Bureau of Justice Statistics Fact Sheet Revised 4/20/99 October 15, 1998 BJS 202/307-0784 JOINT JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT REPORT SHOWS MOST CRIME AGAINST STUDENTS OCCURS AWAY FROM SCHOOLS WASHINGTON, D.C.--Key indicators of school crime and safety show that few of the murders and suicides of youth occur at school; students are victims of fewer nonfatal crimes of serious violence (rape, robbery or aggravated assault) at school than when they are away from school; and most schools did not report any serious violent crimes to police in 1996. These were major findings presented in a joint report on school crime and safety released today by the Departments of Justice and Education. During the 1992-94 school years (the most recent for which data were available), 76 students were murdered or committed suicide at school. By contrast, in the 1992-93 calendar years combined, more than 7,000 juveniles age 5-19 were murdered and more than 4,000 committed suicide in all locations. In 1996 students age 12-18 were victims of about 225,000 incidents of nonfatal serious violent crime at school and about 671,000 incidents away from school. (This sentence was revised 4/20/99) In 1996-97, 10 percent of all public schools reported at least one serious violent crime (murder, rape or other type of sexual battery, suicide, physical attack, robbery or fight with a weapon) to the police or a law enforcement representative. Another 47 percent reported at least one less serious violent or nonviolent crime. The remaining 43 percent of public schools did not report any of these crimes to the police. The report was produced to provide source material for the statistical section of the Annual Report on School Safety: 1998, to be released on October 15. President Clinton directed that the Attorney General and Secretary of Education issue a report annually to provide information that educators and parents can use to address their school crime problems. The report on indicators of school crime and safety drew on data from a comprehensive array of sources to present the perspectives of students, teachers, principals and the general population. Data for crime away from school are also presented to place school crime in the context the larger society. Among other findings presented by the report: The percentage of 12th graders injured in violence at school has not changed over the 20-year period, 1976-96, although the percentage threatened with injury showed a very slight overall upward trend. Elementary schools were much less likely than either middle or high schools to report any type of crime to the police in 1996-97. They were much more likely to report vandalism (31 percent) than any of the other crimes (19 percent or less). The report includes findings related to victimization of teachers in school as well as school environment. Middle school or junior high school teachers are the most vulnerable to violent crime, and elementary school teachers the least vulnerable, although most such crimes were simple assaults. Over the 5-year period 1992-96, teachers overall were victims of about 316,000 nonfatal violent and property crimes per year at school, including 18,000 serious violent crimes. Students reported a mixed picture of their school environment associated with crime and safety, with increased percentages over time of: --students avoiding places at school out of fear --reported gang presence --seniors using marijuana and stimulants at school and decreased percentages of-- --male seniors carrying a weapon at school --seniors drinking at school --seniors taking drugs at school. Because the report relied on so many different data sources, many of the indicators refer to different time periods and present findings for different sets of people, and may utilize different definitions for key terms. The report, "Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 1998" was written by Phillip Kaufman, Xianglei Chen and Susan P. Choy of MPR Associates, Inc.; Kathryn A. Chandler and Christopher D. Chapman of NCES, and Michael R. Rand and Cheryl Ringel of BJS. Single copies may be obtained from the BJS fax-on-demand system by dialing 301/519-5550, listening to the menu, and selecting document numbers 130 through 134. Printed copies are available and may be ordered by calling the BJS Clearinghouse at 1-800/732-3277 (order number NCJ 172215) or by calling EDPubs at 1-877/4ED-PUBS (order number NCES 98-251). The report can also be downloaded from the BJS and NCES web sites: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/iscs98.htm http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=98251 Additional criminal justice materials can be obtained from the Office of Justice Programs homepage at: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov BJS After hours contact: Stu Smith, 301-983-9354 (end of file)