Crime in Schools

Several studies have documented the pervasiveness of crime and violence in our nation's schools. In a 1991 report entitled School Crime: A National Crime Victimization Survey Report, the U.S. Department of Justice found that more than 400,000 students nationwide were estimated to have been victims of violent crimes at school during an 8-month period.1 Equally alarming, the study found that during the same period, 430,000 students had taken guns, knives, brass knuckles, razor blades, spiked jewelry, and other objects to school to protect themselves from attack or harm. In 1993, a survey found that half of students in grades 6 through 12 had witnessed some type of crime or victimization at school, and about one of every eight students reported being personally victimized at school.2

School violence plagues teachers as well. The National Institute of Education found in 1993 that nearly 5,200 secondary school teachers are physically attacked at school each month, with 1,000 suffering injuries serious enough to require medical care.3 The same study found that at least 130,000 teachers each month are victims of theft.4 After examining more than 1,000 teachers working in what they themselves described as "combat zones," Alfred Bloch, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, observed: "What we are seeing is very much akin to the kind of stress that soldiers in World War II and the Korean War had experienced." Teachers in the study described symptoms of fatigue, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular problems, and hypertension.5

Crimes committed most on school grounds include assaults, robbery and extortion,6 but even what is often characterized as harmless schoolyard bullying can have a serious adverse impact on students, teachers, and parents. One in ten students is victimized by a bully, often leaving permanent emotional scars that children carry into adulthood. Institutional tolerance can be equally damaging for the bully as well. Research indicates that a child who bullies others has a one in four chance of having a criminal record before age 30, compared with a one in 20 chance for children who do not bully their peers.7

The issue of weapons, especially guns, in schools has also received national attention. In one tragic incident in January 1989, a man carried an AK-47 semi-automatic assault rifle onto an elementary school campus in Stockton, California and opened fire, killing five children and injuring 29 students and a teacher. In May 1992, four students were slain and 11 injured when an ex-student entered a high school in Olivehurst, California, and opened fire.8 On October 1, 1997, a 16-year-old boy in Pearl, Mississippi stabbed his mother to death, drove to his high school with a rifle hidden under his trench coat, killed his former girlfriend and another girl, then wounded seven other students.9 Reports of such terrifying incidents are all too common today, and they have a dramatic impact not only on students where the crisis occurred but also on parents, teachers, and the community at large.

The alarming rise of gang activity among students is well-documented as well. From the 1920s on, gang violence has increased and intensified in American schools, and today, it is characterized by notorious senselessness.10 A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice found that there were approximately 1,000 known gangs with a combined membership of 50,000 operating in the United States by the end of the 1970s.11 By the late 1980s these numbers increased to approximately 5,000 gangs with an estimated membership of 250,000.12 While some school administrators have been reticent to acknowledge the presence of gang activity in their schools, students provide a much different picture. In a nationwide study of school violence in 1991, 15 percent of students surveyed reported that gangs were active on their campus, and 16 percent indicated that they had witnessed gang members engaging in threatening acts against a teacher.13 In the 79 U.S. cities with populations over 200,000, 91 percent reported having a gang problem that had spread from the streets into areas traditionally considered safe havens, such as schools.14 The mere presence of gangs in a school increases tensions among students and teachers. If they are not rooted out, gangs will almost certainly lead to an increase in violence, fear, and drugs.15

The 1982 Final Report of the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime recognized the important role that educators can play in assisting victims and preventing crime. The Task Force urged school authorities to take the following immediate action:

Develop guidelines for statistical tracking and prompt reporting of violent crimes committed in schools, crimes committed against school personnel, and the possession of weapons or narcotics.

Check the arrest and conviction records for sexual assault, child molestation or pornography offenses of anyone applying for work in a school.

Develop and provide courses on the problems, needs, and legal interests of victims of crime.

Be mindful of their responsibility to make students aware of how they can avoid being victimized by crime.

