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Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2010
NCES 2011-002
November 2010

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Table 6.3.

Percentage of public schools reporting incidents of crime to the police, number of incidents, and the rate of crimes per 1,000 students, by type of crime and selected school characteristics: School year 2007–08

      Violent incidents1       Serious violent incidents2     Theft3   Other incidents4
School characteristic Total number of schools   Percent
of
schools		   Number
of
incidents		   Rate per 1,000 students       Percent
of
schools		   Number
of
incidents		   Rate per 1,000 students     Percent
of
schools		   Number
of
incidents		   Rate per 1,000 students   Percent
of
schools		   Number
of
incidents		   Rate per 1,000 students
                                                         
Total 83,000   37.8   302,600   6.3       12.6   29,400   0.6     31.0   133,800   2.8   48.7   267,800   5.6
                                                         
School level5                                                        
Primary 49,200   20.0   49,700   2.2       7.1   5,400   0.2     16.4   18,200   0.8   33.7   45,800   2.0
Middle 15,300   64.4   107,300   11.1       17.9   10,900   1.1     46.8   32,000   3.3   68.6   70,500   7.3
High school 11,900   74.5   131,400   10.6       26.4   11,500   0.9     65.4   74,500   6.0   85.3   139,000   11.2
Combined 6,600   42.9   14,100   5.3       15.7   1,600 ! 0.6     40.1   9,200   3.5   48.2   12,500   4.7
                                                         
Enrollment size                                                        
Less than 300 19,200   23.2   18,000   4.5       7.3   2,200   0.6     20.1   7,400   1.8   29.4   17,500   4.4
300–499 24,300   27.4   34,100   3.4       8.1   3,300   0.3     19.2   11,600   1.2   39.8   28,900   2.9
500–999 30,200   43.1   110,100   5.5       13.8   10,200   0.5     35.9   46,900   2.3   56.2   86,500   4.3
1,000 or more 9,300   78.4   140,300   10.2       31.1   13,700   1.0     68.2   67,900   4.9   87.7   134,900   9.8
                                                         
Urbanicity                                                        
City 21,300   45.1   123,800   9.0       16.2   13,300   1.0     38.0   42,600   3.1   60.0   96,800   7.0
Suburb 23,900   34.4   82,800   5.0       12.2   7,500   0.5     26.5   44,200   2.6   49.2   84,600   5.1
Town 11,800   40.8   38,800   6.5       11.7   3,700   0.6     30.6   17,500   2.9   46.2   29,900   5.0
Rural 26,000   33.7   57,200   5.1       10.3   4,900   0.4     29.5   29,500   2.6   40.2   56,500   5.0
                                                         
Percent combined enrollment of
   Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific
   Islander, or American Indian/
   Alaska Native students		                                                        
Less than 5 percent 13,700   32.1   21,000   3.9       10.7   2,800   0.5     26.4   13,800   2.6   36.8   21,000   3.9
5 percent to less than 20 percent 21,400   35.2   55,200   4.6       9.8   4,400   0.4     31.1   38,300   3.2   44.9   58,700   4.9
20 percent to less than 50 percent 20,300   37.2   81,300   6.3       11.5   5,500   0.4     29.9   33,700   2.6   49.8   65,000   5.0
50 percent or more 27,600   43.2   145,100   8.3       16.4   16,600   1.0     33.9   48,000   2.7   56.7   123,100   7.0
                                                         
Percent of students eligible for
free or reduced-price lunch		                                                        
0–25 21,900   34.0   61,600   4.2       11.1   5,100   0.3     30.8   43,300   3.0   48.7   71,300   4.9
26–50 25,800   35.3   93,800   6.4       11.6   7,800   0.5     30.1   43,900   3.0   47.4   84,500   5.7
51–75 18,800   37.7   74,300   7.7       13.8   7,000   0.7     27.9   25,500   2.6   43.3   50,700   5.3
76–100 16,500   47.1   72,900   8.3       14.6   9,500   1.1     36.0   21,100   2.4   56.8   61,400   7.0
                                                         
Student/teacher ratio6                                                        
Less than 12 42,200   34.3   119,000   6.2       11.3   10,700   0.6     27.9   51,500   2.7   42.7   94,300   4.9
12–16 28,500   40.5   113,600   6.0       13.2   12,500   0.7     33.9   53,800   2.9   52.9   106,200   5.6
More than 16 12,300   43.8   69,900   7.3       15.4   6,200   0.6     34.8   28,500   3.0   59.4   67,300   7.0
! Interpret data with caution.
1 Violent incidents include serious violent incidents; physical attack or fight without a weapon; and threat of physical attack without a weapon.
2 Serious violent incidents include rape or attempted rape; sexual battery other than rape; physical attack or fight with a weapon; threat of physical attack with a weapon; and robbery with or without a weapon.
3 Theft/larceny includes taking things worth over $10 without personal confrontation. Please see appendix B for a more detailed definition.
4 Other incidents include possession of a firearm or explosive device; possession of a knife or sharp object; distribution, possession, or use of illegal drugs or alcohol; and vandalism.
5 Primary schools are defined as schools in which the lowest grade is not higher than grade 3 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 8. Middle schools are defined as schools in which the lowest grade is not lower than grade 4 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 9. High schools are defined as schools in which the lowest grade is not lower than grade 9. Combined schools include all other combinations of grades, including K–12 schools.
6 Student/teacher ratio was calculated by dividing the total number of students enrolled in the school by the total number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) teachers and aides. The total number of FTE teachers and aides is a combination of the full-time and part-time teachers and aides, including special education teachers and aides, with an adjustment for part-time status.
NOTE: Responses were provided by the principal or the person most knowledgeable about crime and safety issues at the school. “At school” was defined for respondents to include activities that happen in school buildings, on school grounds, on school buses, and at places that hold school-sponsored events or activities. Respondents were instructed to include incidents that occurred before, during, or after normal school hours or when school activities or events were in session. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Estimates of number of incidents and schools are rounded to the nearest 100.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2007–08 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), 2008.
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