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Government study shows decline in school violence

From Terry Frieden
CNN Justice Department Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Crime rates in the nation's schools dropped during the 1990s, despite the enormous publicity surrounding a handful of dramatic multiple killings, according to a new government report.

The number of victims of violent crime in schools dropped from 48 crimes per 1,000 students in 1992 to 43 crimes per 1,000 students in 1998. Another measure highlighted in the study shows the percentage of students who said they were victims of either violent crime or non-violent crime including theft had dropped from 10 percent to 8 percent between 1995 and 1999.

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The report, "Indicators of School Crime and Safety 2000" was jointly produced by statisticians at the Justice Department and Education Department.

The report is the third in a series of annual reports from the two agencies, and contains the most recent available data from a number of federally funded school crime studies covering somewhat different time periods.

"The new indicators here show that crime is continuing to decline in schools, and that violence is more common away from school than at school," says one of the report's authors. Author Michael Plante, a Justice Department statistician tells CNN the data show a decrease among all age, race and gender groups.

The findings are based on surveys of students, teachers, and school administrators.

FBI report on school violence urges vigilance, intervention
September 6, 2000
FBI report to detail 'warning signs' that could lead to school shootings
September 5, 2000

Federal Bureau of Investigation
NCAVC - National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime
U.S. Department of Education
CDC: Facts About Violence Among Youth and Violence in Schools
National Center for Education Statistics
National Alliance for Safe Schools
Gun-free Schools Act of 1994

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