Background: This study used a new Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) assessment tool to test the associations between physical attributes of schools and violence-related behaviors and perceptions of students. Methods: Data were collected from 4717 students from 50 middle schools. Student perceptions of risk and safety, and…

Background: Multiple approaches exist, both in theory and in practice, to reduce young people's risk of violent victimization when they are in school. Among these approaches, a growing number of school districts are choosing to install metal detectors. We sought to review the literature available on the impacts of metal detectors on school…

Background: Low-level violent behavior, particularly school bullying, remains a critical public health issue that has been associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes. School-based prevention programs, while a valuable line of defense to stave off bullying, have shown inconsistent results in terms of decreasing bullying. This…

Background: Exposure to community violence compromises teacher effectiveness, student learning, and socioemotional well-being. This study examined the challenges, strategies, and support needs of teachers in urban schools affected by high levels of community violence. Methods: Twenty teachers from 3 urban middle schools with predominantly…

Objectives: To outline the prevalence and disparities of aggression and violence among school-aged urban minority youth, causal pathways through which aggression and violence adversely affects academic achievement, and proven or promising approaches for schools to address these problems. Methods: Literature review. Results: Recent national data…

Background: While crime and violence in schools are derived primarily from factors external to schools, violent behavior may also be aggravated by factors in the school environment, including the physical environment, its educational and social climate, and its organizational capacity and composition. The objective of this study is to examine the…

Surveys of 8th and 10th graders regarding carrying weapons to school and associated risk factors compared those who carried guns with those who did not. Results found an enormous increase in guns at school over seven years. Most students had been crime victims and carried guns out of fear or anger. (SM)

Examines national trends in the consequence of youth and adult behavior in four areas: violent crime arrests, violent deaths, total births, and alcohol-indicated fatal traffic crashes. Statistics indicate that youth mirror parents and society, responding better to measures which reduce problem behavior in both youth and adults. (SM)

Presents data on personal student victimization from a 1993 national survey of students in grades 6-12 (n=6,504). The data suggest that unsafe conditions at school are a reality for most U.S. students. Half of the students witnessed some type of crime or victimization at school, and one in eight reported being directly victimized at school. (SM)