Crime went down throughout the U.S. in the 1990s. Potential explanations include demographic shifts, improved economic opportunities, changes in drug markets, evolving police strategies, and an increasing prison population. Previous attempts to parcel out responsibility among these explanations are unpersuasive. Some do not consider all of the…

Although overall crime rates in Texas are decreasing, violent crime rates among juveniles in the state are on the rise. This document describes the scope of the school violence problem in Texas based on available data. It describes current national and Texas policy initiatives and programs related to school safety and violence prevention.…

While violence in Texas schools is unacceptably frequent, some types of school violence have declined in recent years--most likely because of programs designed to improve safety in schools and in the community. This report examines data on juvenile violent crime in Texas as well as the incidence of violence in the schools over recent years.…