Studies, Reports, Statistics of School Violence
There are plenty of studies, reports, and statistics of school violence. While the media buzz over violence in schools seems to indicate that the United States has done little to curb violence in schools - the studies show otherwise. The US Department of Education combined with CBS news reported that despite the violent news, 96% of students feel safe in their schools. Students also identified the small percentage of students in their school who were seen as violent or prone to violence. If the students know who is at risk, then why don't the teachers and administrators? The truth is that they do - but until schools implement a critical zero tolerance discipline policy that outlines schools violence - little can be done.
According to national statistics, the student body may be the best place to answer the big questions like whether or not there are weapons in the school. 22% of all students surveyed admitted that they knew of someone in their school who carried a weapon. Considering that among all the studies, reports, and statistics of school violence this one area is the only one that has seen no improvement, it makes sense that schools implement a more stringent safety program.
Many districts use metal detectors or video monitoring to see what is going on in the school. The problem is that these video cameras are not manned regularly and are normally used to gather information when an incident does occur. The key in reducing the statistics of school violence is prevention.
Statistics gathered from major school systems around the United States also indicate that while students feel safe, they see a 50 - 50 chance of a homicide happening in their school. Why? The US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics wanted to answer just this question. The findings were that while more than half of all public elementary and secondary school principals reported at least one incident of crime or violence in their schools. They also report that 10% of ALL schools across the United States had more than one SERIOUS violent crime like rape, murder, sexual battery, suicide, robbery or a fight with a weapon. And while the most highly reported incident of school violence has consistently been fights without weapons - students believe and know that the weapons are there.
The larger the schools, the larger the problems. If you are an educator in a school that houses more than a thousand students, you should seriously breech the subject of school violence with your administrators and community. Teacher resources, worksheets and lessons plans can help by giving students and teachers the tools they need to handle problems in a socially acceptable manner.
Additionally, the raw truth shows that since 1993, incidences of violence are down. In 2007/2008, only one homicide was reported in public schools in the United States. In the report provided by the National center for Education Statistics, it is stated that 90% of all schools experience no violence at all. However, the potential is there - lurking. And if school systems put the brakes on violence prevention programs and don't allow teachers to have the resources they need to educate children about safety - these numbers are sure to rise quickly.