School Violence

Did you know…

Millions of crimes are committed on school grounds each year. These crimes include:

Theft: Items are stolen from purses, lockers, backpacks, and cars.
Physical attacks: Incidents that result in injury to one or more people, and may include robbery or sexual assault.
Shootings: When a child or teenager brings a gun to school, uses the gun to threaten or control, or actually fires the gun and injures or kills someone.

Why are some people violent?

Violence can stem from many things, or a combination of things. Often it comes from:

Feeling powerless and weak inside
Not knowing how to manage your fears, anger, or feelings of loneliness
Feeling isolated or different from other people
A need for attention
Feelings of anger when a person or member of that person’s family has been insulted, teased, or threatened
A desire for control

Violence can also stem from:

Some ways to stay safer at school—and everywhere:

Avoid wearing expensive jewelry to school.
Keep a minimum amount of cash on you, and do not show off the money you carry.
Leave expensive electronics, calculators, games, and computers at home.
Avoid wearing clothing that looks gang-related.
Don’t put yourself in danger as a bystander. If there is an incident of violence, get help.

Myth or Fact?

Many school crimes result from small issues like rumors, or an argument about a table in the cafeteria, or a parking spot.

-Fact. Sadly, most violent crimes at school happen over a tiny matter that could have been settled peacefully and easily.

Violence only happens at schools in heavily populated areas where there are gangs.

-Myth. School violence can occur at any institution of learning. There is plenty of violence in suburban and rural parts of the country as well.

School violence refers only to the carrying of guns to school and their use.

-Myth. Destroying school property, threatening violence, stealing, and anything that leads to injury or death at a campus is school violence.