Violent Deaths at School
Nonfatal Student Victimization-Student Reports
Violence and Crime at School-Public School Principal/ Disciplinarian Reports
Nonfatal Teacher Victimization at School-Teacher Reports
Full Report (PDF)
15. Students' reports of gangs at school*
Street gangs are organized groups that are often involved in drugs, weapons trafficking, and violence. The presence of street gangs in school can be very disruptive to the school environment. Street gangs may not only create fear among students but also increase the level of violence in school. The percentage of students who report the presence of street gangs in their schools indicates the existence and severity of the gang problem in schools.
*This indicator repeats information from the 2000 Indicators of School Crime and Safety report. Comparisons between the 1989 data and the 1995 and 1999 data should be made with caution due to changes in the questionnaire. See appendix B for details.
- Between 1995 and 1999, the percentage of students who reported that street gangs were present at their schools decreased (figure 15.1 and table 15.1). In 1995, 29 percent of students reported street gangs being present in their schools. By 1999, this percentage had fallen to 17 percent.
- Gangs were more likely to be reported in public schools than in private schools (figure 15.1 and table 15.1). In 1999, 19 percent of students in public schools reported that street gangs were present in their schools, compared with 4 percent in private schools. A similar pattern of results was reported in 1995. However, between these two years, the percentage of public school students reporting that gangs were present in their schools decreased by about 40 percent (from 31 percent in 1995 to 19 percent in 1999) as did the percentage of private school students reporting gang presence (from 7 percent to 4 percent).
- In 1999, urban students were more likely to report that there were street gangs at their schools (25 percent) than were suburban and rural students (16 percent and 11 percent, respectively) (figure 15.2 and table 15.1). Between 1995 and 1999, reports of gang presence decreased regardless of students' place of residence.
- In both years, Hispanic and black students were more likely than white students to report the existence of street gangs in their schools. In 1995, Hispanic students were more likely than black students to do so (figure 15.3 and table 15.1), while in 1999 they were equally as likely. Between 1995 and 1999, reports of gang presence decreased for whites, blacks, Hispanics, and students of other race/ethnicities.