Youth Behavior

Submitted by: Kate Fogarty, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Youth Development

School violence and crime, particularly serious violent offenses, are well-publicized in the media, leading the American public to believe they are occurring at alarming rates. Before parents hastily decide to home school their youth based on what they see in the media, it is important to examine the research. This article discusses findings from representative studies of the actual prevalence of violence and crime in the schools.

In the past decade the rates of serious violent victimization (rape, robbery, sexual and/or aggravated assault) of 12-18 year-old youth in schools have been consistently less than rates of such crimes against youth in non-school settings. For example, among the 26.4 million 12-18 year-old students enrolled in schools, there were 150,000 incidents of serious violent offenses whereas 320,000 such incidents occurred outside school settings (National Crime Victimization Survey, 2003).

Moreover, rates of victimization of 12-18 year-old students have been steadily on the decline in the past decade. Between 1995 and 2003 the percentage of 12-18 year-old students who reported being victims of crime in school declined from 10% to 5%. Alternatively, less serious and violent crimes, such as theft, are more likely to occur in schools than outside of schools. Twelve to eighteen year-old students were victims of 1.2 million thefts on school grounds as opposed to 750,000 incidents of theft outside the school setting. About 5% of 12 to 18-year-old students reported being victimized at school in which 4% reported theft and the remaining 1% reported being a victim of serious violent crime. In-School and Out of School Violence: Profiles of Victims

The National Crime Victimization Survey (2003) reported the following profiles of youth victims of in-school and out-of-school violence:

* Males were more likely than females to be victims of crime and serious violent offenses, ones that took place both in and outside school settings.

* Youth aged 12-14 were more likely to be victims of crime and serious violence in school than 15-18 year-old students.

* Older students, aged 15-18 years, were more likely than their younger peers to be victims of crime and serious violence that took place outside of school.

* No differences were found in rates of theft in school by age or sex.

* White and Black students were more likely to have experienced theft than Hispanic students.

* No differences were found in rates of serious violent crime (whether in or out of school) by age, race/ethnicity, or sex.

Violent Behavior in Schools: Use of Weapons

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