NCES releases new indicator report on school crime

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The total at-school crime and theft victimization rates of students ages 12 to 18 declined between 2007 and 2008, according to Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2010, a new report jointly released by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

The report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school and presents data on crime and safety at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, and principals, drawing from an array of sources.

The Indicators of School Crime and Safety provides the most current detailed statistical information on the nature of crime in schools and school environments and responses to violence and crime at school. It also presents data on crime away from school to place school crime in the context of crime in the larger society. The report covers topics such as victimization, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, and student perceptions of personal safety at school.

Key findings from this year’s report include:

• The total crime victimization rate of students ages 12 to 18 at school declined from 57 victimizations per 1,000 students in 2007 to 47 victimizations per 1,000 students in 2008.

• Between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009, there were 38 school-associated violent deaths (24 were homicides, and 14 were suicides) involving staff, students or other persons, such as parents. School-associated violent deaths occurred while the victim was on the way to or from regular sessions at school, or while attending or traveling to or from a school-sponsored event. During this time period, 15 of the homicides and 7 of the suicides were among school age youth at school.

• In 2009, 31 percent of students in grades 9–12 reported they had been in a physical fight at least one time during the previous 12 months anywhere, and 11 percent said they had been in a fight on school property during the previous 12 months. Generally, a higher percentage of 9th grade students reported having been in fights both anywhere and on school property, when compared to high school students in higher grades.

• In 2007–08, 34 percent of teachers agreed or strongly agreed that student misbehavior interfered with their teaching, and 32 percent reported that student tardiness and class cutting interfered with their teaching.

• In 2009, 21 percent of high school students (grades 9–12) reported using marijuana anywhere in the past 30 days, while 5 percent reported using marijuana on school property.

This report is a product of the National Center for Education Statistics at the Institute of Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Education and the Bureau of Justice Statistics at the Office of Justice Programs, part of the U.S. Department of Justice. The full text of Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2010 (in HTML format), along with related data tables and indicators from previous years, can be viewed here.