Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2009

• NCJ Number: 228478
• 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: December 2009
• Publication Series: Indicators of School Crime and Safety
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Type: Publication

Annotation

Presents data on crime and safety at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, and principals. 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, and principals. 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 and 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 the Schools and Staffing Survey.

Information was gathered from an array of sources including:

- National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) (1992-2007)
- 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, 2005-06, and 2007-08)
- School and Staffing Survey (1993-94, 1999-2000, 2003-04, and 2007-08)

Highlights

• In 2007, students ages 12–18 were victims of about 1.5 million nonfatal crimes (theft plus violent crime) while they were at school, compared to about 1.1 million nonfatal crimes while they were away from school.
• In 2007, 10 percent of male students in grades 9–12 reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property in the past year, compared to 5 percent of female students.
• During the 2007–08 school year, a greater percentage of teachers in city schools (10 percent) reported being threatened with injury than teachers in town schools (7 percent) and suburban or rural schools.