Percent of public schools reporting crime incidents and the seriousness of crime incidents reported, by school characteristics: 1996-97

Table 154

________________________________________________________________________________
                                     |         |
                                     |         |    Any incidents reported
       School characteristics        |   No    |________________________________
                                     |incidents|  Total  | Serious |Less serious
                                     |reported |         | violent | nonviolent
                                     |         |         |  crime  |   crime
_____________________________________|_________|_________|_________|____________
                  1                  |    2    |    3    |    4    |     5
_____________________________________|_________|_________|_________|____________
  All public schools ................|      43 |      57 |      10 |         47
                                     |_________|_________|_________|____________
Instructional level                  |         |         |         |
    Elementary school................|      55 |      45 |       4 |         41
    Middle school ...................|      26 |      74 |      19 |         55
    High school......................|      23 |      77 |      21 |         56
                                     |         |         |         |
Size of enrollment                   |         |         |         |
  Less than 300 .....................|      62 |      38 |       4 |         34
  300-999 ...........................|      40 |      60 |       9 |         50
  1,000 or more .....................|      11 |      89 |      33 |         56
                                     |         |         |         |
Locale                               |         |         |         |
  City ..............................|      41 |      59 |      17 |         42
  Urban fringe ......................|      42 |      58 |      11 |         47
  Town ..............................|      37 |      63 |       5 |         58
  Rural .............................|      53 |      47 |       8 |         39
                                     |         |         |         |
Region                               |         |         |         |
  Northeast .........................|      48 |      52 |       7 |         45
  Southeast .........................|      41 |      59 |       9 |         50
  Central ...........................|      49 |      51 |      11 |         40
  West ..............................|      36 |      64 |      12 |         52
                                     |         |         |         |
Percent minority enrollment          |         |         |         |
  Less than 5 percent ...............|      53 |      47 |       6 |         41
  5-19 percent ......................|      42 |      58 |      11 |         47
  20-49 percent .....................|      42 |      58 |      11 |         47
  50 percent or more ................|      32 |      68 |      15 |         53
                                     |         |         |         |
Percent of students eligible for free|         |         |         |
or reduced-price school lunch        |         |         |         |
  Less than 20 percent ..............|      46 |      54 |       9 |         46
  20-34 percent .....................|      47 |      53 |      12 |         42
  35-49 percent .....................|      41 |      59 |      12 |         48
  50-74 percent .....................|      41 |      59 |       9 |         49
  75 percent or more ................|      41 |      59 |      10 |         49
                                     |         |         |         |
Zero tolerance policy for violence   |         |         |         |
  Yes ...............................|      41 |      59 |      11 |         48
  No ................................|      53 |      47 |       7 |         40
                                     |         |         |         |
Policy to report crimes to public    |         |         |         |
  Yes ...............................|      50 |      50 |       9 |         41
  No ................................|      39 |      61 |      11 |         50
                                     |         |         |         |
Police/law enforcement presence      |         |         |         |
  30 hours or more per week .........|      14 |      86 |      38 |         49
  10-29 hours per week ..............|      20 |      80 |      19 |         61
  1-9 hours per week ................|      13 |      87 |      28 |         58
  Stationed as needed ...............|      23 |      77 |      14 |         62
  None stationed ....................|      50 |      50 |       6 |         43
                                     |         |         |         |
Principals' report on discipline     |         |         |         |
  problems in school\1\              |         |         |         |
  No problems/minor problems ........|      60 |      40 |       3 |         37
  Moderate problems .................|      38 |      62 |      10 |         52
  Serious problems ..................|      14 |      86 |      28 |         57
_____________________________________|_________|_________|_________|____________

\1\Discipline problems included student tardiness, student absenteeism, physical conflicts among students, robbery or theft of items over $10, vandalism of school property, student alcohol use, student drug use, sale of drugs on school grounds, student tobacco use, student possession of weapons, trespassing, verbal abuse of teachers, physical abuse of teachers, teacher absenteeism, teacher alcohol or drug use, racial tensions, and gangs. Serious problems means the respondent indicated at least 1 of 17 different discipline issues was a serious problem. Moderate problems means the respondent indicated at least one discipline issue was a moderate problem and there were no serious problems. No problems/minor problems means the respondent indicated all discipline issues were either no problem or a minor problem. NOTE.
--Serious violent crime means that at least one of the following crimes occurred at the school and police were contacted: murder, rape or other type of sexual battery, suicide, physical attack or fight with weapon, or robbery. Less serious or nonviolent crime means that no serious violent crimes occurred and the police were called: physical attack or fight without weapon, theft/larceny, or vandalism. No incidents means that the school reporting did not contact the police for any of the specified crimes. Specified crimes may have occurred but police were not contacted, or other, non-specified crimes may have occurred at the school. Details may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Violence and Discipline, Problems in U. S. Public Schools: 1996-97. (This table was prepared August 1999.)

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