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National Criminal Justice Reference Service
Added to archive August 7, 2003
School Violence
Definitions of the term "school violence" range from very limited—for example, relating only to the use of guns in school—to very extensive, including all youth misconduct and the many community and societal influences on such behavior (Preventing School Violence: Plenary Papers of the 1999 Conference on Criminal Justice Research and Evaluation-Enhancing Policy and Practice Through Research). The Center for the Prevention of School Violence defines school violence as "any behavior that violates a school's educational mission or climate of respect or jeopardizes the intent of the school to be free of aggression against persons or property, drugs, weapons, disruptions, and disorder".
Although school shootings have attracted public attention to violence associated with schools, the fact remains that the vast majority of America's schools are safe places. Of all homicides and suicides among children 5-19 years of age, less than 1 percent occur in or around school grounds or on the way to or from school (Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2000). Still, any amount of school violence is intolerable (Federal Activities Addressing Violence in Schools, 2000).
School-based violence prevention efforts can take many forms. They may work to protect students from danger or victimization and may also seek to prevent students from developing or relying on aggressive behavior as a way to solve conflicts (Peaceful Schools, 1998). Such efforts include adopting zero tolerance policies, requiring students to wear uniforms, employing surveillance cameras and metal detectors, and stationing law enforcement and mental health personnel in the schools (Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2000).
Recently, the U.S. Department of Education identified the fundamental qualities of a safe and responsible school:
- The school has strong leadership, caring faculty, family and community involvement that includes law enforcement officials and representatives of community-based organizations, and student participation in the design of programs and policies.
- The physical environment of the school is safe and schoolwide policies are in place to promote and support responsible behaviors.
- Prevention and intervention programs are sustained, coordinated, and comprehensive.
- Interventions are based on careful assessment of student needs.
- Evidence-based approaches are used.
- Staff are provided with training and support to help them implement programs and approaches.
- Interventions are monitored and evaluations are conducted to ensure that the programs are meeting measurable goals and objectives (Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide, 2000).
- Schools that incorporate these characteristics will achieve improved academics, reduced disciplinary referrals and suspensions, greater staff morale, and enhanced safety (Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide, 2000).
The latest information and statistics pulled from a wide variety of school safety publications.
- "Children face a 1 in a million chance of being killed at school. . . the number of children killed by gun violence in schools is about half the number of Americans killed annually by lightning strikes" (School House Hype: School Shootings and the Real Risk Kids Face in America, 1998).
- "School-associated violent deaths decreased by 40 percent between the 1998 and 1999 school years" (School House Hype: Two Years Later, 2000).
- "Less than 1 percent of the more than 2,500 children nationwide who were murdered or committed suicide in the first half of the 1997-98 school year were at school" (Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2002).
- "Between 1995 and 1999, there was a decrease in the percentage of students feeling unsafe while they were at school or on the way to and from school. However, between 1999 and 2001, there was no significant change in the percentage of students feeling unsafe at school or on the way to or from school. (Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2002).
- "Most school crime is theft, not serious violent crime. In 1999, there were 60 thefts for every 1,000 students (ages 12-18) at school. Thefts accounted for about 64 percent of all crime against students at school that year" (Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2001).
- "The percentage of students ages 12 through 18 who reported avoiding one or more places at school for their own safety decreased from 9 percent in 1995 to 5 percent in 1999 and 2001" (Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2002).
- During the 1998-99 school year, 3,523 students were expelled for bringing a firearm to school (Report on State Implementation of the Gun-Free Schools Act: School Year 1998-99).
- "Fifty-five percent of expulsions for bringing firearms to school involved high school students, 33 percent involved junior/middle school students, and 10 percent involved elementary school students" (Report on State Implementation of the Gun-Free Schools Act: School Year 1998-99).
- "Students ages 12-18 were victims of more than 2.5 million total crimes at school in 1999." (Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2001).
- "Youth are far more likely to be victimized by violence than to commit violence" (Less Hype, More Help: Reducing Juvenile Crime, What Works-and What Doesn't, 2000).
- "An estimated 6,451 schools reported at least one violent attack or fight with a weapon to law enforcement personnel during a recent school year" (A National Study of School Environment and Problem Behavior: The National Study of Delinquency Prevention in Schools, 2000).
This document is not necessarily endorsed by the Almanac of Policy Issues. It is being preserved in the Policy Archive for historic reasons.