NCJ Number
150368
Date Published
1993
Length
44 pages
Annotation
This report provides updated information on the incidence of weapons possession by students in U.S. schools.
Abstract
Weapons in this report are defined as any instrument used to attack another person, including but not limited to firearms, knives, blunt instruments, explosives, slingshots, and chemicals. The number of deaths by firearms among adolescents is increasing, and many of the weapons carried to school come from students' homes. An estimated 90,000 to 100,000 students carry guns to school every day. The problem is not limited to urban settings, according to surveys conducted among teenagers living in small towns and rural areas. Many students carry weapons because they are involved in gang- and drug-related activity; weapons are also carried as a coping response to the aggressive behavior of others. Intervention strategies outlined here include a positive reporting climate, sweeps and searches, suspension, expulsion, alternative placements, enhanced school security, structured learning, crisis intervention, and programs that target potential troublemakers. Administrators should also consider ways to prevent students from bringing weapons to school in the first place: providing a positive school climate, creating community education and public awareness programs, teaching nonviolence and conflict resolution, developing peer assistance programs, and offering weapons and firearm safety courses. 40 references