A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

FOR RELEASE
October 19, 1999

Contact:
Melinda Malico (ED) (202) 401-1008
Kara Peterman (DOJ) (202) 514-2007

SCHOOL VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO DECLINE;
MULTIPLE HOMICIDES IN SCHOOLS RISE

Despite heightened public attention following a surge in multiple homicides in schools, overall school crime rates are declining, according to the new 1999 Annual Report on School Safety.

The second annual report was prepared jointly by the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Justice (DOJ) and was released today by President Clinton.

"Although America can be glad that school crime is decreasing," said President Clinton, "we must take firm steps to ensure the safety of all our young people in their communities and in their schools. Congress should finish its work on the juvenile justice conference and finally pass a comprehensive and balanced bill that includes common sense gun provisions that will keep guns out of the hands of children and criminals."

"The nation was subjected to a tragic awakening following the shootings at Columbine High School," Riley said. "While homicides at school are extremely rare events, even one tragedy in our nation's schools is too much. These multiple victim events at schools are extremely troubling, and we must all make it a top priority to ensure that every child is connected to a caring adult. Communities must also implement comprehensive, research-based strategies to prevent school violence, and work with local law enforcement and mental health experts to make sure those strategies address the diverse challenges facing youth today."

"I am pleased that overall crime has gone down in schools across the country and that students continue to be safer in school than out of school," Attorney General Janet Reno said. "We need to continue those efforts which have contributed to this decline and take further steps to address those areas where more improvement is necessary. There is nothing more important than making sure that our schools provide our young people with safe learning environments."

Among the highlights from the report:

• The overall school crime rates declined between 1993 and 1997 from about 155 school-related crimes for every 1,000 students ages 12 through 18 to about 102 crimes in 1997.

• The number of multiple victim homicides at schools increased from one such event in 1994-95 to five in 1997-98.

• In 1997, serious violent crime and theft rates were down from 1993 figures, both at school and away from school. Students ages 12 through 18 were more likely to be victims of serious violent crime away from school (24 of 1,000 students) than in school or traveling to or from school (8 of 1,000).

• Theft, while declining, accounted for 61 percent of all crime against students in 1997. In addition, most crimes against teachers were thefts.

• Between 1993 and 1997, there was a significant decrease in the percentage of high school students who carried a weapon (i.e., club, knife or gun) to school during the previous 30 days. In addition, an estimated 3,930 students were expelled for bringing a firearm to school in 1997-98, down from 5,724 the previous year. [The expulsion finding should be interpreted with caution as some states submitted data for all weapons and not just firearms in 1996-97.]

• Youth and school violence are also issues in other countries. While most 15-year-olds across several countries, including the U.S., had not been in a physical fight during the previous year, and most had not carried a weapon for self-defense in the previous month, the proportion who "always felt safe in school" in 1997-98 ranged widely from more than 50 percent in Norway to about 10 percent in the Czech Republic. Nearly 40 percent of U.S. 15-year-olds always felt safe.

A source of conflict in many schools is the perceived or real problem of bias and unfair treatment of students because of ethnicity, gender, race, social class, religion, disability, nationality, sexual orientation or physical appearance, the report notes. An update on hate crime legislation and related statistics is included, but the report also notes that hate crimes are often underreported and data collection is further complicated because state definitions of hate crime vary. Recent data shows that about 15 percent of 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds have been bullied because of their religion or race, and more than 30 percent have had sexual jokes, comments or gestures directed at them. ED and DOJ are modifying several data collections to more accurately capture hate crime statistics.

The report includes descriptions of the planned activities of 54 communities that received the first round of Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative grants this summer. The initiative requires comprehensive, integrated communitywide plans to address school safety, developed jointly by local school districts, law enforcement and mental health authorities.

Descriptions and contacts for model programs based on research are provided in the report, including those that address violence prevention and drug, alcohol and tobacco use prevention. Schools identified through ED's recognition program as doing an exemplary job of creating and maintaining safe environments are also profiled through the report.

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