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Drugs and Violence on Campus
How safe are our schools?
by Ricco Villanueva Siasoco |
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According to 1997 U.S. Dept. of Education statistics, high schools reported a drop in the percentage of students carrying weapons on school property. Decreases were also reported in physical fights, property stolen, and marijuana use on school property since comparable statistics in 1995.
Despite these drops, schools have increasingly tightened security measures in the wake of recent school violence. Below, a look at the percentage of students in grades 9 through 12 who reported experience with drugs and violence on school property in 1997, the most recent year data was available.
| Drugs and Violence on School Property, 1997 |
| |
Total |
White |
Black |
Hispanic |
| Carried a weapon |
8.5% |
7.8% |
9.2% |
10.4% |
| Male |
12.5 |
12.3 |
10.7 |
15.6 |
| Female |
3.7 |
2.1 |
7.8 |
4.3 |
| Threatened or injured with a weapon |
7.4 |
6.2 |
9.9 |
9.0 |
| Male |
10.2 |
8.2 |
14.0 |
12.7 |
| Female |
4.0 |
3.7 |
5.8 |
4.6 |
| In a physical fight |
14.8 |
13.3 |
20.7 |
19.0 |
| Male |
20.0 |
19.1 |
24.6 |
24.7 |
| Female |
8.6 |
5.9 |
17.0 |
12.3 |
| Property stolen or deliberately damaged |
32.9 |
32.6 |
34.0 |
32.1 |
| Male |
36.1 |
35.7 |
37.5 |
33.4 |
| Female |
29.0 |
28.6 |
30.6 |
30.6 |
| Alcohol use |
5.6 |
4.8 |
5.6 |
8.2 |
| Male |
7.2 |
6.3 |
7.3 |
8.7 |
| Female |
3.6 |
2.9 |
4.0 |
7.6 |
| Marijuana use |
7.0 |
5.8 |
9.1 |
10.4 |
| Male |
9.0 |
7.3 |
13.0 |
14.1 |
| Female |
4.6 |
3.9 |
5.4 |
5.9 |
| Offered, sold, or given an illegal drug |
31.7 |
31.0 |
25.4 |
41.1 |
| Male |
37.4 |
36.1 |
34.6 |
46.8 |
| Female |
24.7 |
24.5 |
16.7 |
34.4 |
Source: Dept. of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 1998.
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