School Crime: Student, School, and Community Risk Factors

Introduction: The Rise of School Crime

Juvenile violence associated with schools is on the upswing, and each year brings new stories of gun violence, vandalism, and gangs invading the nation's academic institutions—from elementary schools through institutions of higher education. Several studies have attempted to explain this rise in school crime and identify which attributes are most problematic. Certain characteristics appear consistently, although it remains difficult to predict reliably when school violence will strike a given community.

The nation's young people are dying violently with increasing frequency. As researcher David C. May notes, "Firearm homicides are the second leading cause of death for youngsters 15 to 19 years old and are the leading cause of death for Black males aged 10 to 34 years" (May, 1999, p. 100). Gun crimes are becoming very common in school settings, as are other acts of violence. The availability of firearms appears to be increasing, and many police departments across the nation report that gangs—especially well-funded drug gangs—have more firepower than local police departments, creating a lethal mix of violence and drug profits for many young people. Several studies have attempted to uncover the factors that lead children into violent behavior, including research indicating that living in a violence-prone neighborhood or being raised by family members who model violent behavior can lead to continued violent conduct (Ousey and Wilcox, 2005, p. 7). Other researchers have sought to refine these findings and identify new connections between cultural and societal factors in order to better explain the trend of school crime and its continued rise.

Gang Culture and Peer Pressure as Drivers of Violence

One popular theory about school crime centers on the gang model, or group-level peer pressure. It is well established that most gangs in schools promote a violent lifestyle, with great emphasis placed on "honor" and loyalty to one's gang affiliates. As Ousey and Wilcox explain, "In addition, a group-level violent subculture may lead to elevated rates of violence via the effect it may have on an individual's exposure to peers who model violent behavior" (Ousey and Wilcox, 2005, p. 7). Thus, some youths may be prone to violent behavior simply because of the company they keep and the peer pressure they face.

To fit into a gang, young people may condone and perform violent behavior, and in the social structure of many communities, belonging to a gang is a prerequisite for social acceptance. Gang activity can therefore lead to higher levels of violence in schools that serve these communities, as well as violence in the surrounding areas, generating fear and a sense of apprehension throughout the community. Students and their parents may perceive the school as an unsafe place, prompting some families to remove students from school altogether, or leading students to arm themselves with weapons for self-defense. These responses can themselves produce more violence and crime. As one study found, one in four students felt it was easy to obtain guns in their neighborhood, two in three knew someone who had brought a weapon to school, and one in four had personally carried a weapon during school (Welsh, 2001, p. 912).

Everyday School Violence and Its Hidden Costs

There is much other violent behavior occurring in schools today that, even when it does not result in injury or death, remains troubling and abusive. For example, students still assault one another after school, but today such fights are often recorded on cell phone cameras and uploaded to platforms such as YouTube. There is also the petty violence that takes place in almost all schools, including intimidation, bullying, and forcing students to surrender their lunches, money, or jewelry. All of these acts negatively affect students and faculty alike and can create a pervasive climate of fear and intimidation.

One author labels these acts "everyday school violence" and notes that they are all too common, especially in large urban schools (Toby, 1994, p. 169). These everyday forms of violence are far more prevalent than the sensational school shootings that dominate news coverage, making them much harder to manage, control, and eliminate. Yet it is precisely these routine acts that affect students and faculty most regularly and most deeply.

Individual Risk Factors for Violent Behavior

A composite profile of individuals most at risk for violent offending can be constructed from the research literature on school violence. While no single risk factor can reliably predict violent behavior on its own, the presence of multiple factors increases the likelihood that an individual will behave violently in school.

Family size. Numerous studies indicate that families with four or more children may produce offspring more prone to violent behavior. Contributing factors include parents having less time to devote to each child, less attention available for school-related issues, and fewer financial resources for educational materials (Jenkins, 1997, p. 340).

Family structure. Single-parent households may be associated with higher rates of violence in children, though exceptions exist. Single-parent households that emphasize involvement and supervision of school and social activities carry a lower risk of producing violent offspring. Stepchildren may also be more prone to violent behavior (Jenkins, 1997, pp. 340–341).

Maternal education. The level of the mother's education can influence the likelihood of school violence. Parents who are better educated tend to discuss higher-education goals with their children and to emphasize behaviors that lead to college attendance. They may also interact more effectively with teachers and administrators, which supports the child's sense of belonging in school and encourages respect for the institution (Jenkins, 1997, p. 341).

Gender. Although this pattern is shifting slightly, girls are found to exhibit fewer violent tendencies than boys and to engage in fewer criminal and violent activities. Studies consistently show that more boys are placed in specialized classrooms for delinquent and violent youth (Jenkins, 1997, p. 341).

Grade or age. Older students tend to engage in more violent or assertive behavior, often in an attempt to impress younger students and to signal their rejection of the school's social order (Jenkins, 1997, p. 341).

Social bonds. Some students simply do not develop the social bonds necessary to deter them from violent behavior. These students are not receiving consistent, constructive messages from family or faculty, and they fail to form the attachments that might otherwise discourage violent conduct (Welsh, 2001, p. 918).

Student fears. Fear can be a powerful indicator of school violence. As student fears escalate, trust in administrators and other adults erodes, and students begin to take matters into their own hands—carrying weapons to school or retaliating directly against bullies and other violent peers (Welsh, 2001, p. 914).

It is important to note that these risk factors are not deterministic. A youth with only one risk factor may become increasingly violent, while others displaying several factors may never exhibit violent behavior. Nevertheless, many students who engage in school crime will show one or more of these indicators.

Social bonding deserves particular emphasis as a predictor of violent behavior. As Welsh explains, "According to control theory, schools are a central venue for social bonding (or failure). Those with poor academic or interpersonal skills are likely to experience failure and alienation in school. They do not become attached to school because social interaction is unrewarding" (Welsh, 2001, p. 918). An individual who is alienated at school and whose situation goes unrecognized by faculty may be at even greater risk for violent behavior. Social control theory therefore suggests that the school environment itself is a factor that must be addressed in any serious effort to reduce school violence.

Conclusion: Making Schools Safer for Every Student

School violence is a troubling dimension of the educational system in the United States today. For schools to truly serve their students—regardless of where those students live—they must become safer, students must come to understand the value of their schools, and faculty must appreciate the range of factors, both inside the school and in the broader community, that can give rise to school violence.

The only way to protect schoolchildren across all ages and backgrounds is to make schools genuinely relevant to every student. That means addressing individual risk factors through targeted support, improving school design and discipline practices, and engaging the surrounding community as a partner rather than treating it as an external threat. Schools that succeed in these areas demonstrate that safety and academic achievement are attainable goals even in the most challenging environments.

References

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