Juvenile Violence in the School - An Examination of the Problem

• NCJ Number: 87077
• Journal: Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1982) Pages: 31-36
• Author(s): R E Isralowitz
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study defines violent crime, reviews national statistics for juvenile violent crime, particularly that related to the school, and discusses a number of related program and policy implications.

Abstract

For this study, violent behavior includes any of the various types of homicide, robbery, forcible rape, and aggravated assault. Uniform Crime Report 1978 statistics show that juveniles committed 9.3 percent of the murders and nonnegligent homicides, 16 percent of the forcible rapes, 34 percent of the armed robberies, and 16 percent of the aggravated assaults. A 1975 study of 26 American cities indicated that about 7 percent of juvenile violent crimes were committed in a school. This same study indicated that victims of in-school crime were more likely to be 12-15 years-old than 16-19 years-old. Most of the in-school offenders were perceived by their victims to be young males of black or other minority races, and the majority of these crimes were committed by lone offenders. Nine out of 10 of the in-school victimizations suffered by students and 3 out of 4 of those suffered by teachers and others were not reported to police. An examination of most agencies addressing violent juvenile delinquency reveals poor coordination and use of available services, a lack of statistical data on the problem, and an absence of definitive operational rules and regulations to address major disruptive behavior. Community projects that reflect the potential for impacting the issue include (1) alternative school and special instruction programs used in Miami, Fla., to modify the behavior of disruptive students; (2) using indigenous aides to assist troubled youth in Washington, D.C.; (3) developing a strategy of strictness, fairness, and honesty between school personnel and students in Los Angeles; and (4) a delinquency program run by the Minnesota Youth Advocacy Corps which addresses linkage between juvenile correctional facilities and the community. Tabular data, 18 notes, and 6 references are provided.