Indicator 4: Threats and Injuries With Weapons on School Property

The percentage of students who were threatened or injured with a weapon has fluctuated between 7–9 percent in all survey years from 1993 through 2005.

Every year, some students are threatened or injured with a weapon while they are on school property. The percentage of students victimized in this way provides an important measure of how safe our schools are and how their safety has changed over time. In the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, students in grades 9–12 were asked whether they had been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property during the 12 months preceding the survey. In 2005, some 8 percent of students reported being threatened or injured with a weapon, such as a gun, knife, or club, on school property (table 4.1). The percentage of students who were threatened or injured with a weapon fluctuated between 1993 and 2005 without a clear trend. In all survey years from 1993 through 2005, between 7–9 percent of students reported being threatened or injured in this way.

The likelihood of being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property varied by student characteristics. In each survey year, males were more likely than females to report being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property (figure 4.1 and table 4.1). In 2005, some 10 percent of male students reported being threatened or injured in the past year, compared with 6 percent of female students. In each survey year, students in lower grades were generally more likely to report being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property than those in higher grades (figure 4.2 and table 4.1). Eleven percent of 9thgraders reported that they were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property in 2005, compared with 9 percent of 10th-graders and 6 percent of 11th- and 12th-graders.

Students' likelihood of being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property varied by race/ethnicity in 2005. Hispanic students were more likely than White students to report being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property (10 vs. 7 percent). However, no measurable differences were found in the percentages of Black and White students or Black and Hispanic students who reported being threatened or injured in this way.

In 2005, student reports of being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property varied among states for which data were available. Among states, the percentage of students with such reports ranged from 5 to 12 percent (table 4.2).