NCJ Number
136274
Date Published
1989
Length
29 pages
Annotation
The pervasiveness of student and staff victimization problems in schools has been explored in several studies conducted over the past decade, and prevention and response strategies have emerged.
Abstract
The first National Adolescent Student Health Survey, conducted in 1987, confirms that crime and violence continue to be serious problems for students. Of approximately 11,000 eighth and tenth grade students surveyed in 20 States, 34 percent reported that someone threatened to hurt them, while 14 percent reported being robbed, and 13 percent reported being attacked at school or on a school bus at least once during the past year. Statistics generally indicate that male students are more than twice as likely to be victims of both robbery and assault as female students and that junior high school students are twice as likely to be assaulted as senior high school students. In addition, minority students are more likely to be attacked or robbed at school than white students. The school has a responsibility to ensure students receive educational opportunities in a peaceful learning environment. School authorities should develop guidelines for statistical tracking and prompt reporting of violent crimes committed in schools. They should also check the arrest and conviction records of anyone applying to work in a school for sexual assault, child molestation, or pornography offenses. Preventing student and staff victimization must involve clear school policies, workshops and seminars on anger control, peer tutoring, adult visibility on campus, effective communication, law-related educational curricula, educator inservice training, special student activities, assertiveness training, safe corridor programs, the buddy system, and victim witness programs. Intervention and response strategies are also examined as well as victimization programs. Media clippings relevant to student and staff victimization are included. 10 references