School Violence and Disruption

Concerns over school violence in the United States date from the late 1970s, with the issuance of the 1978 report, Violent Schools—Safe Schools: The Safe School Study Report to Congress. That report found that (a) about 25% of U.S. schools experienced vandalism, (b) 1.3% of students were victims of personal [Page 881]attack, (c) 11% of students were victims of theft, and (d) 8% of secondary students missed a day of school per month out of fear for personal safety. Widespread dissemination of these statistics led to increased public and policymaker focus on school violence. A subsequent federal report in 1984, Disorder in Our Public Schools, cited continuing problems with school disorder nationally, leading to the passage of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Act of 1986. By the early 1990s, school violence in the United States was perceived to have reached epidemic proportions. National attention was riveted on increasingly disturbing statistics in the early 1990s showing rising school violence, and seemingly endless school shootings throughout the 1990s, culminating with the Columbine High School shootings of April 1999. These developments, as well as events in the first 6 years of the new century, may be considered in terms of a complex nexus of issues and influences.

This entry begins with an overview of data on school violence from the early 1990s through the early 2000s. Issues of data collection and measurement are discussed with primary attention to national-level data. Dimensions of school violence and disruption (e.g., bullying) are examined, followed by a summary of research on school violence prevention. The entry concludes with a discussion of key controversies and ongoing challenges to the field.

Trends in School Violence and Disruption

There has been a pronounced decline in several measures of school violence and disruption from the mid-1990s through the early 2000s according to several measures, including data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (see Figure 1).

Some indicators suggest that a new, albeit lower level of violence has been reached. Other measures suggest a lesser decline over the years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) reports a significant reduction from 1993 to 2005 in students fighting in school and bringing weapons to school (see Figure 2).

A slightly different picture of stable, or slightly increasing, trends emerges, looking at the percentage of students who reported being threatened or injured with a weapon at school, and missing school due to safety concerns (see Figure 3).

In sum, the data suggest that school violence and disruption diminished over the period of 1993–2005, but that serious problems remain.

Figure 1 Rate of Student-Reported Violent Crimes Against Students at and Away From School

Source: Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2006, National Center for Education Statistics.

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Figure 2 Percentage of Respondents Reporting Fights at School or Weapons Brought to School

Source: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1993–2005): Fights at School; Weapons Brought to School. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Figure 3 Percentage of Respondents Reporting Being Threatened/Injured With a Weapon or Having Missed School Due to Safety Concerns

Source: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1993–2005): Threatened/Injured With Weapon; Missed School Due to Safety Concerns. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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