Wide Scope, Questionable Quality: Drug and Violence Prevention Efforts in American Schools, Report on the Study on School Violence and Prevention

• NCJ Number: 198359
• Author(s): Scott Crosse; Michele Burr; David Cantor; Carol A. Hagen; Irene Hantman
• Date Published: August 2002
• Length: 104 pages
• Contract Number(s): EA96055001
• Sponsoring Agency: Gang Intelligence Strategy Committee
• Corporate Author: Westat
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services; US Dept of Education (Publication Ctr)
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: See NCJ-198358 and NCJ-198360-361 for additional reports; downloaded December 27, 2002.

Annotation

In this first of three reports from the Study on School Violence and Prevention, an examination is conducted on the status of school safety nationally and what schools are doing to promote safety and prevent problem behavior.

Abstract

In an attempt to describe the level of problem behavior in schools, learn about the measures that schools are taking to prevent problem behavior and promote safety, and to examine the use of funds allocated through the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA), the U.S. Department of Education initiated the Study on School Violence and Prevention, a cooperative effort between the Department of Education and the National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice. In this first report, the focus is on the extent and nature of problem behavior in schools according to students, teachers, and principals and on the types of prevention efforts underway in schools and how well schools are implementing these efforts. In addition, the study investigated how prevention efforts were funded and the role of SDFSCA in these efforts. The study examined 1,287 elementary, middle, and high schools. The report is organized into seven chapters: (1) an introduction to and background about problem behavior in schools; (2) a description of the extent of the problem behavior in schools; (3) a discussion of efforts used by schools to prevent problem behavior; (4) implementation efforts in preventing problem behavior and the quality of the implementation; (5) a description of how schools and districts plan prevention activities; (6) a presentation of information on how districts and schools fund prevention programs and the importance of SDFSCA funds in prevention; and (7) a discussion of conclusions and policy and practice implications. Study conclusions included: (1) schools in general were relatively safe; (2) schools nationally were implementing a large number of prevention efforts but the quality of these efforts was low overall; and (3) a relatively higher rate of discipline problems were found in middle schools suggesting greater attention to prevention in middle school. Recommendations are made in improving the areas of program planning, monitoring, and evaluation. References and figures