Since the release of the 1982 report, attention to school violence has increased greatly, and scores of programs have been developed to protect the safety of students, teachers, and administrators. In 1984, the National School Safety Center (NSSC) was created by presidential directive as a partnership among the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in the Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Education, and Pepperdine University. NSSC's mandate is to promote safe schools and help ensure quality education for children nationwide. NSSC serves as a clearinghouse for current information on school safety issues and has produced important documents on addressing violence in the schools, including a comprehensive guide to school safety law to help educators implement campus violence prevention programs.

In 1987, the final report of the President's Child Safety Partnership recommended that child safety be made a part of all school curricula and that communities and schools make a concerted effort to involve youth in programs that improve their well-being.16 More recently, Congress passed the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act in 1994, authorizing the creation of the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program through the U.S. Department of Education. The program is the federal government's primary vehicle for reducing school violence through education and prevention activities. Its wide-ranging initiatives work toward meeting the seventh National Education Goal, which states that, "By the year 2000, every school in America will be free of drugs and violence and will offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning."17

School-Based Victim Assistance Programs

Many schools are forced to respond to incidents such as shootings, kidnapings, sexual assault, and hate crimes that occur on school grounds. How a school responds to such a crisis affects the healing and the education of its students. Schools cannot work in isolation from their communities, however, and assistance must be developed with the involvement of families and the community. Comprehensive, culturally sensitive school-based victim services can help schools suffering chronic trauma better respond to students, teachers, and other staff who are victimized.

A number of schools have established victim service programs offering crisis intervention counseling and stress reaction training as well as curricula on victim assistance and violence prevention. These programs are helping students and teachers better respond to stressful events in their lives and in the lives of those around them.18

Victim Services in New York City, the largest victim assistance provider in the country, has responded to school violence through the creation of the Safe Harbor program, which grew out of a school-based victim assistance and peer mediation program. Safe Harbor is a comprehensive school-based victim assistance/violence prevention program designed to help students, faculty, and families cope with the violence they struggle with in their lives, not only at school but at home and on the streets. The program consists of five components: the PEARLS (People Empowered About Real Life Situations) victim assistance/violence prevention curriculum, individual counseling, parent involvement and teacher training, structured group activities including focused discussions and informal activities, and schoolwide anti-violence campaigns. An evaluation of Safe Harbor funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the program reduced violent behavior in the school, especially when students participated in more than one component of the program.

Many schools and law enforcement agencies have teamed up to create School Resource Officers (SRO) programs in communities across the country. The programs place specially trained police officers in schools to create and maintain safer learning environments. SROs act as counselors and mentors as well as school law enforcement officers. While SROs are primarily "peacekeepers," their duties include giving students guidance in and out of school and serving as a link for students who seek additional student-related services.

With funding from the Office for Victims of Crime, the Tariq Khamisa Foundation has developed an interactive program, the Violence Impact Forum, for underserved victim populations in elementary and middle schools in San Diego, California. The program gives young victims an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with adult and peer "panelists" who have experienced the trauma of violence firsthand and seek alternatives to violence.

The United Federation of Teachers in New York City runs a Victim Support Program (VSP) to assist school staff members who are victims of school-related crime. Program services include outreach to victims, psychological counseling and referrals for long-term treatment, training for social service providers and school administrators for dealing with victims and trauma, and school site visits to provide assistance in resolving a school's ongoing trauma. VSP also offers an array of practical assistance and advocacy services such as helping with procedures and forms and accompanying victims to court and medical appointments.

The Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes have stationed a juvenile officer in their public school system who is trained to facilitate conflict resolution, ensure student safety, and address child abuse and neglect. The officer helps the school system provide immediate intervention, assessment, and referrals to appropriate agencies when incidents of violence or intimidation occur.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) published Death at School, a publication to assist school teachers, counselors, and administrators after the death of a student, a student's family member, or a teacher. As a public service, MADD mailed the guide to every K-12 school in the United States.

