Bullying

Fact Sheet

School Assaults [click here for a printer-friendly version in pdf]

A majority of violent victimizations to juveniles occur outside of school, while a majority of thefts occur in school.

In 1999, students ages 12 through 18 were victims of approximately 186,000 non-fatal serious violent crimes (sexual assault, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) at school and 476,000 incidents out of school.

In-School Compared to Out-of-School Victimizations, 1999

Type of Crime	In School	Out of School
Serious Violent*	185,600 (28%)	476,400 (72%)
Violent**	884,100 (46%)	1,058,300 (54%)
Theft	1,605,500 (61%)	1,048,200 (39%)
Total	2,489,700 (54%)	2,106,600 (46%)

* serious violent = sexual assault, rape, robbery or aggravated assault
**violent = serious violent and simple assault

The victimization rate for crime in school declined from 1993 to1999 .

From 1993 to 1999, the in-school victimization rate for all crimes declined from 155 to 92 incidents per 1,000 students, ages 12 through 18.
From 1993 to 1999, the in-school rate for serious violent crimes declined from 13 to 8 incidents per 1,000 students.

National Center for Educational Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2001). Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2001.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/1scs01.htm

In-school homicides are rare.

In the 1998-1999 school year, there were 47 violent deaths of all types in schools and on school grounds in the United States. (This figure includes deaths of adults, homicides by adults and suicides of both youth and adults).
In the 1998-1999 school year, there were 33 homicides at school or on the way to or from school of students ages 5 through 19, compared to 2,374 for youth of the same age away from school.

National Center for Educational Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2001). Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2001.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/iscs01.htm

Most schools have no serious violence in a typical year.

Ninety percent of 78,000 public schools reported no incidents of serious violent crime (rape, sexual assault, robbery. aggravated assault) during the 1996-1997 school year.
Forty-three percent of the schools reported no crimes of any kind to the police during the 1996-1997 school year.
The overall rate of serious violent crimes in school was .5 per 1,000 students, during the 1996-1997 school year.

There has been a decline in school crime victimization rates.

The rate of nonfatal crime victimization (violent crimes plus theft) of students 12 through 18 years of age has dropped from 155 per 1,000 students in 1993 to 92 per 1,000 students in 1999 (a 41% decline).
National Center for Educational Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2001). Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2001.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/iscs01.htm

Patterns of victimization at school have changed little between 1995 and 1999.

The most common type of victimization at school for students ages 12 through 18 in both 1995 and 1999 is having something stolen.

Other Rates of Victimization for a One Year Period
Students in Grades 9 through 12

	1995	1996
Threatened or injured with a weapon	8.4%	7.7%
Been in a physical fight	15.5%	14.2%

National Center for Educational Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2001). Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2001.
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/iscs01.htm

However, fear of victimization in school has increased.

In 1989, 6% of middle and high school students reported they feared being attacked or harmed in school. This rose to 9% in 1995.
In 1989, 5% of middle and high school students said they avoided places at school for fear of their own safety. This rose to 9% in 1995.
The percentage of students reporting street gang presence at school nearly doubled between 1989 and 1995, from 15.3% to 28.4%.

U.S. Department of Justice. 1998. Student’s Reports of School Crime: 1989-1995. From 1995 School Crime Supplement to the NCVS. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/srsc.htm

Also, bullying is a problem in many schools.

In 1999, five percent of students ages 12 through 18 report being bullied at school in "the previous six months". Bullying is being "picked on" or made to do things they did not want to do.
Bullying is more of a problem for younger students. Over 10% of sixth-graders said they were bullied, compared to about 1% of twelfth-graders.

National Center for Educational Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2001). Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2001.

Some studies suggest that about 10% of school children are chronically abused by peers.

Hodges, E.V. & Perry, P. 1996. Victims of Peer Abuse. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 5(1), 23-28.