the role of systems surrounding the child in maintaining safety nets and peace. The chapter proffers a model that can be adopted to maintain safety nets and peace.