Article from the Houston Chronicle
Sept. 7, 2000,
Hype about school violence false; it's not that bad
By VINCENT SCHIRALDI
Is America's children return to school this year, they will do so in a
more guarded and fearful atmosphere than at any time in
memory. Ironically, at the same time, America's high schoolers are the
least violent in recorded history. This stark disconnect
between our kids' behavior and our suspicion of them can have a profound
impact on their future.
The most recent National Crime Victimization Survey (which has been
tracking crime trends in the United States since 1973)
reports the lowest violent juvenile crime rate ever. This means that the
"baby-boomer" generation was more violent than their
high school age teen-agers.
This tracks with other measures of youth crime, in and out of schools.
Despite the often repeated lament about youth killing at
younger and younger ages, the FBI reports that the number of kids under
age 13 committing homicides is at its lowest since that
statistic began being kept in 1964. For example, my generation of
pre-teens in 1971 was more than twice as murderous as
today's 12-year-olds.
Likewise, the National Center for Education Statistics reports a 34
percent decline in violent school crime since just 1993, and
the Centers for Disease Control report a 20 percent drop in students
being injured in a physical fight since that time. Although
the numbers of school-associated violent deaths are very small to begin
with, the National School Safety Center reports a 53
percent decline in such deaths, from 55 in 1993, down to 26 in the 1999.
Despite these significant improvements in the behavior and safety of our
kids, media coverage of a handful of hyperviolent acts
has prompted heightened fear by parents, and school administrators
cracking down in unprecedented numbers. In the face of
record low violent youth crime and a 56 percent decline in youth
homicides since 1993, nearly two-thirds of Americans believe
juvenile crime is on the increase.
Although there's a 1 in 2 million chance of being killed in a school, 71
percent of respondents to a Wall Street Journal poll
believe a shooting is likely in their school. Despite a 40 percent
decline in school shootings from 1998 to 1999, respondents to a
national newspaper poll were 49 percent more fearful of their schools in
1999 than in 1998.
This fear is rapidly working its way into school-based practices.
Security devices such as hidden cameras, "duck-and-cover
drills" and locker searches are proliferating in our schools. More than
3 million students were suspended or expelled in 1997,
about twice the rate at which students were kicked out of school when
my, more violent, generation was in high school.
Some would (and do) argue that if we can save the life of one student,
this crackdown on kids is well worth it. But we may well
be creating more crime through these types of policies than we prevent.
There is a strong connection between school suspension and dropping out
of school. Once youth are no longer in school, the
research paints an ugly picture of their prospects. The Centers for
Disease Control reported that "out-of-school" teen-agers are
more likely to have been involved in a fight, carry a weapon, use
alcohol and drugs, and engage in sexual intercourse than
students who stay in school.
Recent research from the University of Maryland has found that even
those students left behind might not be any safer as a
result of restrictive school policies. Analyzing federal victimization
survey data of more than 9,000 students, the researchers
found that students in schools characterized by heavy security measures
like metal detectors and random locker searchers were
more likely to be victimized and more fearful. As one student stated,
"too much security makes you wonder whether it is safe."
It's no fairer to stereotype our young people as Columbine's Dylan
Kliebold than it would be to taint all adults with the sins of
Oklahoma City's Timothy McVeigh. Our kids are good kids, more fairly
depicted as the ones on the other side of the yellow
tape, weeping over the death of their classmates, just like all the rest
of us. As they return to school this year, that's a lesson we
adults need to remember.
Schiraldi is director of the Washington-based Justice Policy Institute
and co-author of a report on the school crime
decline.
Sept. 7, 2000,
Hype about school violence false; it's not that bad
By VINCENT SCHIRALDI
Is America's children return to school this year, they will do so in a
more guarded and fearful atmosphere than at any time in
memory. Ironically, at the same time, America's high schoolers are the
least violent in recorded history. This stark disconnect
between our kids' behavior and our suspicion of them can have a profound
impact on their future.
The most recent National Crime Victimization Survey (which has been
tracking crime trends in the United States since 1973)
reports the lowest violent juvenile crime rate ever. This means that the
"baby-boomer" generation was more violent than their
high school age teen-agers.
This tracks with other measures of youth crime, in and out of schools.
Despite the often repeated lament about youth killing at
younger and younger ages, the FBI reports that the number of kids under
age 13 committing homicides is at its lowest since that
statistic began being kept in 1964. For example, my generation of
pre-teens in 1971 was more than twice as murderous as
today's 12-year-olds.
Likewise, the National Center for Education Statistics reports a 34
percent decline in violent school crime since just 1993, and
the Centers for Disease Control report a 20 percent drop in students
being injured in a physical fight since that time. Although
the numbers of school-associated violent deaths are very small to begin
with, the National School Safety Center reports a 53
percent decline in such deaths, from 55 in 1993, down to 26 in the 1999.
Despite these significant improvements in the behavior and safety of our
kids, media coverage of a handful of hyperviolent acts
has prompted heightened fear by parents, and school administrators
cracking down in unprecedented numbers. In the face of
record low violent youth crime and a 56 percent decline in youth
homicides since 1993, nearly two-thirds of Americans believe
juvenile crime is on the increase.
Although there's a 1 in 2 million chance of being killed in a school, 71
percent of respondents to a Wall Street Journal poll
believe a shooting is likely in their school. Despite a 40 percent
decline in school shootings from 1998 to 1999, respondents to a
national newspaper poll were 49 percent more fearful of their schools in
1999 than in 1998.
This fear is rapidly working its way into school-based practices.
Security devices such as hidden cameras, "duck-and-cover
drills" and locker searches are proliferating in our schools. More than
3 million students were suspended or expelled in 1997,
about twice the rate at which students were kicked out of school when
my, more violent, generation was in high school.
Some would (and do) argue that if we can save the life of one student,
this crackdown on kids is well worth it. But we may well
be creating more crime through these types of policies than we prevent.
There is a strong connection between school suspension and dropping out
of school. Once youth are no longer in school, the
research paints an ugly picture of their prospects. The Centers for
Disease Control reported that "out-of-school" teen-agers are
more likely to have been involved in a fight, carry a weapon, use
alcohol and drugs, and engage in sexual intercourse than
students who stay in school.
Recent research from the University of Maryland has found that even
those students left behind might not be any safer as a
result of restrictive school policies. Analyzing federal victimization
survey data of more than 9,000 students, the researchers
found that students in schools characterized by heavy security measures
like metal detectors and random locker searchers were
more likely to be victimized and more fearful. As one student stated,
"too much security makes you wonder whether it is safe."
It's no fairer to stereotype our young people as Columbine's Dylan
Kliebold than it would be to taint all adults with the sins of
Oklahoma City's Timothy McVeigh. Our kids are good kids, more fairly
depicted as the ones on the other side of the yellow
tape, weeping over the death of their classmates, just like all the rest
of us. As they return to school this year, that's a lesson we
adults need to remember.
Schiraldi is director of the Washington-based Justice Policy Institute
and co-author of a report on the school crime
decline.