This paper was presented as part of a symposium attempting to document historical trends in the extent of disruptive behavior in schools and some contemporary responses to the problem. Fragmentary evidence suggests that disobedience and resistance to authority are not new, but incidents have become more serious. Still, few students are either offenders or victims in serious incidents. A critical review of the literature suggests the following conclusions about trends in school violence and disruption that vary partially from frequently accepted opinion: (1) while disruptive and violent conditions have worsened in recent years, the origins of the present problems are discernible some 20 years ago; (2) the degree to which trends in the last several years can be determined is hampered by limitations in the available evidence on the subject; (3) although disruptive and violent conditions may be at unacceptably high levels in many American schools today, not all schools are equally affected and it is not clear that such conditions continue to worsen presently in the aggregate. (Author/MLF)