In response to the growing number of youth gangs, there has been a proliferation of intervention and prevention programs that attempt to reduce gang-related activities among students. Schools have implemented a range of measures including targeting students who are vulnerable to gang recruitment for special assistance through peer counselors, support groups, mentoring, conflict resolution, and tutoring; educating all school staff on how gangs develop and how to respond to them; offering special programs for parents of gang members; monitoring youth who are not enrolled in school but who "hang out" on or near school property; offering education programs for students about gangs and their destructiveness; establishing and enforcing codes to prohibit the display of gang colors and the use of beepers or cellular phones; removing graffiti; expanding afterschool, weekend, and summer youth programs; and providing students with regular opportunities for individual and group discussions about their experiences in school.

Crime on College and University Campuses

Few issues affecting colleges and universities captured media attention more dramatically in the last decade than violent crime. Headlines of major newspapers across the country described violent incidents on campuses in California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Minnesota, Virginia, and Florida, among others. On a Florida campus, five students were murdered by a serial killer. On a Southern California campus, three students were sexually assaulted by a serial rapist. One observer wrote that widespread reports of campus violence "put to rest the long-cherished notion that colleges and universities are somehow cloistered enclaves-sanctuaries far removed from the threat of crime that haunts the rest of us."19

Campus violence civil litigation emerged in the mid-1980s as a relatively new and formidable legal strategy to address the problem of campus crime. Awards ranging from $50,000 to $2 million for victims of assault and rape have shaken universities, attracted Congressional and media attention, and forced schools to examine the quality of security they provide and their response after a crime occurs.

One tragic case that focused national attention on campus crime involved the torture, rape, and murder of 19-year-old Jeanne Ann Clery in her dormitory room at Lehigh University on April 5, 1986. Following the conviction and sentencing of the woman's murderer, also a university student, Howard and Connie Clery filed suit against the university for negligence in failing to take reasonable action to protect their daughter from foreseeable harm. The amount of the settlement was not made public, but the university agreed to improve security throughout the campus, particularly in dormitories. Following the settlement, the Clerys formed Security on Campus, Inc., an organization dedicated to bringing the problem of violent crime on college campuses to the attention of those who most need to know: applicants, students, faculty, and staff. Their crusade has had widespread results, including the passage of legislation in Pennsylvania in 1988 to address campus crime, followed by similar legislation in other states and at the federal level.

In the early 1990s, heightened concern about the safety of students on college campuses led to the passage of two federal laws: the Campus Security Act and the Campus Sexual Assault Victims Bill of Rights. The Campus Security Act, passed in 1990, requires that institutions publish and distribute an annual report describing security and law enforcement policies, crime prevention activities, procedures for reporting crimes on campus, and campus crime statistics. The Campus Sexual Assault Victims Bill of Rights, passed in 1991, requires institutions of higher education to develop and publish as part of their campus security report policies regarding the prevention and awareness of sex offenses and procedures for responding after a sex offense occurs. A key point in the statute is the clear responsibility assigned to university officials. They are required to inform students of their rights, provide them with clear information about how to report sex offenses, and ensure that students know about the medical, legal, and psychological assistance available to them if they become a victim. The Department of Education is responsible for the enforcement of both statutes. An institution's failure to comply could mean the loss of federal funds, including student loan money.

These federal laws raised public awareness of the prevalence and impact of crime on college campuses. Campus law enforcement officials report that colleges have increased resources for security and improved or clarified relationships with local police or sheriff's departments. In addition, many universities have developed or expanded crime victim assistance programs on campus and established more formal ties with off-campus victim assistance programs.

In Orlando, Florida, the University of Central Florida Police Department has established a Victim Services Unit that employs two full-time victim advocates. The advocates are available to the university community 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, to provide programming and direct support for victims of crime.

