NCJ Number
74865
Date Published
1980
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Presented in two parts, this paper discusses certain myths that have grown up around the topic of reducing crime and disruption in public schools and outlines options available to schools.
Abstract
It is a myth that crimes in public schools increased dramatically in the 1970's. Many of the surveys and informal findings of the early 1970's had compared years when school districts had either poor or no reporting systems with years when almost all urban districts had established school security programs and records. Although frequency, seriousness, and intensity of all forms of crime, violence, and disruption remain greatest in large urban schools, school security programs do work when applied to property offenses. However, due to escalating replacement and repair costs, actual incidents of property destruction can decrease while the loss figures continue to increase. In addition, increased tolerance on the part of teachers and administrators in areas such as cigarette and marijunana smoking exemplifies the shift away from strict enforcement to selective enforcement of regulations and even laws. A high incidence of serious acts of crime and violence indicate a school's inability to respond to the day-to-day emotional, psychological, and educational problems of students. Beginning with the concept that schools seriously troubled by disruption and crime are dysfunctional institutions, this model provides 11 possible program areas from which inschool interventions for the dramatically increasing criminal and violent acts can be developed. Some traditional methods include reducing opportunities, increasing risks, and providing alternatives. Authority relations must be clarified, social cohesiveness increased, and learning problems reduced through improved teaching methods and supplemental systems. These include teacher training seminars on confluent education, teacher effectiveness, and cultural awareness. Fifteen references are appended.