The Safety of School Children in Arkansas. Special Report.

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Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, MD.

Parents

Adolescents; Age Differences; Elementary Secondary Education; Public Opinion; Risk; School Safety; State Surveys; Student Attitudes; Student Behavior; Trend Analysis; Violence; Weapons

Noting that parents are very concerned about the safety of their children and the impact school violence has on their children's academic success, this report is intended to help parents and others understand how school safety is monitored in Arkansas. The report presents information on what students say about their access to weapons and involvement in aggressive behavior. The report summarizes and highlights information gathered from the Arkansas Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the "Communities That Care" survey, examines trends in data, and identifies state and federal resources with additional information about school safety. The key findings indicate that students who carried a weapon onto school property decreased from 12 percent in 1997 to 10 percent in 1999. Students who carried a weapon in locations other than school declined from 28 percent in 1997 to 23 percent in 1999. The percent of Arkansas students (28 percent) who carried a weapon was higher than the national rate (18.3 percent). Expulsions for carrying a firearm on school property increased by 16 percent between 1997-1998 and 1998-1999. Fighting on school property was more common among younger than older students. Arkansas' rate (15 percent) of fighting on school property was comparable to the national rate (14.8 percent). The report concludes by noting that although the rate of violent crime and school-associated violent deaths and the number of fights and gun possession in schools nationwide have decreased, school violence continues to alarm parents. (KB)

2001

ED453943