Table 4.  Number and percentage of public middle schools reporting student threats of physical attack and incidents of robbery that occurred at school, the number of incidents, and the rate of incidents per 1,000 students, by selected school characteristics: School year 2009–10

 
  Student threat of physical attack with a weapon1     Student threat of physical attack without a weapon1     Robbery with a weapon1,2     Robbery without a weapon1,2  
School characteristic Number of schools   Percent of schools   Number of incidents   Rate per 1,000 students     Number of schools   Percent of schools   Number of incidents   Rate per 1,000 students     Number of schools   Percent of schools   Number of incidents   Rate per 1,000 students     Number of schools   Percent of schools   Number of incidents   Rate per 1,000 students  
All public middle schools 1,570   10.3   7,620   0.8     9,390   61.5   122,680   13.1     80 ! 0.5 !       840   5.5   2,880   0.3  
                                                                       
Enrollment size                                                                      
Less than 300 130 ! 4.6 ! 160 !     1,470   53.2   8,380   13.1                      
300–499 310   8.7         2,100   60.1   21,400   15.0               220 ! 6.4 ! 490 ! 0.3 !
500–999 890   12.6   2,930   0.6     4,450   62.8   66,840   13.2               330   4.7   960 ! 0.2 !
1,000 or more 250   12.7         1,370   71.1   26,070   11.5       2.3 !       200   10.4   1,250 ! 0.6 !
                                                                       
Urbanicity                                                                      
City 530   15.0   2,340 ! 0.9 !   2,260   64.3   40,990   16.6               330   9.4   1,590 ! 0.6 !
Suburb 580   12.1   3,240 ! 0.9 !   2,980   61.9   31,780   9.1               200   4.1   370 ! 0.1 !
Town 180 ! 6.5 !       1,880   66.8   23,120   17.1               140 ! 4.9 ! 320 !  
Rural 280   6.8   840 ! 0.4 !   2,270   55.0   26,790   13.1               170 ! 4.2 ! 600 ! 0.3 !
                                                                       
Crime level where students live3                                                                      
High 300   28.5         760   72.6   13,540   19.8               190 ! 18.5 ! 1,040 ! 1.5 !
Moderate 420   13.1   2,850 ! 1.5 !   2,190   68.0   29,540   15.2               210   6.4   540 ! 0.3 !
Low 590   6.7   2,320 !     5,010   57.3   49,840   9.6               330   3.8   1,170 ! 0.2 !
Mixed 260   11.6   470   0.3     1,430   63.2   29,760   18.7               110 ! 5.0 ! 130 ! 0.1 !
                                                                       
Percent of combined Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native students                                                                       
Less than 5 percent 70 ! 3.4 !       910   46.8   7,460   8.4                      
5 to less than 20 percent 240   6.0         2,320   58.4   18,030   8.0               100 ! 2.4 !    
20 to less than 50 percent 470   11.8   1,050   0.4     2,750   68.3   39,700   15.2               150   3.6   500 ! 0.2 !
50 percent or more 790   14.9   4,970 ! 1.4 !   3,410   64.1   57,490   15.8     60 ! 1.1 !       580   11.0   1,920   0.5  
                                                                       
Percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch                                                                      
0–20 percent 200 ! 7.4 !       1,220   45.5   9,860   5.4               70 ! 2.5 !    
21–50 percent 480   9.0   2,640 ! 0.8 !   3,430   63.9   34,080   10.3               170   3.2   630 ! 0.2 !
More than 50 percent 890   12.3   4,530 ! 1.1 !   4,740   65.7   78,740   18.5               600   8.3   1,840   0.4  
                                                                       
Percent of students below 15th percentile on standardized tests                                                                      
0–5 percent 530   9.6   2,880 ! 0.8 !   3,070   55.9   32,860   9.6               250   4.6   1,020 ! 0.3 !
6–15 percent 510   8.6   2,120 ! 0.6 !   3,750 62.7 42,940 11.8               250   4.2   630 ! 0.2 !
More than 15 percent 530   14.0   2,630 ! 1.1 !   2,560   67.9   46,870   20.0               330   8.9 ! 1,220 ! 0.5 !
                                                                       
Percent of students likely to attend college                                                                      
0–35 percent 470 14.8 2,780 ! 1.5 ! 2,350 73.7 42,120 23.4               210 ! 6.7 810 ! 0.4 !
36–60 percent 500 10.4 3,180 ! 1.1 ! 2,960 61.8 43,400 15.2               360 7.4 1,020 0.4
More than 60 percent 600 8.3 1,660 ! 0.4 ! 4,080 56.0 37,150 7.9               270 3.7 1,050 ! 0.2 !
                                                                       
Percent of students who consider academic achievement important                                                                      
0–25 percent 280   31.2   1,160 ! 2.2 !   610   69.3   11,280   21.6                      
26–50 percent 300   10.2   970 ! 0.6 !   1,970   67.4   34,800   20.4               180 ! 6.2 ! 630 ! 0.4 !
51–75 percent 300   6.4   720   0.3     2,970   63.3   34,230   12.3               280   5.9   920 ! 0.3 !
More than 75 percent 700   10.3   4,780 ! 1.1 !   3,830   56.7   42,370   9.7               300   4.5   1,180 ! 0.3 !
                                                                       
Percent male enrollment                                                                      
0–44 percent 130 ! 9.0 ! 750 52.2 8,170 12.2     100 ! 6.8 ! 0.3 !
45–55 percent 1,380 10.8 6,450 0.8 8,160 63.9 110,320 13.5     60 ! 0.5 ! 650 5.1 2,460 0.3
More than 55 percent 470 45.5 4,190 7.9     90 ! 8.9 !
                                                                       
