Title page
Contents
Executive Summary 4
Foreword 8
Acknowledgments 9
Introduction 20
Spotlights 25
Spotlight 1. Prevalence of Mental Health Services Provided by Public Schools and Limitations in Schools' Efforts to Provide Mental Health Services 26
Spotlight 2. School and School Neighborhood Problems 33
Violent Deaths 43
Indicator 1. Violent Deaths at School and Away From School and School Shootings 44
Nonfatal Student and Teacher Victimization 47
Indicator 2. Incidence of Victimization at School and Away From School 48
Indicator 3. Prevalence of Victimization at School 53
Indicator 4. Threats and Injuries With Weapons on School Property 57
Indicator 5. Teachers Threatened With Injury or Physically Attacked by Students 60
School Environment 61
Indicator 6. Violent and Other Criminal Incidents Recorded by Public Schools and Those Reported to the Police 62
Indicator 7. Discipline Problems Reported by Public Schools 67
Indicator 8. Students' Reports of Gangs at School 72
Indicator 9. Students' Reports of Hate-Related Words and Hate-Related Graffiti and Schools' Reports of Hate Crimes 74
Indicator 10. Bullying at School and Electronic Bullying 78
Indicator 11. Teachers' Reports on Managing Classroom Behaviors 85
Fights, Weapons, and Illegal Substances 88
Indicator 12. Physical Fights on School Property and Anywhere 89
Indicator 13. Students Carrying Weapons on School Property and Anywhere and Students' Access to Firearms 93
Indicator 14. Students' Use of Alcohol 97
Indicator 15. Marijuana Use and Illegal Drug Availability 101
Fear and Avoidance 105
Indicator 16. Students' Perceptions of Personal Safety at School and Away From School 106
Indicator 17. Students' Reports of Avoiding School Activities or Classes or Specific Places in School 109
Discipline, Safety, and Security Practices 112
Indicator 18. Serious Disciplinary Actions Taken by Public Schools 113
Indicator 19. Safety and Security Practices at Public Schools 117
Indicator 20. Students' Reports of Safety and Security Measures Observed at School 126
Postsecondary Campus Safety and Security 128
Indicator 21. Criminal Incidents at Postsecondary Institutions 129
Indicator 22. Hate Crime Incidents at Postsecondary Institutions 133
References 136
Supplemental Tables 140
Appendix A: Technical Notes 228
Appendix B: Glossary of Terms 244
Table A. Nationally representative sample and universe surveys used in this report 24
Table S1.1. Number and percentage of public schools providing diagnostic mental health assessments and treatment to students and, among schools providing these services,... 141
Table S1.2. Percentage of public schools reporting that various factors limited in a major way their efforts to provide mental health services to students, by selected school... 142
Table S2.1. Percentage of fall 2010 first-time kindergartners whose school adminstrator in fifth grade reported that selected problems occurred at the school at least once a month... 143
Table S2.2. Percentage distribution of fall 2010 first-time kindergartners in spring of fifth grade and fifth-grade scores on and standard deviations of various academic, social,... 144
Table S2.3. Percentage of fall 2010 first-time kindergartners who reported consistent positive feelings about school in fifth grade and percentage whose parents reported frequent... 146
Table 1.1. School-associated violent deaths of all persons, homicides and suicides of youth ages 5-18 at school, and total homicides and suicides of youth ages 5-18, by type of violent... 148
Table 1.2. Number of school shootings and casualties at public and private elementary and secondary schools and number of schools with shootings, by type of school: 2000-01 through... 149
Table 1.3. Number of school shootings at public and private elementary and secondary schools, by type of situation associated with shooting: 2000-01 through 2018-19 150
Table 2.1. Number of nonfatal victimizations against students ages 12-18 and rate of victimization per 1,000 students, by type of victimization and location: 1992 through 2018 151
Table 2.2. Number of nonfatal victimizations against students ages 12-18 and rate of victimization per 1,000 students, by type of victimization, location, and selected student... 153
Table 3.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported criminal victimization at school during the previous 6 months, by type of victimization and selected student and school... 154
Table 4.1. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property at least one time during the previous 12 months, by... 156
Table 4.2. Percentage distribution of students in grades 9-12, by number of times they reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property during the previous... 157
Table 4.3. Percentage of public school students in grades 9-12 who reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property at least one time during the previous... 158
Table 6.1. Percentage of public schools recording incidents of crime at school, percentage reporting incidents of crime at school to police, and number of incidents recorded or reported,... 159
Table 6.2. Rate of crime incidents at school per 1,000 students recorded by public schools and reported to police by public schools, by school level, percentage of students eligible... 161
