School Boards Association in 1994, researchers found that 80% of surveyed school officials perceived violence in schools had increased over the past five years (Hill, et al., 1999, 264). Perhaps more alarming than any of these studies or statistics is the fact that youth violence in schools is becoming increasingly lethal. According to the CSPV, between 1980 and 1995, handgun homicides perpetrated by young males (15-18) increased by more than 150% (Youth, 2002, 1) in the U.S.
An increasing number of students are carrying a weapon to school. The National Youth Risk Behavior Survey reports that 20% of high school students nationwide reported carrying a weapon in school (Youth, 2002, 1). Yet, while many continue to argue that ethnicity or race plays a significant role in the increase of violence among youth in schools, the CSPV argues that “the strongest predictors for school violence rates are local neighborhood crime rates” (School, 2002, 1). Such a predictor demonstrates that children who are most likely to perpetrate or be victims of violence in school are those from high crime neighborhoods. This speaks more to economic disadvantage as a predictor of violence than it does race. The higher a neighborhood’s capacity for social organization and social control, the lower the crime rate. Thus poverty appears to be a much bigger predictor of violence than race or ethnicity. A report by the Surgeon General corroborates this argument. As noted in the report, “Self-reported rates of serious violent behavior differ widely by sex but considerably less by race” (Report, 2002, 1). The following table shows the differences in youths’ self-reported serious violent behavior by sex and race for 1983, 1993 and 1998:
Male:Female Ratio African American:White Ratio
Violent Incident Violent Index Violent Incident Violent Index
Ratio Prevalence Ratio Ratio Prevalence Ratio
While overall incident rates are...