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NCES Releases Report on Crime, Safety in Schools

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/01/24

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics at the U.S. Department of Justice recently released its annual Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety, a news release reports. The report includes data regarding active shooter situations and deaths, bullying, student victimization, existing mental health services, students carrying weapons, and other campus safety and security measures.

According to the report, between 2000 and 2022, there were 50 documented active shooter incidents in elementary and secondary schools, and 18 documented active shooter incidents at postsecondary institutions. About 3 percent of students in grades 9–12 reported carrying a weapon on school property (including a knife, gun, or club) on at least one day during the previous 30, down from 5 percent in 2011. Public schools reporting the presence of an armed law enforcement officer on campus dropped from 51 percent during the 2019–20 academic year to 45 percent in 2021–22, according to the news release.

About 19 percent of students ages 12–18 reported being bullied during school during 2021–22, down from 28 percent in 2010–11. Likewise, the number of crimes reported on postsecondary campuses per 10,000 full-time students fell by 16 percent between 2011 and 2021. Finally, the number of hate crimes reported on campus was 12 percent lower in 2021 than it was in 2011.

The full report is available on the NCES website.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

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