A Healthy and Safe Environment
8.5 A Healthy and Safe Environment
This section of the report examines the responses of the personnel in education and the public health systems relative to the physical resources and safety of the environment of the school. There are elements of the physical and social environment that can influence or determine the health behaviours of the adolescents in those schools.
A brief selection of the relevant research has been used to develop the criteria for what can be reasonably expected to be in place within the school and public health systems to create and maintain these healthy physical environments. They include:
1.The school
environment is safer when universal hygienic and safety precautions to prevent the
transmission of the HIV virus and other diseases are taken regularly, when there are
regular monitoring procedures to ensure compliance and when updating of school personnel
on these precautions occurs regularly (Smith, 1991).
2.Youth are encouraged to use safer sexual practices when there is easy
access to condoms either in the school or in an accessible place in the community that is
convenient (Otis, 1996; Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, 1998; Otis & Gomez,
1994; St. Onge, nd; Guttmacher et al, 1997).
3.Responsible sexual behaviours are encouraged when there are policies
and procedures in the school that are supported by the parents, the community and public
health personnel to prevent young women from being harassed about sexuality issues in the
school. The climate promoting respect among both genders for sexual issues can assist in
the negotiation and use of safer sexual behaviours (Schultz et al, 1987; Rowe, 1987;
Canadian Public Health Association, 1993).
4.Safer sexual practices are supported when there are policies and
procedures in place in the school that are supported by parents, the community and public
health to ensure that gay, lesbian or bisexual youth are not subject to harassment or
ridicule (Schwartz, 1994; Wright & Thompson, 1990; Martin, 1982; Sears, 1992; Feldman,
1989; Uribe & Halbeck, 1992; Health Canada, 1996; Treadway & Yoakim, 1992;
O’Connor, 1995; Remafedi, 1990).
5.Staff and student attitudes/beliefs about sexuality and HIV can be
conducive to prevention and promotion goals. These attitudes can be assessed and positive
attitudes can be promoted (Otis & Gomez, 1994; O’Hara et al, 1996; Bruce et al,
1990).
6.Parental attitudes/beliefs towards sexuality can be conducive to prevention and promotion goals. These attitudes can be assessed and positive attitudes can be promoted (Shamai & Coombes, 1992).
A Healthy, Safe School Environment
When the AIDS issue became a public concern in the late eighties, considerable attention was given to the introduction of hygienic and safety precautions to prevent the transmission of HIV through blood and other non-sexual forms of transmission. The precautions introduced in those years have become more universal in their application to other infectious diseases and bacteria. This section reviews the results of the study that related to these precautions as well as to other issues such as easy access to condoms and the social factors that promote a safe environment in schools.
The Physical Environment
There are two important aspects of the school physical environment which can have an impact on youth sexual health and behaviours. They are: taking hygienic precautions to prevent the transmission of HIV and youth access to condoms.
Summary of Results Related to the School Physical Environment
Questions asked education and public health respondents in this study indicate that the universal hygienic and safety precautions that prevent HIV transmission are well-established in written policy within the two systems. However, there is little ongoing activity to monitor compliance with these guidelines or to train staff in their use.
Less than 25% of all education and health respondents reported that they are monitoring compliance with guidelines on universal, hygienic precautions that prevent the transmission of HIV. As well, less than 25% of school districts and school principals said that they regularly provide their staff with training in the use of these precautions.
The data reported in this section of the report shows that a minority of public health nurses, health ministries, education ministries, school districts and school principals are publishing studies or facilitating youth access to condoms in or near schools. About 60% of public health units said that they had published studies to promote student access to condom dispensers. About one-quarter of public health nurses said that they encouraged or worked with schools to facilitate easy youth access to condoms.