Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

At Risk

  • By Deb Moore
  • 05/15/16

On May 4th the 18th edition of Indicators of School Crime and Safety, a joint publication of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) was released. The report is compiled from a number of statistical data sources supported by the federal government and provides us with the most recent data available.  In some cases the risk is inflicted by others.  In other cases the student's own behavior is what puts them at risk.

Physical Attack: In 2013-14, about 58 percent of public schools recorded one or more incidents of a physical attack or fight without a weapon, 47 percent of schools recorded one or more incidents of threat of physical attack without a weapon, and 13 percent of public schools recorded one or more serious violent incidents.

Cyber-Bullying: In 2013, approximately 7 percent of students ages 12-18 reported being cyber-bullied anywhere during the school year.  About 27 percent of students who reported being cyber-bullied anywhere indicated that they were cyber-bullied at least once or twice a month.

Bullying: In 2013, about 33 percent of students who reported being bullied at school indicated that they were bullied at least once or twice a month during the school year. A higher percentage of students reported notifying an adult after being bullied at school than after being cyber-bullied anywhere (39 vs. 23 percent).

Illegal Drug Availability: The percentage of students in grades 9–12 who reported that illegal drugs were offered, sold, or given to them on school property increased from 1993 to 1995 (from 24 to 32 percent), but then decreased to 22 percent in 2013.

Alcohol Use: In 2013, about 47 percent of 12th-graders reported consuming alcohol on at least 1 day during the previous 30 days. This percentage was higher than the percentages for 9th-graders (24 percent), 10th-graders (31 percent), and 11th-graders (39 percent).

Marijuana Use: In 2013, some 23 percent of students in grades 9-12 reported using marijuana at least one time in the previous 30 days.

To find out more go to http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/index.asp.

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.

  • school building with glowing circuit board patterns

    AI Is Coming to Schools — But Most School Buildings Still Run on Institutional Memory

    As school districts race to introduce AI into classrooms, administration, and curriculum planning, another conversation is happening behind the scenes: How prepared are school facilities themselves for the operational demands AI will create?

  • Fellowes Expands Finish and Wall-Covering Options for Architectural Wall Systems

    Fellowes Architectural Solutions has expanded the materials library for its architectural wall systems with a series of new finishes and wall-covering options intended to provide architects and designers with additional choices for commercial interiors, according to a company news release.