The survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,234 regular public elementary, middle, and secondary schools in the 50 States and the District of Columbia in the spring and summer of 1997. The survey solicited information on the incidence of crime and violence in public schools during the 1996-97 academic year; principals' (or school disciplinarians') perceptions of the seriousness of a variety of discipline issues in their schools; the types of disciplinary actions schools took against students for serious offenses; and the kinds of security measures and violence-prevention programs that were in place in the schools. More than half of U.S. public schools reported experiencing at least one crime incident in school year 1996-97, and 1 in 10 schools reported at least one serious violent crime during that school year. Crime and violence were more of a problem in middle and high schools than in elementary schools. Most public schools reported having zero tolerance policies toward serious student offenses, with most schools using low levels of security measures to prevent violence. Seventy-eight percent of the schools reported having some type of formal violence-prevention or violence-reduction program or effort. Fifty percent of public schools with violence-prevention programs indicated that all or almost all of their students participated in these programs. 12 figures, 32 tables, and appended questionnaire