Table 6.3. Percentage of public schools recording incidents of crime at school, number of incidents, and rate per 1,000 students, by type of crime and selected school characteristics: 2017-18 163
Table 6.4. Percentage of public schools reporting incidents of crime at school to the police, number of incidents, and rate per 1,000 students, by type of crime and selected school... 164
Table 6.5. Percentage distribution of public schools, by number of violent incidents of crime at school recorded and reported to the police and selected school characteristics: 2017-18 165
Table 6.6. Percentage distribution of public schools, by number of serious violent incidents of crime at school recorded and reported to the police and selected school characteristics:... 166
Table 7.1. Percentage of public schools reporting selected discipline problems that occurred at school, by frequency and selected school characteristics: Selected years, 1999-2000... 167
Table 7.2. Percentage of public schools reporting selected types of cyberbullying problems occurring at school or away from school at least once a week, by selected school... 169
Table 8.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported that gangs were present at school during the school year, by sex, race/ethnicity, and urbanicity: Selected years, 2001... 170
Table 8.2. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported that gangs were present at school during the school year, by grade, control of school, and urbanicity: Selected years,... 171
Table 9.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being called hate-related words and seeing hate-related graffiti at school during the school year, by selected student... 172
Table 9.2. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being called hate-related words at school, by type of hate-related word and selected student and school characteristics: 2017 174
Table 9.3. Number of hate crimes occurring at public schools, percentage of schools reporting any hate crimes, and percentage reporting hate crimes motivated by specific types... 175
Table 10.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, by selected student and school characteristics: Selected years, 2005... 176
Table 10.2. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, by type of bullying and selected student and school characteristics:... 177
Table 10.3. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year and, among bullied students, percentage who reported being bullied... 178
Table 10.4. Among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, percentage reporting various frequencies of bullying and the notification of... 179
Table 10.5. Among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, percentage reporting that bullying had varying degrees of negative effect on... 180
Table 10.6. Among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, percentage reporting that bullying was related to specific characteristics,... 181
Table 10.7. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported having been electronically bullied during the previous 12 months, by selected student characteristics: Selected... 182
Table 10.8. Percentage of public school students in grades 9-12 who reported having been bullied on school property or electronically bullied during the previous 12 months, by... 183
Table 11.1. Percentage of lower secondary teachers in public schools who reported being able to manage various aspects of student behavior "quite a bit" or "a lot," by country or... 184
Table 11.2. Percentage of lower secondary teachers in public schools who reported being able to manage various aspects of student behavior "quite a bit" or "a lot," by selected... 185
Table 12.1. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported having been in a physical fight at least one time during the previous 12 months, by location and selected student... 186
Table 12.2. Percentage distribution of students in grades 9-12, by number of times they reported having been in a physical fight anywhere or on school property during the previous... 187
Table 12.3. Percentage of public school students in grades 9-12 who reported having been in a physical fight at least one time during the previous 12 months, by location and state... 188
Table 13.1. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported carrying a weapon at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by location and selected student characteristics:... 190
Table 13.2. Percentage distribution of students in grades 9-12, by number of days they reported carrying a weapon anywhere or on school property during the previous 30 days and... 192
Table 13.3. Percentage of public school students in grades 9-12 who reported carrying a weapon at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by location and state or jurisdiction:... 193
Table 13.4. Total number of public school students who brought firearms to or possessed firearms at school and number of students who did this per 100,000 students enrolled, by... 195
Table 13.5. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported having access to a loaded gun, without adult permission, at school or away from school during the school year, by... 196
