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Annual Report on School Safety--October 1998
Most schools are safe. In fact, a child is more likely to be a victim of a violent crime in the community or at home than at school. In particular, homicides in school are extremely rare events. However, violence does occur in schools, endangering students and teachers and compromising the learning environment. We must not tolerate any school violence. This report provides a description of the nature and extent of crime and violence on school property, and presents information on how schools and communities can work together to prevent and address school violence.
The data in this report show a decline in school crime and a reduction in the percentage of students carrying weapons to school. At the same time, the data indicate a substantial amount of crime, including violent crime, against both students and teachers. It is also very important to note that students are more fearful at school today than in the past. These conditions highlight the importance of accurately measuring incidents of school crime so that we can improve our school environments and make them safer places.
Schools are responding to the challenge posed by school crime in many ways. They are implementing zero-tolerance policies, increasing school security, and implementing formal school violence prevention or reduction programs. Many schools are working with communities to successfully reduce school crime and violence by adopting a strategy that takes into account the specific safety problems experienced by the school and then identifies appropriate interventions. This problem-solving approach requires the school and community to collaborate to develop and implement a comprehensive school safety plan.
Steps for developing and implementing a comprehensive school safety plan are described in this report: (1) establish school-community partnerships; (2) identify and measure the problem; (3) set measurable goals and objectives; (4) identify appropriate research-based programs and strategies; (5) implement the comprehensive plan; (6) evaluate the plan; and (7) revise the plan on the basis of the evaluation. The report also provides information on what schools, students, parents, business leaders, law enforcement and juvenile justice agencies, and elected officials and government agencies can do to contribute to the creation of safer schools.
Despite recent tragedies that received national attention, schools should not be singled out as especially dangerous places. Rather, schools should be the focus of community collaborations that create safe learning environments for all students.
[Introduction]