NCJ Number
168486
Journal
School Safety (Fall 1997) Volume: Issue: Dated: Pages: 14-17
Date Published
1997
Length
4 pages
Annotation
To address the lack of information on weapon-carrying students, this study determined whether weapon-carrying students have common characteristics, along with the ways in which the weapons were recovered.
Abstract
The schools involved in the study are in Pinellas County, Fla. Study subjects were 154 students who had come to the attention of police as a result of being in possession of weapons on school ground. Of the 154 students, 103 were males and 51 females. Police reports stored in automatic databases were reviewed for incidents that involved weapons on campuses. Of the 154 weapons detected, 20 were firearms (all handguns), 115 edged weapons, 7 chemical weapons, 3 striking weapons, and 9 "other" weapons. With one exception, all recovered firearms were in the possession of males. Statistical analyses determined that neither previous arrests nor school discipline were predictive of weapon carrying. This finding suggests that any student, not just one known to be delinquent or disruptive, has the potential to be carrying a weapon. Eighty percent of the firearms were seized before they could be used to victimize others. A review of other weapon categories also indicates that in some cases, high numbers of these recovered weapons were also discovered before they could be used to victimize others. Such a finding may indicate that students are concerned about their safety and will turn in their classmates for weapon possession. 3 tables and 13 notes