School Violence

This document, the Safe School Initiative's final report, details how the Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education studied school-based attacks and what they found. It is clear that there is no simple explanation as to why these attacks have occurred. Nor is there a simple solution to stop this problem. But the findings of the Safe School Initiative do suggest that some future attacks may be preventable, if those responsible for safety in schools know what questions to ask and where to uncover information that may help with efforts to intervene before a school attack can occur.

This document provides federal guidance for emergency management at institutions of higher education. "There are over 4,000 two-and four-year public and private institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States totaling over 15 million students and several million staff, faculty, and visitors. Each of these institutions has a commitment to ensure the safety and general welfare of those on their campuses and to provide appropriate policies, procedures, and strategies to maintain a safe campus. Because of recent violent crimes, natural disasters, and other emergencies or crises, colleges and universities are convening committees and task forces to reexamine or conduct a comprehensive review of policies, procedures, and systems related to campus safety and security. As with many critical areas on the agendas of administrators, campus safety requires building support and conducting a thorough and systematic process to produce a quality plan to prepare for and manage emergencies on campus. IHEs have many challenges in practicing emergency management that are related to the distinctive structure and environment of higher education. College and university campuses often cover large geographic areas, and sometimes even resemble small towns with the full extent of services in their vicinity (i.e., medical centers, sports complexes, residential centers, businesses). The campus population changes from day to day, semester to semester, and year to year. Many IHEs operate complex enterprises in addition to their academic programs. Hospitals, research and development facilities, performing arts venues, athletic complexes, agriculture centers, residential complexes, food services, and transportation systems all present a unique set of circumstances that must be considered when designing emergency management plans."

From the thesis abstract: "This study analyzes characteristics of Run, Hide, Fight and defensive tactics and tactical-based decision-making tools that can be modified and applied to enhance depth and breadth of preparedness. Specifically, the research focuses on law enforcement and military tactics and tactical decision-making tools that could be taught to teachers and school staff for use in elementary school settings. Research sources include government operation manuals as well as literature from experts in the fields of defensive tactics and tactical decision-making. While much of the tactical advice and techniques described may seem intimidating to the non-military or non-law-enforcement professional, they are not. The tactics provide basic guidance in mindset, movement, and self-protection strategies that have the potential of improving the likelihood of survival of students, faculty, and staff alike. Findings from the research are categorized as pre-action (mental preparation and situational awareness), action (defensive tactics and tactical decision-making techniques), and re-action (ongoing situational awareness, action analysis and modification). Additionally, the findings support the following recommendations: provide training to teachers and school staff on options-based responses (including defensive tactics and tactical decision-making), empower teachers to protect students by any means necessary, and establish reconnection procedures in the event of an incident."

From the thesis abstract: "Although the idea of a school shooting strikes fear in the hearts of school administrators, school employees, and parents, there is no agreement on whether arming employees is a sound strategy to counter this threat. There is a wide gap in viewpoints between gun control advocates who want tighter gun control and constitutionalists who believe as strongly in the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Whether or not to implement a weapons policy is an issue every school superintendent or school authority may need to face sooner or later. This research does not seek to answer the question of whether school districts should arm their employees. Rather, it seeks to provide a framework for each educational agency to explore, contemplate, and determine its course of action based upon risk-management principles that take into account the values, goals, and capabilities of the community in which the policy would apply. Possible outcomes include the policy options of MoreGuns (allow teachers to be armed), BanGuns (no one is armed), or SomeGuns (trained security or law enforcement can be armed but not teachers). This research is intended to stand as a resource for stakeholders such as legislators, parents, and employees; to equip them to engage in the policy debate; and to empower their participation in making informed decisions about school-district weapons policy."

"The purpose of this primer is to provide the design community and school administrators with the basic principles and techniques to make a school safe from terrorist attacks and school shootings and at the same time ensure it is functional and aesthetically pleasing, and meets the needs of the students, staff, administration, and general public. Protecting a school building and grounds from physical attack is a significant challenge because the design, construction, renovation, operation, and maintenance of a facility must consider numerous building users, infrastructure systems, and building design codes."

From the thesis abstract: "The Newtown Connecticut school attack at the Sandy Hook elementary school on December 14, 2012, was another example of the tragedy of mass murder. When a targeted attack occurs, the victims must await the arrival of law enforcement personnel to address the threat and stop the loss; this lost time interval results in extending the duration of a targeted attack until police can resist an attacker. In the absence of onsite personnel trained to resist an attacker, such as a school resource officer, students and staff are at the mercy of an attacker. This thesis asked the question: Can existing resources be leveraged to increase available capacities in actively resisting an active shooter in a targeted school attack to eliminate or reduce the lost time interval of law enforcement during an attack on an American school especially in low resource areas, such as rural and/or isolated communities. Case studies were completed to identify opportunities to reduce the loss incurred in these attacks with an emphasis on reducing the duration of an incident when prevention measures had failed. The value of collaboration and necessity to leverage resources in the public safety sector is well researched and critical resources with the capacity to operate in an offensive posture are available through planning and preparedness. Relationships can be developed between different domains and disciplines within a community to create a multidisciplinary environment of safety with the capacity to prevent or reduce loss through violence. Through these relationships, a culture can be created that combines strategies and tactics for prevention, as well as a response to these tragedies. A culture of security can replace vulnerability and result in a greater level of confidence in the ability to keep this nation's schools safer."

