Table 230.10.

Percentage of public schools reporting selected discipline problems that occurred at school, by frequency and selected school characteristics: Selected years, 1999-2000 through 2015-16

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Year and school characteristic	Happens at least once a week1																					Happens at all2
	Student racial/ ethnic tensions3			Student bullying4			Student sexual harassment of other students			Student harassment of other students based on sexual orientation or gender identity5			Student verbal abuse of teachers			Widespread disorder in classrooms			Student acts of disrespect for teachers other than verbal abuse			Gang activities			Cult or extremist group activities
1	2			3			4			5			6			7			8			9			10
All schools
1999-2000	3.4		(0.41)	29.3		(1.21)	—		(†)	—		(†)	12.5		(0.69)	3.1		(0.44)	—		(†)	18.7		(0.85)	6.7	(0.46)
2003-04	2.1		(0.28)	26.8		(1.09)	4.0		(0.40)	—		(†)	10.7		(0.80)	2.8		(0.39)	—		(†)	16.7		(0.78)	3.4	(0.35)
2005-06	2.8		(0.31)	24.5		(1.14)	3.5		(0.40)	—		(†)	9.5		(0.61)	2.3		(0.24)	—		(†)	16.9		(0.76)	3.7	(0.41)
2007-08	3.7		(0.49)	25.3		(1.11)	3.0		(0.39)	—		(†)	6.0		(0.48)	4.0		(0.45)	10.5		(0.71)	19.8		(0.88)	2.6	(0.36)
2009-10	2.8		(0.39)	23.1		(1.12)	3.2		(0.55)	2.5		(0.41)	4.8		(0.49)	2.5		(0.37)	8.6		(0.67)	16.4		(0.84)	1.7	(0.31)
2013-146	1.4		(0.31)	15.7		(1.12)	1.4		(0.26)	0.8		(0.19)	5.1		(0.54)	2.3		(0.45)	8.6		(0.74)	—		(†)	—	(†)
2015-16
All schools	1.7		(0.33)	11.9		(0.79)	1.0		(0.19)	0.6		(0.13)	4.8		(0.51)	2.3		(0.38)	10.3		(0.80)	10.4		(0.62)	—	(†)
School level7
Primary	1.2	!	(0.48)	8.1		(1.04)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	3.6		(0.74)	1.6	!	(0.59)	8.8		(1.27)	2.7		(0.66)	—	(†)
Middle	3.2		(0.69)	21.8		(1.59)	2.1		(0.44)	1.2	!	(0.40)	8.2		(1.13)	4.9		(0.67)	15.9		(1.28)	19.4		(1.33)	—	(†)
High school	2.3		(0.64)	14.7		(1.37)	2.5		(0.55)	2.2		(0.59)	7.6		(1.24)	2.6		(0.52)	12.1		(1.47)	30.6		(1.70)	—	(†)
Combined	‡		(†)	11.0		(3.17)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	4.3	!	(1.89)	7.2	!	(2.85)	—	(†)
Enrollment size
Less than 300	‡		(†)	6.4		(1.58)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	3.6	!	(1.31)	‡		(†)	6.4		(1.62)	6.0		(1.52)	—	(†)
300 to 499	‡		(†)	9.6		(1.72)	0.7	!	(0.32)	0.4	!	(0.19)	3.4		(1.00)	1.3		(0.37)	9.1		(1.87)	6.5		(1.17)	—	(†)
500 to 999	2.3		(0.62)	14.0		(1.40)	1.4		(0.32)	0.7	!	(0.27)	6.0		(0.85)	3.8		(0.91)	12.4		(1.25)	9.3		(0.79)	—	(†)
1,000 or more	2.6		(0.64)	22.1		(1.81)	2.4	!	(0.74)	1.5	!	(0.49)	7.0		(0.89)	3.8		(0.78)	14.4		(1.74)	35.0		(1.82)	—	(†)
Locale
City	1.8	!	(0.77)	12.9		(1.45)	0.9	!	(0.36)	0.9	!	(0.36)	9.6		(1.58)	4.9		(1.22)	15.3		(1.90)	17.9		(1.79)	—	(†)
Suburban	2.3		(0.67)	10.3		(1.12)	0.9	!	(0.29)	0.3	!	(0.13)	3.3		(0.74)	1.9		(0.47)	8.1		(1.04)	8.7		(0.79)	—	(†)
Town	‡		(†)	18.3		(2.77)	1.2	!	(0.62)	‡		(†)	5.4		(1.62)	1.5	!	(0.53)	14.5		(2.93)	8.8		(1.45)	—	(†)
Rural	0.9	!	(0.38)	9.7		(1.58)	1.2		(0.37)	0.8	!	(0.29)	1.3	!	(0.54)	‡		(†)	5.9		(1.31)	5.7		(0.99)	—	(†)
Percent combined enrollment of Black,       Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, and       American Indian/Alaska Native students,       and students of Two or more races
Less than 5 percent	‡		(†)	15.6		(4.31)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	—	(†)
5 percent to less than 20 percent	1.0	!	(0.38)	10.8		(1.61)	1.4	!	(0.46)	‡		(†)	2.1	!	(0.80)	0.8	!	(0.36)	6.5		(1.39)	1.9		(0.44)	—	(†)
20 percent to less than 50 percent	1.4	!	(0.54)	11.0		(1.42)	0.9		(0.26)	0.9	!	(0.28)	3.6		(0.83)	1.1		(0.31)	9.9		(1.81)	7.7		(0.92)	—	(†)
50 percent or more	2.6		(0.67)	12.5		(1.23)	1.0		(0.30)	0.7	!	(0.24)	7.9		(1.05)	4.3		(0.86)	13.7		(1.46)	18.6		(1.33)	—	(†)
Percent of students eligible for free or       reduced-price lunch
0 to 25 percent	‡		(†)	9.5		(1.67)	1.1	!	(0.49)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	3.5		(0.98)	2.5		(0.47)	—	(†)
26 to 50 percent	1.2	!	(0.37)	10.0		(1.22)	1.3		(0.35)	0.6	!	(0.22)	3.1	!	(0.97)	1.5	!	(0.60)	8.8		(1.58)	5.8		(0.58)	—	(†)
51 to 75 percent	1.8	!	(0.53)	11.8		(1.65)	0.9		(0.26)	0.7	!	(0.27)	5.0		(1.05)	2.4		(0.68)	9.5		(1.38)	11.0		(0.94)	—	(†)
76 to 100 percent	3.1	!	(1.01)	15.3		(1.91)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	8.9		(1.39)	4.4		(1.16)	16.7		(1.90)	19.2		(2.10)	—	(†)
Student/teacher ratio8
Less than 12	‡		(†)	9.2		(2.45)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	2.5	!	(0.79)	2.7	!	(1.06)	4.5		(1.25)	4.4		(0.86)	—	(†)
12 to 16	1.1	!	(0.34)	9.1		(1.10)	0.9	!	(0.32)	0.6	!	(0.30)	5.8		(1.09)	2.9		(0.83)	12.1		(1.52)	9.4		(1.17)	—	(†)
More than 16	2.6		(0.60)	14.5		(1.16)	1.0		(0.21)	0.7		(0.17)	4.7		(0.65)	1.8		(0.38)	10.6		(1.07)	12.7		(1.08)	—	(†)
Prevalence of violent incidents9        at school during school year
No violent incidents	‡		(†)	3.3	!	(1.02)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	4.6		(1.16)	2.5	!	(0.99)	—	(†)
Any violent incidents	2.2		(0.44)	15.8		(1.11)	1.4		(0.26)	0.9		(0.19)	6.7		(0.68)	3.3		(0.54)	12.9		(1.07)	13.9		(0.87)	—	(†)