In Ithaca, New York, Cornell University has established a victim advocacy program that provides free, confidential assistance to any member of the university community who has been the victim of a serious crime on or off campus. Its primary focus is to assist victims of assault, rape and other sex offenses, and bias-related crimes. The program functions through the Office of the University Ombudsman and works closely with local service agencies such as Ithaca Rape Crisis, the Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service, the Task Force for Battered Women, and the Child Sexual Abuse Project. In addition, the University requires all varsity student athletes to take a class on sexual assault.

In Los Angeles, the Women's Resource Center at UCLA provides free, confidential crisis counseling for sexual assault and domestic violence related issues to any UCLA student, regardless of when or where the assault occurred. Trained staff answer questions and refer students to the many services available to them. The center provides referrals to address a variety of resources in the community for medical, psychological, legal, and housing needs.

School and University Based Education About Victimization

Schools and universities have a unique role in helping all students, teachers, and staff understand and appreciate the rights and needs of victims of crimes. School-based instruction about victim issues will produce adults who are better informed about the needs of crime victims in their communities. A wide range of initiatives have been undertaken in recent years to educate students as well as faculty and staff.

With funding from OVC, the National Organization for Victim Assistance and the Education Development Center have developed a curriculum for young crime victims called "Healing Hearts/Mending Minds." The curriculum was developed to provide educators and adolescents themselves with tools and skills to help young victims heal.

The Rape Treatment Center at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center has developed a sexual assault prevention education program for secondary schools that reaches more than 20,000 adolescents each year. The program's curriculum includes participatory exercises that enable students to practice effective communication and self-protection skills. The program also offers "private time" for students who wish to seek counseling for personal victimization experiences.

In 1996, OVC awarded Promising Strategies and Practices for Professional Education grants to two organizations. The Allegheny Research Institute in Pennsylvania received funding to conduct a national survey of professional schools' course offerings relevant to victims of crime. The Institute's findings revealed that professional education about crime victims' rights and services is offered in a limited number of schools. The second stage of the project was awarded to Victim Services, Inc., in New York to survey five states to determine if mandatory educational requirements about crime victims are included in the professional education of medicine, social work, psychology, and other allied professions. Based on the findings of both surveys, Victim Services is developing a multidisciplinary academic curriculum to educate practitioners who interact with crime victims.

Also with OVC funding, the Victim Assistance Legal Organization, in partnership with California State University-Fresno, and the Medical University of South Carolina, developed a college-level Victim Assistance Academy on victim's issues for advocates in the victim assistance field and allied professions. The Academy's rigorous 45-hour curriculum introduces students to the basic concepts of victims' rights and services and examines new developments in

the field. The curriculum, which is offered each year at several universities around the country simultaneously through distance learning technology, allows students to earn undergraduate credits from California State University-Fresno. The curriculum has been incorporated into numerous victimology courses and is used widely in state trainings.

Recognizing the critical role of professional education in preparing graduates to be a part of the state's strategy to reduce violence, abuse, and harassment, the Minnesota State Legislature earmarked funding in 1993 to establish the Higher Education Center Against Violence and Abuse. The center focuses on three areas: working with state and national organizations to develop higher education programs that prepare professionals to provide safety and services to victims of violence; conducting research projects to find ways to end violence; and serving as an international resource on violence and abuse issues to higher education institutions, community-based programs, and professional organizations.

A number of colleges and universities have begun to offer academic courses on victims' issues as part of their undergraduate curriculum. Courses range from topic specific areas such as family violence and child abuse to general courses on victimology and victims' rights.

In 1985, California State University-Fresno (CSUF) became the first university in the nation to develop and conduct a program of study in victim services. Today it offers an undergraduate degree in victimology, a graduate degree with a specialization in victimology, and a month-long summer institute on Victim Services. In 1999, in partnership with the University of California, CSUF will offer the nation's first doctorate program in victimology.

