11 Facts About School Violence

Welcome to DoSomething.org, a global movement of millions of young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. After you learn something, Do Something! Find out how to take action here.

1. In 2011, 20% of high school students were bullied at school, and 33% reported being involved in a physical fight in the last year.^[Institute of Education Sciences . "Fast Facts." National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 21, 2014. .]
2. In one month, nearly 6% of high schoolers stayed home because they felt unsafe at or on their way to school.^[Jacobson, G., S. K. Riesch, B. M. Temkin, K. M. Kedrowski, and N. Kluba. "Students Feeling Unsafe in School: Fifth Graders' Experiences." The Journal of School Nursing 27, no. 2 (2011): 149-159. "http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3103144/."]
3. More than 7% of 9th through 12th graders reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property at least once in the last year. An additional 6% admitted to bringing a weapon to school for protection.^[Connolly, Ciaran. "Bullying Statistics." No BullyingExpert Advice On Cyber Bullying School Bullying. Accessed April 21, 2014. .]
4. More than 50% of children who have been bullied online do not report the behavior to their parents, leaving their parents with no idea regarding this behavior.^[NoBullying.com. "Bullying Statistics, The Ultimate Guide!." HeadsUp. Accessed March 4, 2015. .]
5. In 2011, one million children were harassed, threatened, or subjected to other forms of cyberbullying on Facebook.^[ConsumerReports.org. "That Facebook friend might be 10 years old, and other troubling news." Accessed March 4, 2015. .]
6. Violent school threats have increased by 158% from 2010 to 2011.^[Trump, Ken. "Study Finds rapid escalation of violent school threats." National School Safety and Security Services. Accessed March 4, 2015. .]
7. Only 39% of schools in the 2009-2010 school year took serious disciplinary action against a student for special offenses. Actions included out-of-school suspension, expulsion, or transfer to a specialty school.^[Institute of Education Sciences. "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2011 - Key FIndings." National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 21, 2014. .]
8. In the U.S., 33 school-associated violent deaths occurred in the 2009-2010 school year including homicides, suicides, and legal interventions. 18 of these occurred on school property.^[Institute of Education Sciences. "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2011 - Key FIndings." National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 21, 2014. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2011/key.asp>]
9. Some of the signs of bullying include: 1) physical marks, such as cuts or bruises, 2) fear of riding bus to school, 3) depression, anxiety, or moodiness lasting more than a couple of weeks, 4) sudden loss of friends.^[NoBullying.com. "Bullying in Middle School- How you can spot it and stop it." HeadsUp. Accessed March 4, 2015. .]
10. In recent years, assault by weapon, cases of intimidation and bullying, and alcohol possession have all more than doubled on school properties.^[NYP Holdings, Inc.. "School violence shatters record." New York Post. Accessed April 21, 2014. .]
11. Drug possessions at school more than doubled from 2005 to 2011. Teachers confirm that violence may not be spiking, but records are being kept much more accurately than in the past.^[NYP Holdings, Inc.. "School violence shatters record." New York Post. Accessed April 21, 2014. .]

Feeling Down? Talk to a trained crisis counselor. Text “DS” TO 741-741. Free, 24/7, Confidential.