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Chapter 3: Student Behaviors and Afterschool Activities

Indicator 12: Safety at School

In 2009, a higher percentage of male than female students reported being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property in the past 12 months (10 vs. 5 percent). This pattern between males and females was also observed among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian students as well as students of two or more races.

In 2009, some 8 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 reported that they had been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, 11 percent reported that they had engaged in a physical fight on school property, and 23 percent reported that drugs were available to them on school property in the past 12 months. Drug availability includes being offered, sold, or given an illegal drug. Six percent of students reported carrying a weapon on school property on one or more of the past 30 days. Weapons include items such as guns, knives, and clubs. Overall, higher percentages of male than female students reported having each of these experiences.

Higher percentages of American Indian/Alaska Native students reported being threatened or injured with a weapon in 2009 (17 percent) than did their peers of all other races/ethnicities (between 5 and 9 percent), except Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (13 percent) for whom this apparent difference was not measurable. In addition, the percentage of students who reported being threatened or injured with a weapon was higher for Blacks and Hispanics (9 percent each) than for Whites (6 percent) and Asians (5 percent). A higher percentage of male than female students reported being threatened or injured with a weapon both overall and among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian students, as well as students of two or more races. For example, 12 percent of Hispanic males reported having this experience, compared with 6 percent of their female peers. Among both males and females, differences in the percentage of students who were threatened or injured with a weapon were also found by race/ethnicity. For instance, among male students, a lower percentage of Whites were threatened or injured with a weapon (8 percent) than were Blacks (11 percent), Hispanics (12 percent), and persons of two or more races (14 percent).

In 2009, the percentage of students who reported carrying a weapon on school property was lower for Asian students (4 percent) than for White (6 percent), Hispanic (6 percent), and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students (10 percent). The percentages for Black students and students of two or more races were 5 and 6 percent, respectively. Higher percentages of male students overall as well as White, Hispanic, and Asian male students carried a weapon on school property than their female peers. No measurable differences in the percentages of students carrying a weapon on school property were found among males by race/ethnicity: between 6 and 8 percent of males reported carrying a weapon on school property. Among female students, a lower percentage of Asians (1 percent) than Whites (2 percent), Blacks and Hispanics (4 percent each), and those of two or more races (5 percent) reported carrying a weapon on school property; in addition, the percentage was lower for White females than for Hispanic females.

Student reports of engaging in a physical fight varied by race/ethnicity in 2009. Higher percentages of American Indian/Alaska Native (21 percent), Black (17 percent), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (15 percent), and Hispanic students (14 percent) reported engaging in a fight than their White and Asian peers did (9 and 8 percent, respectively). The percentage was also higher for Black students than for Hispanic students. A higher percentage of male than female students reported engaging in a physical fight both overall and among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian students, as well as students of two or more races. For example, 22 percent of Black males versus 12 percent of Black females reported engaging in a physical fight. Higher percentages of Black and Hispanic males (18 percent each) engaged in a physical fight than White (12 percent) and Asian (11 percent) males. Some of these patterns by race/ ethnicity were also observed among female students.

In 2009, higher percentages of American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic students reported that drugs were made available to them (34 and 31 percent, respectively) than White (20 percent), Black (22 percent), and Asian students (18 percent) did. Reports of drug availability were also higher for males than females overall as well as among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics. For instance, 35 percent of Hispanic males reported that drugs were made available to them, compared with 27 percent of Hispanic females. Higher percentages of Hispanic males and females and males and females of two or more races reported that drugs were made available to them than did their White and Asian counterparts. In addition, for both males and females, a higher percentage of Hispanic than Black students reported drug availability.

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Figure 12-1 Percentage of students in grades 9 through 12 who reported that they were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property during the past 12 months, by race/ethnicity and sex: 2009

Figure 12-2 Percentage of students in grades 9 through 12 who reported that drugs were made available to them on school property during the past 12 months, by race/ethnicity and sex: 2009

Table E-12-1 Percentage of students in grades 9 through 12 who reported that they were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, carried a weapon on school property, engaged in a physical fight on school property, or reported that drugs were made available to them on school property, by sex and race/ethnicity: 2009