Indicators of School Safety: A Shared Responsibility

by Jeremy Rubenstein, Creative Director, Indicators of School Safety

FORWARD

This is the 19th edition of Indicators of School Safety and includes the most recent available data compiled by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Center for Education Statistics, and other statistical data sources supported by the federal government

The entire report (PDF) is available by clicking here. The entire staff of Box Out Productions is committed to having Box Out Bullying serve as the ideal school safety kickoff.  With the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, we continue to work together in order to provide timely and complete data and follow-up programming on the issues of school safety and maintaining a positive school culture.

The following key findings are drawn from each section of the report.

  • In 2015, about 15 percent of U.S. fourth graders and 7 percent of U.S. eighth-graders reported experiencing bullying at least once a month. These percentages were lower than the international averages for fourth-graders and eighth-graders (16  percent and 8 percent, respectively)
  • In the spring of 2014, about 15 percent of third graders reported that they were frequently teased, made fun of, or called names by other students; 22 percent were frequently the subject of lies or untrue stories; 14 percent were frequently pushed, shoved, slapped, hit, or kicked; and 15 percent were frequently excluded from play on purpose.

Third-graders who reported that they were frequently victimized scored lower in reading, mathematics, and science than their peers who reported that they were never victimized or that they were sometimes or rarely victimized.  

  • Ten percent of elementary teachers and 9 percent of secondary teachers reported being threatened by a student from their school in 2011–12. The percentage of elementary teachers who reported being physically attacked by a student was higher than the percentage of secondary teachers
  • During the 2011–12 school year, a higher percentage of public than private school teachers reported being threatened with injury (10  vs. 3 percent) or being physically attacked (6  vs. 3  percent) by a student from their school.
  • During the 2013–14 school year, 65 percent of public schools recorded that one or more incidents of violence had taken place, amounting to an estimated 757,000 crimes. This figure translates to a rate of approximately 15 crimes per 1,000 students enrolled in 2013–14.
  • In 2013–14, about 58 percent of public schools recorded one or more incidents of a physical attack or fight without a weapon, 47 percent of schools recorded one or more incidents of threat of physical attack without a weapon, and 13 percent of public schools recorded one or more serious violent incidents.

The percentage of public schools that reported student bullying occurred at least once a week decreased from 29 percent in 1999–2000 to 16 percent in 2013–14.

  • The percentage of schools that reported the occurrence of student verbal abuse of teachers decreased from 13 percent in 1999–2000 to 5 percent in 2013–14.

Conclusion

Our nation’s schools should be safe havens for teaching and learning, free of crime and violence. Any instance of crime or violence at school not only affects the individuals involved, but also may disrupt the educational process and affect bystanders, the school itself, and the surrounding community.

Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2016 provides the most recent national indicators on school crime and safety. The information presented in this report serves as a reference for policymakers and practitioners so that they can develop effective programs and policies aimed at violence and school crime prevention.

Box Out Bullying is committed to bringing data-driven solutions to help sustain a positive school culture.  We know that bullying does not affect the school, but rather, the entire community.  It takes education and proactive approaches from all involved in a student’s experience to make school more respectful, responsible, and safe.

For more information call 866.242.6185 or contact us.