—Not available.

†Not applicable.

!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

1 Includes schools that reported the activity happens either at least once a week or daily.

2 Includes schools that reported the activity happens at all at their school during the school year. In the 1999-2000 survey administration, the questionnaire specified "undesirable" gang activities and "undesirable" cult or extremist group activities. The 2013-14 and 2015-16 questionnaires did not ask about cult or extremist group activities.

3 Prior to the 2007-08 survey administration, the questionnaire wording was "student racial tensions."

4 The 2015-16 questionnaire defined bullying as "any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths who are not siblings or current dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated." The term was not defined for respondents in previous survey administrations.

5 Prior to 2015-16, the questionnaire asked about "student harassment of other students based on sexual orientation or gender identity (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning)" in one single item. The 2015-16 questionnaire had one item asking about "student harassment of other students based on sexual orientation," followed by a separate item on "student harassment of other students based on gender identity." For 2015-16, schools are included in this column if they responded “daily” or “at least once a week” to either or both of these items; each school is counted only once, even if it indicated daily/weekly frequency for both items. The 2015-16 questionnaire provided definitions for sexual orientation--"one's emotional or physical attraction to the same and/or opposite sex"--and gender identity--"one’s inner sense of one’s own gender, which may or may not match the sex assigned at birth. Different people choose to express their gender identity differently” These terms were not defined for respondents in previous survey administrations.

6 Data for 2013-14 were collected using the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), while data for all other years were collected using the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS). The 2013-14 FRSS survey was designed to allow comparisons with SSOCS data. However, respondents to the 2013-14 survey could choose either to complete the survey on paper (and mail it back) or to complete the survey online, whereas respondents to SSOCS did not have the option of completing the survey online. The 2013-14 survey also relied on a smaller sample. The smaller sample size and difference in survey administration may have impacted the 2013-14 results.

7 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 and the highest grade is not higher than grade 12. Combined schools include all other combinations of grades, including K-12 schools.

8 Student/teacher ratio was calculated by dividing the total number of students enrolled in the school, as reported on SSOCS, by the total number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) teachers. Information regarding the total number of FTE teachers was obtained from the Common Core of Data (CCD), the sampling frame for SSOCS.

9 "Violent incidents" include rape or attempted rape, sexual assault other than rape, physical attack or fight with or without a weapon, threat of physical attack or fight with or without a weapon, and robbery with or without a weapon. Respondents were instructed to include violent incidents that occurred before, during, or after normal school hours or when school activities or events were in session.

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 respond only for those times that were during normal school hours or when school activities or events were in session, unless the survey specified otherwise.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1999-2000, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2009-10, and 2015-16 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2016; and Fast Response Survey System (FRSS), "School Safety and Discipline: 2013-14," FRSS 106, 2014. (This table was prepared August 2017.)