|
Abstract
|
Overall, throughout the last decade, several crime and safety issues have become less prevalent at elementary and secondary schools. For instance, between 2009
and 2020, the rate of nonfatal criminal victimization (including theft and violent victimization) decreased for students ages 12–18, from 51 to 11 victimizations per 1,000 students. Although the victimization rate at school was already decreasing prior to the coronavirus pandemic, changes to school procedures related to the pandemic coincided with a decrease of more than 60 percent in the victimization rate at school from 2019 to 2020. In addition to the decrease in criminal victimization, student behaviors at school that targeted fellow students were also generally less prevalent compared with a decade ago. Lower percentages of public schools in 2019–20 than in 2009–10 reported that each of the following discipline problems occurred at least once a week: student bullying (15 vs. 23 percent), student sexual harassment of other students (2 vs. 3 percent), and student harassment of other students based on sexual orientation or gender identity (2 vs. 3 percent).
In contrast, there were a total of 93 school shootings with casualties at public and private elementary and secondary schools in 2020–21—the highest number since 2000–01. It is important to note, however, that during the coronavirus pandemic, “school shootings” include those that happened on school property during remote instruction. In addition, cyberbullying and student discipline problems related to teachers and classrooms have become more common over time. Specifically, a higher percentage of public schools reported cyberbullying in 2019–20 than in 2009–10 (16 vs. 8 percent). In addition, higher percentages of public schools in 2019–20 than in 2009–10 reported student verbal abuse of teachers (10 vs. 5 percent), student acts of disrespect for teachers other than verbal abuse (15 vs. 9 percent), and widespread disorder in the classroom
(4 vs. 3 percent).
To maintain and promote discipline, order, and safety, schools across the United States have implemented preventive and responsive measures. For example, in 2019–20, about 52 percent of public schools reported having a written plan for procedures to be performed in the event of a pandemic disease. This percentage was higher than the percentage reported in 2017–18 (46 percent). Additionally, between 2009–10 and 2019–20, the percentage of public schools reporting the use of the following safety and security measures ...
A joint effort by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. This report presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population from an array of sources—the National Crime Victimization Survey, the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, the School Survey on Crime and Safety, the National Teacher and Principal Survey, EDFacts, and the Campus Safety and Security Survey. The report covers topics such as victimization, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, the presence of security staff at school, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety at school, and criminal incidents at post-secondary institutions.
Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2021 provides the most recent national indicators on school crime and safety. The information presented in this report serves as a reference for policymakers and practitioners so that they can develop effective programs and policies aimed at violence and school crime prevention. Accurate information about the nature, extent, and scope of the problem being addressed is essential for developing effective programs and policies.
This is the 24th edition of Indicators of School Crime and Safety, a joint effort of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This report provides summary statistics to inform the nation about current aspects of crime and safety in schools.
Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety includes the most recent available data, compiled from a number of statistical data sources supported by the federal government. Such sources include results from the School-Associated Violent Death Surveillance System, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the National Vital Statistics System sponsored by CDC; the K-12 School Shooting Database, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense; the National Crime Victimization Survey and School Crime Supplement to that survey, sponsored by BJS and NCES, respectively; the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, sponsored by CDC; the School Survey on Crime and Safety, Fast Response Survey System, EDFacts, and National Teacher and Principal Survey, all sponsored by NCES; the Teaching and Learning International Survey, sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; and the Campus Safety and Security Survey, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. |