Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2008

• NCJ Number: 226343
• Author(s): Rachel Dinkes, American Institutes for Research; Jana Kemp, American Institutes for Research; Katrina Baum, Ph.D., Bureau of Justice Statistics; Thomas D. Snyder, National Center for Education Statistics
• Date Published: April 2009
• Publication Series: Indicators of School Crime and Safety
• Publication Type: Publication

Annotation

Presents data on crime and safety at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population. A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school.

Abstract

Presents data on crime and safety at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population. A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. It also provides the most current detailed statistical information on the nature of crime in schools, school environments, and responses to violence and crime at school. Data are drawn from several federally funded collections including the National Crime Victimization Survey, Youth Risk Behavior Survey, School Survey on Crime and Safety, and School and Staffing Survey.

Information was gathered from an array of sources including:

- National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) (1992-2006)
- School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (1995, 1991, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007)
- Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007)
- School Survey on Crime and Safety (1999-2000, 2003-04, and 2005-06)
- School and Staffing Survey (1993-94, 1999-2000, and 2003-04)

Highlights

• In 2006, among students ages 1218, there were about 1.7 million victims of nonfatal crimes at school, including 909,500 thefts and 767,000 violent crimes (simple assault and serious violent crime).
• In 2007, 8 percent of students in grades 912 reported being threatened or injured with a weapon in the previous 12 months, and 22 percent reported that illegal drugs were made available to them on school property.
• During the 200506 school year, 86 percent of public schools reported that at least one violent crime, theft, or other
  crime occurred at their school.