Table 14.1. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported using alcohol at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by location and selected student characteristics: Selected... 197
Table 14.2. Percentage distribution of students in grades 9-12, by number of days they reported using alcohol anywhere or on school property during the previous 30 days and selected... 198
Table 14.3. Percentage of public school students in grades 9-12 who reported using alcohol at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by location and state or jurisdiction: Selected... 200
Table 15.1. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported using marijuana at least one time during the previous 30 days, by location and selected student characteristics:... 202
Table 15.2. Percentage distribution of students in grades 9-12, by number of times they reported using marijuana anywhere or on school property during the previous 30 days and... 203
Table 15.3. Percentage of public school students in grades 9-12 who reported using marijuana at least one time during the previous 30 days, by location and state or jurisdiction:... 205
Table 15.4. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported that illegal drugs were made available to them on school property during the previous 12 months, by selected student... 207
Table 15.5. Percentage of public school students in grades 9-12 who reported that illegal drugs were made available to them on school property during the previous 12 months, by state or... 208
Table 16.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being afraid of attack or harm, by location and selected student and school characteristics: Selected years, 1995 through 2017 209
Table 17.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported avoiding one or more places in school or avoiding school activities or classes because of fear of attack or harm, by selected... 210
Table 18.1. Number and percentage of public schools that took a serious disciplinary action in response to specific offenses, number and percentage distribution of serious actions taken,... 211
Table 18.2. Percentage of public schools that took a serious disciplinary action in response to specific offenses, by type of offense and selected school characteristics: 2017-18 213
Table 19.1. Percentage of public schools with various safety and security measures: Selected years, 1999-2000 through 2017-18 214
Table 19.2. Percentage of public schools with various safety and security measures, by selected school characteristics: 2017-18 215
Table 19.3. Percentage of public schools with a written plan for procedures to be performed in selected scenarios and percentage that have drilled students on the use of selected... 216
Table 19.4. Percentage of public schools with security staff present at least once a week, and percentage with security staff routinely carrying a firearm, by selected school characteristics:... 218
Table 19.5. Percentage of public schools providing training for classroom teachers or aides in specific safety and discipline topics, by safety and discipline training topic and selected... 219
Table 20.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported various security measures at school: Selected years, 1999 through 2017 220
Table 21.1. On-campus crimes, arrests, and referrals for disciplinary action at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by location of incident, control and level of institution, and... 221
Table 21.2. On-campus crimes, arrests, and referrals for disciplinary action per 10,000 full-time-equivalent (FTE) students at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by whether... 224
Table 22.1. On-campus hate crimes at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by level and control of institution, type of crime, and category of bias motivating the crime: Selected... 227
Figure S1.1. Percentage of public schools providing diagnostic mental health assessments and treatment to students, by selected school characteristics: 2017-18 27
Figure S1.2. Percentage of public schools providing diagnostic mental health assessments and treatment to students and, among schools providing these services, percentage providing... 29
Figure S1.3. Percentage of public schools reporting that various factors were major limitations in their efforts to provide mental health services to students: 2017-18 30
Figure S1.4. Percentage of public schools reporting inadequate funding limited in a major way their efforts to provide mental health services to students, by selected school characteristics:... 31
Figure S2.1. Percentage of fifth-graders whose school administrator reported that selected problems occurred at the school at least once a month or were a problem in the school's... 34
Figure S2.2. Percentage of fifth-graders whose school administrator reported selected problems in the school's neighborhood, by student race/ethnicity: Spring 2016 35
Figure S2.3. Percentage of fifth-graders whose school administrator reported that selected problems occurred at the school at least once a month or were a problem in the school's... 37
Figure S2.4. Percentage of fifth-graders whose school administrator reported that selected problems occurred at the school at least once a month or were a problem in the school's... 39
