NCJ Number
134952
Journal
Newsweek Volume: 119 Issue: 10 Dated: (March 9, 1992) Pages: 22-30
Date Published
1992
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article describes the alarming and increasing incidence of firearms incidents occurring within the nation's schools as teenagers acquire illegal weapons and use them to settle personal and drug-related disputes.
Abstract
In New York City, Jefferson High School seemed to offer a safe haven from the neighborhood housing projects and crime rates. A large proportion of the minority student population, mainly black and Hispanic, graduated from high school; in 1991, over 80 percent of the graduating class applied to college. But even in Jefferson High School, student possession and use of guns is rising despite the efforts of the principal and staff to cut the crime rate in the school and to motivate the students to academic excellence. According to Federal statistics, shooting incidents occur in schools across the nation, in small towns as well as in big cities. An estimated 20 percent of all high school students carry a weapon of some type; one in 20 carries a gun. The schools mirror the broader trends in society, but many administrators and the public oppose the draconian measures that would be needed to eliminate guns entirely from the school environment. National education experts recommend several ways in which schools can help reverse this trend: instruct teachers in ways to deal with disruptive students and to break up fights before they escalate; teach children nonviolent alternatives to dispute resolution; get parents involved in school security supervision programs; keep weapons away from children, many of whom acquire guns from their homes; and teach students how to protect themselves during shooting incidents.