Findings revealed that school violence was a problem of substantial or growing significance in more than 80 percent of cities and towns. Asked to characterize local conditions over the past 5 years, 38 percent said the violence problem had increased noticeably and 45 percent said it was about the same. While the largest cities and central cities most frequently reported increasing levels of school violence, at least 30 percent of cities in all population categories and among all types of cities reported noticeable increases in school violence. About 70 percent of cities said police departments patrolled schools, serious injuries or deaths resulting from school violence occurred in 25 percent of cities during the past year, student and neighborhood gangs were regarded as a significant factor in school violence in most medium and large cities, and 19 percent of cities used metal detectors or searched schools regularly. About 90 percent of cities said police departments patrolled high school athletic events to prevent violence. Trends in school violence are reviewed, and the allocation of local police resources to prevent school violence is discussed. 15 tables and 4 figures