Figure S2.5. Fifth-graders' mean mathematics scale scores, by extent of selected school neighborhood problems reported by school administrator: Spring 2016 40
Figure S2.6. Percentage of fifth-graders who reported always feeling safe at school, by frequency or extent of selected school and school neighborhood problems reported by school... 42
Figure 1.1. Number of student, staff, and other nonstudent school-associated violent deaths, and number of homicides and suicides of youth ages 5-18 at school: School years 1992-93... 45
Figure 1.2. Percentage distribution and number of homicides and suicides of youth ages 5-18, by location: School year 2016-17 45
Figure 1.3. Number of school shootings with casualties at public and private elementary and secondary schools: 2000-01 through 2018-19 46
Figure 2.1. Rate of nonfatal victimization against students ages 12-18 per 1,000 students, by type of victimization and location: 1992 through 2018 49
Figure 2.2. Rate of nonfatal victimization against students ages 12-18 per 1,000 students, by location, type of victimization, and sex: 2018 50
Figure 2.3. Rate of nonfatal victimization against students ages 12-18 per 1,000 students, by location, type of victimization, and age: 2018 51
Figure 3.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported criminal victimization at school during the previous 6 months, by type of victimization: Selected years, 2001 through 2017 54
Figure 3.2. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported criminal victimization at school during the previous 6 months, by selected student and school characteristics: 2001 and 2017 56
Figure 4.1. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property at least one time during the previous 12 months, by sex:... 58
Figure 4.2. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property at least one time during the previous 12 months, by... 59
Figure 6.1. Percentage of public schools recording incidents of violence, theft, and other crimes at school, percentage reporting these incidents to the police, and rate of these incidents... 63
Figure 6.2. Percentage of public schools recording incidents of violence, theft, and other crimes at school and percentage reporting these incidents to the police, by school level: School... 64
Figure 6.3. Percentage of public schools recording and reporting to the police violent and serious violent incidents, by number of incidents: School year 2017-18 65
Figure 7.1. Percentage of public schools reporting selected discipline problems that occurred at school at least once a week: Selected school years, 1999-2000 through 2017-18 68
Figure 7.2. Percentage of public schools reporting student bullying occurred at school at least once a week, by selected school characteristics: School year 2017-18 69
Figure 7.3. Percentage of public schools reporting selected types of cyberbullying problems occurring at school or away from school at least once a week, by school level: School year 2017-18 70
Figure 8.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported that gangs were present at school during the school year, by urbanicity: Selected years, 2001 through 2017 73
Figure 8.2. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported that gangs were present at school during the school year, by grade: 2001, 2015, and 2017 73
Figure 9.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being called hate-related words and seeing hate-related graffiti at school during the school year, by sex: Selected years,... 75
Figure 9.2. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being called hate-related words and seeing hate-related graffiti at school during the school year, by selected student and... 76
Figure 9.3. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being called hate-related words at school during the school year, by type of hate-related word and sex: 2017 77
Figure 10.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, by urbanicity: Selected years, 2005 through 2017 79
Figure 10.2. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, by type of bullying and sex: 2017 80
Figure 10.3. Among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, percentage who reported being bullied in various locations: 2017 82
Figure 10.4. Among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, percentage reporting various frequencies of bullying: 2017 82
Figure 10.5. Among students ages 12-18 who reported being bullied at school during the school year, percentage reporting that bullying had varying degrees of negative effect on... 84
Figure 10.6. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported having been electronically bullied during the previous 12 months, by race/ethnicity: 2017 84
Figure 11.1. Percentage of lower secondary teachers in public schools who reported being able to make expectations about student behavior clear "quite a bit" or "a lot," by country... 86
Figure 11.2. Percentage of lower secondary teachers in public schools who reported being able to manage various aspects of student behavior "quite a bit" or "a lot," by years of full-and... 87
Figure 12.1. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported having been in a physical fight at least one time during the previous 12 months, by location and sex: Selected years,... 90