From the Disclaimer: "The Federal Commission on School Safety was designed to both research and recommend solutions to advance the safety of our schools. The Commission's observations and recommendations are contained in this report. The Commission recognizes that the problem of school violence is long-standing and complex and that there are certain limits to what the federal government can do. This Commission was not established to provide a single solution to this problem, nor did the Commissioners set out to mandate uniform policy to every community. In fact, it is our considered belief that doing so would prove counterproductive. There can be no 'one-size-fits-all' approach for an issue this complex. [...] In the pages that follow, the Commission makes recommendations that address multiple aspects of school safety. It does so based on the insights, experiences, and expertise of a wide range of individuals. The recommendations are predicated on the policies already working in state and local communities. They outline steps we all can take--families, communities, schools, houses of worship, law enforcement, medical professionals, government, and others. Each of us has a role to play in improving the safety of our students and the security of our schools. Only by working together can we help prevent future tragedies and, when those incidents do occur, mitigate their effects and continue to learn from them."

"This guide is intended to be a companion piece to 'Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities', originally published by the U.S. Department of Education in 2003 as a guide for schools and districts to prepare for a variety of crises. This new guide, published by the U.S. Department of Education in 2008, emphasizes a valuable part of emergency management planning-ongoing vulnerability assessment-and is intended to assist schools with the implementation of an effective vulnerability assessment process, to include choosing an appropriate vulnerability assessment tool. This guide is not intended to be prescriptive or to give step-by-step instructions for conducting assessments, rather it is intended to describe the key elements to be considered when selecting an assessment tool appropriate for school environments and provide guidance for conducting an assessment that will inform school emergency management activities."

"Our nation's schools should be safe havens for teaching and learning, free of crime and violence. Any instance of crime or violence at school not only affects the individuals involved, but also may disrupt the educational process and affect bystanders, the school itself, and the surrounding community. Establishing reliable indicators of the current state of school crime and safety across the nation and regularly updating and monitoring these indicators are important in ensuring the safety of our nation's students. This is the aim of 'Indicators of School Crime and Safety'. [...] This report covers topics such as victimization, teacher injury, bullying and cyber-bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety at school, and criminal incidents at postsecondary institutions. Indicators of crime and safety are compared across different population subgroups and over time. Data on crimes that occur away from school are offered as a point of comparison where available."

"The President's plan includes: 1. Closing background check loopholes to keep guns out of dangerous hands; 2. Banning military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and taking other common-sense steps to reduce gun violence; 3. Making schools safer; and 4. Increasing access to mental health services."

"The purpose of this study was to develop an accurate description of the current involvement of law enforcement in schools. Based on results from a national survey of schools and law enforcement agencies, this report identifies the range of roles played by law enforcement and factors related to these roles. This study also describes the level and frequency of police involvement in schools. Additionally, in-depth case studies of fourteen schools and the law enforcement agencies that serve those schools are presented. The findings from these visits include more detailed information about school problems, school/law enforcement relations, security measures, and the role of law enforcement in public schools."

"In the United States, more than 75 million students are enrolled in elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs). During the 2009-2010 school year (most recent data available), there were 33 school-associated violent deaths in elementary and secondary schools. In 2010, students aged 12-18 were victims of approximately 828,400 nonfatal crimes at school, including thefts, simple assault, rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault. At IHEs in 2011, about 31,823 criminal incidents were reported as having occurred on campus, including 16 incidents of murder, 3,396 forcible sex offenses, 2,440 aggravated assaults, and 20,072 burglaries. The December 14, 2012, shooting deaths of 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, have heightened concerns about school security. Safeguarding the security of students as they pursue an education is a paramount concern of federal, state, and local governments, as well as the school districts, schools, and institutions that enroll these students. Both the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLBA; P.L. [Public Law] 107-110), and the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) contain requirements regarding crime and student safety. The ESEA also includes specific programs that support efforts to prevent school violence. While the HEA does not authorize specific programs to address campus crime and security issues, Section 485(f) of Title IV of the HEA contains statutory requirements related to campus crime and security, known collectively as the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). Institutions must comply with these requirements to participate in the federal student aid programs and other programs authorized by HEA Title IV (e.g., Pell Grants). This report discusses these provisions and programs as they apply to elementary and secondary schools and IHEs. It begins with a description of programs and requirements included in the ESEA, which is followed by a discussion of relevant requirements included in the HEA. Where available, the most recent funding level for each program is provided."

