More than 8,000 criminal incidents in North Carolina schools were reported in 1995, an increase of 21 percent from 1994. Each month about 8 percent of all high school students nationally are involved in fights that result in an injury requiring medical attention. North Carolina created a task force on school violence and has enacted stricter laws and regulations designed to protect children and teachers from school violence. The North Carolina Center for the Prevention of School Violence was created in late 1993. It has conducted violence prevention workshops for school systems across the State, met with civic and law enforcement groups to develop the support infrastructure, and initiated a public awareness program. The public awareness campaign aims to convince students that school violence is hurting everyone and that they can have a positive impact on finding solutions to the problem. Illustrations