A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Contact: Julie Green, ED
(202) 401-3026

Gregory King, DOJ
(202) 514-2008

DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION AND JUSTICE ISSUE
FIRST ANNUAL REPORT ON SCHOOL SAFETY

In the first effort to present an accurate and comprehensive picture of the nature and scope of crime and violence on school property, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice's Annual Report on School Safety shows declining overall school crime, a stable victimization rate of serious violent crime and a reduction in the number of students carrying weapons to school. However, the report also details crimes in school against both teachers and students, points to a growing gang presence in schools, and notes that more students today are fearful in schools than in the past.

"This comprehensive report proves that the vast majority of America's schools are still among the safest places for young people to be," said U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley. "We can also take some satisfaction that the tough measures to keep guns out of schools are having a real impact. Even one incident of crime in a school is too many, and I especially worry about the increasing presence of gangs in school. I encourage parents, educators and entire communities to use this report as a tool to help them find solutions to address this important issue in a comprehensive way that best meets their local needs."

"All of us must take the issue of school safety seriously," said Attorney General Janet Reno. "We cannot rest until every child is safe at school and in the community."

In addition to findings on the nature and extent of school crime nationwide and in states and cities, the report presents steps for schools, parents, businesses, communities and elected officials to use to develop and implement their own comprehensive school safety plan and lists resources that schools and communities can use to obtain more information about school crime and safety issues. It also describes model programs that reflect proven solutions that schools across the nation are using to address a wide variety of issues that can lead to incidents of school violence.

Specific findings of the Annual Report on School Safety show that:

• Schools are basically safe places. 43% of schools reported no incidents of crime. Ninety percent of schools reported no incidents of serious violent crime (defined as physical attack or fight with a weapon, rape, robbery, murder or suicide). 47% reported at least one less serious or nonviolent crime, and ten percent reported one or more incidents of serious violent crime.

• Despite recent occurrences, schools should not be singled out as especially dangerous places in a community. Most school crime is theft, not serious violent crime. In 1996, theft accounted for 62% of all crime against students at school. In 1996, about 26 of every 1,000 students (ages 12-18) were victims of serious violent crimes away from school in contrast to about 10 of every 1,000 students at school or going to and from school.

• Homicides in school are extremely rare events. While the number of multiple-victim homicide events at schools has increased from two in 1992-93 to six in 1997-98, and the number of victims has increased from four in 1992-1993 to 16 in 1997-98, the overall number of violent deaths of students at school has remained steady.

• Teachers' concern about their own safety are not without foundation. On average from 1992-1996, as reported by teachers in public and private schools, approximately 30 violent crimes and 46 thefts occurred for every 1,000 teachers.

• Students in school today are not significantly more likely to be victimized than in previous years. The overall school crime rate declined between 1993-1996 from 164 to 128 school-related crimes for every 1,000 students (ages 12-18). Crime victimization outside of school declined from about 140 to 117 crimes for every 1,000 students during the same time period.

• Fewer students are bringing weapons to school and there are consequences for those who do. Between 1993-1997 there was an overall decline from 12% to nine percent among students in grades 9-12 who reported carrying a weapon to school in the previous month. In 1996-97, states and territories expelled 6,093 students for bringing firearms to school.

• Some conditions, including the presence of gangs in schools, make students and teachers more vulnerable to school crime. Between 1989 and 1995 the percentage of students who reported street gangs present at their schools increased from 15 to 28%, with increases reported in urban, suburban and rural schools.

• A majority of schools nationwide are implementing some type of security measure on their campuses. Measures range from zero tolerance policies for firearms, alcohol and drugs to controlled access to school buildings and grounds to requiring visitors to sign in before entering school facilities. In 1996-97, 96% of public schools reported having some type of security measure in place. In addition, the new statistical study referenced in the Annual Report on School Safety, Indicators of School Crime and Safety 1998, is the first in a series of annual reports on school crime and safety from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. This report presents the latest available data on school crime and student safety and describes the characteristics of the victims of these crimes.

  The Annual Report on School Safety can be found on the Internet at www.ed.gov/offices/OSDFS or by calling 1-877-4ED-PUBS. Indicators of School Crime and Safety 1998 is available through NCES at www.nces.ed.gov or 1-877-4ED-PUBS or BJS at www.ojp.usdoj/bjs or 1-800-732-3277.

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