Student-to-FTE ratio4                                                                      
Less than 12 students 160 ! 7.1 ! 450 ! 0.5 !   1,290   58.1   14,510   14.8               130 ! 5.8 !    
12–16 students 540   8.5   1,940 ! 0.5 !   3,930   62.8   50,860   14.0               320   5.1   1,020 ! 0.3 !
More than 16 students 880   13.0   5,240 ! 1.1 !   4,170   61.4   57,310   12.0               390   5.8   1,520   0.3 !
                                                                       
Number of classroom changes5                                                                      
0–3 changes 16.1 ! 170 ! 280 61.7 2,440 ! 9.5 !  
4–6 changes 660 12.0 2,760 ! 0.8 ! 3,520 63.8 42,340 12.3   350 6.3 880 0.3
More than 6 changes 830 9.0 4,700 ! 0.8 ! 5,590 60.2 77,900 13.7   470 5.0 1,760 0.3
                                                                       
Regular use of law enforcement6                                                                      
Regular use 1,230 12.1 5,250 ! 0.8 6,280 61.9 90,860 13.1 80 ! 0.7 ! 670 6.6 2,540 0.4  
No regular use 350 6.7 2,370 ! 1.0 ! 3,110 60.7 31,820 13.1 170 ! 3.3 ! 330 !  
                                                                       
Number of serious discipline problems7                                                                      
No problems 430   5.1   1,370 ! 0.3 !   4,680   55.0   38,290   7.7     50 ! 0.6 ! 50 ! #     380   4.4   990 ! 0.2 !
1 problem 580   15.5   2,650 ! 1.1 !   2,430   64.8   38,970   16.1               190   5.2   680 ! 0.3 !
2 problems 220 ! 15.7 !       1,040   72.8   18,380   20.1                      
3 or more problems 330   20.9   1,190 ! 1.1 !   1,240   78.3   27,040   24.5               260   16.5   1,010 ! 0.9 !
                                                                       
Transfers as a percentage of enrollment8                                                                      
Less than 6 percent 300   8.6         1,880   53.0   14,700   6.7               110 ! 3.0 !   0.2 !
6 to less than 11 percent 390   11.1   1,930 ! 0.9 !   2,210   62.7   24,980   11.4               250   7.2   940 ! 0.4 !
11 to less than 21 percent 420   8.5         3,150   63.3   37,840   13.2               210 ! 4.2 ! 420 !  
21 percent or more 450   14.0   2,790 ! 1.3 !   2,160   66.8   45,160   21.5               270   8.4   1,120 ! 0.5 !
                                                                       
Prevalence of schoolwide
disruptions9
                                                                     
No disruptions 1,420   9.9   7,300   0.8     8,770   61.2   113,710   13.0     80 ! 0.5 !       710   5.0   2,690   0.3  
Any disruptions 150 ! 15.7 ! 320 !     610   65.4   8,970   14.8               130 ! 13.4 ! 190 ! 0.3 !
                                                                       
Percent of students absent on a daily basis                                                                       
0–2 percent   8.8 !       450   61.4   4,230   9.2                      
3–5 percent 780   8.3   3,080 ! 0.5 !   5,660   60.8   66,370   11.4     60 ! 0.7 !       390   4.2   1,240   0.2 !
6–10 percent 610   13.0   4,100 ! 1.5 !   3,030   64.4   49,600   18.1               400   8.5   1,190 ! 0.4 !
More than 10 percent 120 ! 23.1   220 ! 0.6 !   250   48.7   2,480 ! 7.1 !                    
#Rounds to zero.
!Interpret data with caution. The standard error for this estimate is from 30 percent to 50 percent of the estimate’s value.
‡Reporting standards not met. The standard error represents more than 50 percent of the estimate.
1Weapon was defined for respondents as "any instrument or object used with the intent to threaten, injure, or kill. This includes lookalikes if they are used to threaten others."
2Robbery was defined for respondents as "the taking or attempting to take anything of value that is owned by another person or organization, under confrontational circumstances by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear. A key difference between robbery and theft/larceny is that robbery involves a threat or battery."
3Respondents were asked, "How would you describe the crime level in the area(s) in which your students live?" Response options included "high level of crime," "moderate level of crime," "low level of crime," and "students come from areas with very different levels of crime."
4Student-to-FTE ratio was calculated by dividing the total number of students enrolled in the school by the total number of full-time-equivalent teachers and aides. The total number of full-time-equivalent 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 to compensate for the part-time status.
5Respondents were asked, "How many classroom changes do most students make in a typical day?" Responses exclude morning arrival and afternoon departure.
6Respondents were asked, "During the 2009–10 school year, did you have any security guards, security personnel, or sworn law enforcement officers present at your school at least once a week?"
7Serious discipline problems include student racial/ethnic tensions, student bullying, student sexual harassment of other students, student verbal abuse of teachers, widespread disorder in classrooms, student acts of disrespect for teachers other than verbal abuse, gang activities, and cult or extremist group activities. If a respondent reported that any of these problems occurred daily or weekly in their school, each was counted once in the total number of serious discipline problems.
8Transfers as a percentage of enrollment combines the number of students who were transferred to a school and the number of students who were transferred from a school divided by the total number of students enrolled in the school.
9Schoolwide disruptions include actions that disrupted school activities such as death threats, bomb threats, and chemical, biological, or radiological threats. Respondents were instructed to exclude all fire alarms, including false alarms.
NOTE: "At school" was defined for respondents to include activities happening in school buildings, on school grounds, on school buses, and at places that hold school-sponsored events or activities. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Responses were provided by the principal or the person most knowledgeable about crime and safety issues at the school.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 2009–10 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS).