NCJ Number
207255
Date Published
October 2003
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This report presents the methodology and findings of a national survey designed to identify the types of programs police agencies have implemented in schools to prevent or intervene in student violence.
Abstract
The survey was conducted by the School Violence Resource Center (SVRC) at the Criminal Justice Institute of the University of Arkansas System. In 2003, the SVRC developed a questionnaire and posted it on its Web site. The SVRC then contacted the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to obtain the e-mail addresses for clients of BJA's Internet Project for rural law enforcement agencies. This project provides no-cost Internet service to rural law enforcement agencies nationwide. E-mails were sent to these police agencies requesting them to access SVRC's Web site to complete the survey regarding their school-based programs for reducing student violence. The SVRC recognized that its survey results would be skewed to small, rural law enforcement agencies. Even after using various approaches for encouraging responses, less than 5 percent of the agencies contacted responded by completing the survey, yielding only 107 completed questionnaires from agencies in 18 States. The program most often reported was the presence of a school resource officer in schools, followed by a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program. Instructional programs for elementary students typically focused on safety issues; and topics for middle-school students addressed laws, gun safety, and violence prevention. High school programs also covered the same topics as in middle school, with the addition of instruction in problem solving strategies. The programs reported in the survey will be presented in directory form on the SVRC Web site. 8 references and appended questionnaire