Figure 12.2. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported having been in a physical fight at least one time during the previous 12 months, by location and race/ethnicity: 2017 90
Figure 12.3. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported having been in a physical fight during the previous 12 months, by number of times and location: 2017 92
Figure 13.1. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported carrying a weapon at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by location and sex: Selected years, 2001 through 2017 94
Figure 13.2. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported carrying a weapon at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by location and race/ethnicity: 2017 94
Figure 13.3. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported having access to a loaded gun, without adult permission, at school or away from school during the school year, by sex:... 96
Figure 14.1. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported using alcohol at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by sex: Selected years, 2001 through 2017 98
Figure 14.2. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported using alcohol at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by grade: 2017 98
Figure 14.3. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported using alcohol at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by number of days and sexual orientation: 2017 100
Figure 15.1. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported using marijuana at least one time during the previous 30 days, by sex: Selected years, 2001 through 2017 102
Figure 15.2. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported using marijuana at least one time during the previous 30 days, by number of times and sexual orientation: 2017 102
Figure 15.3. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported that illegal drugs were made available to them on school property during the previous 12 months, by sex: Selected... 104
Figure 15.4. Percentage of students in grades 9-12 who reported that illegal drugs were made available to them on school property during the previous 12 months, by race/ethnicity:... 104
Figure 16.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being afraid of attack or harm during the school year, by location and sex: Selected years, 2001 through 2017 107
Figure 16.2. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported being afraid of attack or harm during the school year, by location and grade: 2017 108
Figure 17.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported avoiding school activities or classes or avoiding one or more places in school because of fear of attack or harm during... 110
Figure 17.2. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported avoiding one or more places in school because of fear of attack or harm during the school year, by selected student and... 111
Figure 18.1. Percentage of public schools that took a serious disciplinary action in response to specific offenses, by type of offense: School years 2003-04, 2015-16, and 2017-18 114
Figure 18.2. Percentage of public schools that took a serious disciplinary action in response to specific offenses, by type of offense and school level: School year 2017-18 115
Figure 18.3. Percentage distribution of serious disciplinary actions taken by public schools, by type of offense and type of disciplinary action: School year 2017-18 116
Figure 19.1. Percentage of public schools that used selected safety and security measures, by school level: School year 2017-18 118
Figure 19.2. Percentage of public schools that used selected safety and security measures: School years 1999-2000, 2015-16, and 2017-18 120
Figure 19.3. Percentage of public schools with a written plan for procedures to be performed in selected scenarios: School year 2017-18 122
Figure 19.4. Percentage of public schools with one or more security staff present at least once a week, by selected school characteristics: School year 2017-18 123
Figure 19.5. Percentage of public schools providing training for classroom teachers or aides in specific safety and discipline topics: School year 2017-18 124
Figure 20.1. Percentage of students ages 12-18 who reported various safety and security measures at school: 2001, 2015, and 2017 127
Figure 21.1. Number of on-campus crimes reported and number per 10,000 full-time-equivalent (FTE) students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by selected type of crime:... 130
Figure 21.2. Number of on-campus arrests and number per 10,000 full-time-equivalent (FTE) students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by type of arrest: 2001 through 2017 131
Figure 21.3. Number of referrals for disciplinary action resulting from on-campus violations and number per 10,000 full-time-equivalent (FTE) students in degree-granting postsecondary... 132
Figure 22.1. Number of on-campus hate crimes at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by selected types of crime: 2010, 2016, and 2017 134
Figure 22.2. Number of selected types of on-campus hate crimes at degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by category of bias motivating the crime: 2017 135