e to try to grab and hold that feeling of power. If they have access to weapons, the violence can have deadly consequences. Middle school students are more than twice as likely as high school students to be affected by school violence. Seventy percent of eight graders stay home at least once a month to avoid bullying. Twenty-two percent of urban 11 and 12 year olds know at least one person their age in a gang. Urban schools suffer most from violence. Many of these schools serve neighborhoods troubled by violence and gang-related crime (APA, 1999).
It is not surprising that these problems find their way onto campus. In another survey conducted by the Children's Institute International, almost 50 percent of all teenagers in rural, suburban, and urban areas believe that their school is becoming more violent. Educators and school boards are trying various measures to improve school safety. Although the goal of each school board is the same, the problem varies from
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