"Some policymakers have expressed renewed interest in school resource officers (SROs) as a result of the December 2012 mass shooting that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. SROs are sworn law enforcement officers who are assigned to work in schools. For FY2014, the Administration requested $150 million in funding for a Comprehensive Schools Safety Program under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. Congress appropriated $75 million for a Comprehensive School Safety Initiative. Congress required the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to collaborate with key partners from law enforcement, mental health, and education disciplines to develop and publish a comprehensive strategy and model for school safety. Within the amount provided, $50 million is for pilot programs to improve school safety consistent with the school safety model published by the NIJ. The remaining $25 million is for research and evaluation into potential root causes of school violence. […] Two federal grant programs promoted SRO programs: the COPS in Schools (CIS) program, which was funded until FY2005, and State Formula Grants under the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA), which was funded until FY2009. The CIS program provided grants for hiring new, additional school resource officers to conduct community policing services in and around primary and secondary schools. Local educational agencies could use funds they received under the SDFSCA State Formula Grant program for, among other things, hiring and training school security personnel."

"This document reports data from the 2011 School Crime Supplement (SCS) of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The Web Tables show the extent to which students with different personal characteristics report bullying and cyber-bullying. Estimates include responses by student characteristics: student sex, race/ethnicity, grade, and household income. The U.S. Census Bureau (Census) appended additional data from the 2009--10 Common Core of Data (CCD) and the 2009--10 Private School Universe Survey (PSS) to generate tables showing the extent to which bullying and cyber-bullying are reported by students in schools with different characteristics.2 School characteristics examined are region; sector (public or private); locale; level; enrollment size; student-to-full-time-equivalent (FTE) teacher ratio; percentage of combined American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/ Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and students of two or more races; and percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-priced lunch. The SCS data tables show the relationship between bullying and cyber-bullying victimization and other crime-related variables, such as reported presence of gangs, guns, drugs, and alcohol at school; selected school security measures; student criminal victimization; and personal fear, avoidance behaviors, fighting, and weapon carrying at school."

"This report provides estimates of student criminal victimization as defined by the 2009 School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the 2009 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The NCVS is the nation's primary source of information on criminal victimization and the victims of crime in the United States. The SCS is a supplement to the NCVS that was created to collect national-level information about students ages 12 through 18 and school characteristics related to school crime. The first three administrations of the SCS were conducted in 1989, 1995, and 1999; since 1999, it has been conducted biennially. The survey is designed to assist policymakers, as well as researchers and practitioners at the federal, state, and local levels, in making informed decisions concerning crime in schools. Criminal victimizations in this report are categorized as 'serious violent,' 'violent,' or 'theft.' Serious violent victimization includes rape, sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault and is a subset of violent victimization. Violent victimization includes all serious violent victimizations and simple assault. Theft includes attempted and completed purse snatching, completed pick-pocketing, and all attempted and completed thefts, excluding motor vehicle theft. Theft does not include robbery, in which the threat or use of force is involved. Victims of 'any' crime reported at least one of the victimizations above. Nonvictims of any crime reported none of the victimizations above. All findings reported are statistically significant at the .05 level. The test procedure used in this report is Student's t statistic, which tests the difference between two sample estimates. Adjustments for multiple comparisons were not included. Readers should be aware of the limitations of the survey design and the analytical approach used here with regard to causality. Conclusions about causality between school or student characteristics and victimization cannot be made due to the cross-sectional, nonexperimental design of the SCS."

"Several high-profile incidents of violence at U.S. schools have, understandably, raised concerns about the safety of students while at school. Just one incident of violence causes significant harm. In light of this, it is important to examine commonly held beliefs about school safety and violence because they sometimes reflect a misperception or misunderstanding of what is actually happening. The following questions examine several common beliefs pertaining to school safety statistics and provide evidence to support or dispel each of them. Though improved understanding alone will not allay fears about school violence, hopefully this examination will facilitate informed discussions about school safety. Data collected by federal agencies, including the Department of Education and Department of Justice, as well as research by school safety experts, can be used to address common school safety beliefs and explore several myths."

From the thesis abstract: "Since Columbine, untold resources and planning efforts have been dedicated to active-shooter response by schools and public safety officials. Perhaps this is as it should be, but the almost exclusive focus on response has come at the expense of recovery. Active-shooter events were studied to identify and analyze gaps in recovery planning and operations. Research suggests that a comprehensive K-12 recovery plan with a phased approach would have enabled a faster and smoother recovery. There are no federal requirements for such a plan, and fewer than two-thirds of the states require a crisis plan for schools. The most important elements of active-shooter recovery for K-12 schools were determined: evacuation, relocation, and parent/student reunification; counseling and mental health therapy; funerals and memorials; post-incident staff reduction, suicide awareness, communication with non-English-speaking students and families, and donation management. Based on the lessons learned from six active-shooter incidents, steps are recommended for the successful"