Several other academic institutions are offering unique programs. The University of New Haven in Connecticut offers a program in Victim Services Administration through its Center for the Study of Crime Victims' Rights, Resource, and Remedies. Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas offers a multidisciplinary Victim Assistance Program and in 1998 will provide an undergraduate degree in victim/survivor studies. Michigan State University, Southwestern Missouri State, and Florida State University also offer courses in victimology and victims' rights.

Other educational programs targeting specific professionals who work with crime victims-criminal justice, health, mental health, clergy, and the bar-are mentioned in separate sections of this report.

Prevention Strategies

The educational community has a responsibility to prevent crime and ensure the safety of students and school staff. As the 1982 President's Task Force recommended, school authorities should check the arrest and conviction records of anyone applying for work in a school who would have regular proximity to students for sexual assault, child molestation, or pornography offenses. This is now required by statute in 21 states.20

In addition, colleges must take basic measures to prevent victimization such as installing lighting and emergency phone systems, providing shuttle and evening escort services for students, locking dormitory doors, controlling access to buildings, and implementing crime watch programs and 24-hour security patrols.

The high risk of victimization for youth and perceptions that most violence is caused by youth have led many communities to mobilize youth to help prevent violence.

Teenagers in 40 states have participated in Teens, Crime, and the Community (TCC), a unique education and action program to educate teens about their risk of victimization and offer them strategies to make their lives and their communities safer. Created by the National Crime Prevention Council and funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in the U.S. Department of Justice, TCC has worked with young people in more than 500 schools, community centers, and juvenile justice facilities since 1985. Examples of youth-led TCC projects are launching a child abuse prevention campaign, "adopting" younger classes to teach them about the dangers of alcohol and other drug abuse, and making presentations at local churches and civic organizations.

The Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation has developed a violence prevention curriculum called Rise Above It, which is taught by individuals paralyzed as a result of violent acts. The program's mission is to increase a student's ability to control violent behavior by helping them develop and practice creative alternatives to violence. The curriculum has been presented to 3,500 students in the Newark, New Jersey school system.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has initiated several programs to involve students in the fight against underage drinking and impaired driving-the cause of thousands of deaths and injuries among our nation's youth each year. In May 1997, one high school student from each of the 435 congressional districts was selected to attend MADD's National Youth Summit on Underage Drinking. During the 3-day event in Washington, D.C., the student delegates developed recommendations for preventing underage drinking and presented them to lawmakers. In another MADD initiative, Youth in Action, student-led teams across the country work to affect public policy, media, and law enforcement with the ultimate goal of reducing the number of traffic fatalities among young people by 25 percent within 5 years. MADD has also developed a Poster-essay contest for students in grades 1 through 12.

The U.S. Senate designated November 6, 1997, as a National Day of Concern About Young People and Gun Violence. On that day, students took part in activities across the country to raise awareness about youth gun violence, including a national campaign calling for students to sign a pledge that they will never carry a gun to school, never resolve a dispute with a gun, and try to use their influence with their friends to keep them from resolving disputes with guns. The day received support from organizations and elected officials nationwide, including the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the National PTA, the American Medical Association, and the National Council of Churches.

Campus Outreach Services was started by a student in 1990 after she was assaulted on her college campus. The organization brings speakers on date rape and sexual assault to colleges and high schools across the country. Speakers include survivors of sexual assault, sexual assault peer counselors, victims' rights experts, and victim advocates. The organization offers educational programs for resident advisors in dormitories, school counselors, administrators, peer educators, health center staffers, and student leaders. The program has also developed a guidebook entitled Sexual Assault on Campus: What Every College Student Should Know About Protecting Victims, Providing for Just Adjudication, and Complying with Federal Laws.

Recommendations From The Field For The Educational Community

25 Adams, A. and G. Abarbanel, Sexual Assault on Campus: What Colleges Can Do, Santa Monica, CA: Rape Treatment Center, Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center, 1988.

The information on this page is archived and provided for reference purposes only.