THE CLIMATE IN AMERICAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS CHANGED RADICALLY DURING THE LAST GENERATION AS INDICATED BY THE INCREASED FREQUENCY OF CRIMES SINCE THE 1950'S, THE CHANGING CHARACTER OF THOSE CRIMES, AND THE ALTERED VIEWPOINTS AND ACTIONS OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS. THIS STUDY, WHICH IS CONFINED TO THE YEARS BETWEEN 1950 AND 1975, DEFINES CRIME AND VIOLENCE AND DESCRIBES TRENDS IN STUDENT MISBEHAVIOR. ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE ACTIONS DISCUSSED OCCUR MOST OFTEN IN THE METROPOLITAN AREAS, NATIONAL DATA PRESENTED TEND TO HAVE BEEN COLLECTED TO INCLUDE ALL SCHOOLS. IMPERFECTIONS IN THE DATA DO NOT PREVENT DETERMINATIONS OF THE KINDS, FREQUENCY, COSTS, AND INTENSITY OF SCHOOL CRIMES AS RELATED TO PROPORTIONAL INCREASES IN STUDENT POPULATIONS AND THE INHIBITING EFFECT WHICH FEAR FOR PERSONAL SAFETY HAS ON LEARNING. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOL SECURITY OFFICES WHICH BECAME A NECESSITY BY 1975, HAS EFFECTED METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION AND ALTERED THE PUBLIC'S IMPRESSION OF THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. DATA INTERPRETATION CONCERNING THE PATTERNS IN THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF CRIMES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS SOMEWHAT QUESTIONABLE. FINDINGS IN THE CASE OF ASSAULTS AGAINST TEACHERS COMBINED WITH INCREASING NUMBERS OF ASSAULTS LED TO THE FALSE CONCLUSION THAT CRIME AND VIOLENCE WERE BECOMING MORE INTENSE. THIS BELIEF CAN NOT BE SUBSTANTIATED BY DATA; NUMBERS OF ASSAULTS HAVE INCREASED, BUT RATES HAVE REMAINED CONSTANT. ALTHOUGH ABSOLUTE RATES OF INCIDENTS OF VANDALISM, BURGLARY, LARCENY, AND ARSON HAVE INCREASED, CLEAR STATEMENTS OF CHANGE IN INTENSITY OR FREQUENCY OF THESE OFFENSES CAN NOT BE MADE. FIRES WERE OFTEN THE MOST COSTLY LOSS SUFFERED BY A SCHOOL OR DISTRICT. AS SUSPENSIONS WITHOUT DUE PROCESS AND OTHER POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS OF PUPIL RIGHTS GREW MORE EXTENSIVE DURING THE LATE 1960'S, PUPILS INCREASINGLY RESPONDED BY SUING THE SCHOOLS FOR VIOLATING THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. BY THE EARLY 1970'S SCHOOLS WERE COMPLYING WITH LEGAL RULINGS AND EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON INVOLVEMENT OF THE STUDENTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACTIONS AIMED AT SOLVING THE PROBLEMS OF STUDENT CRIME. FUTURE IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL SYSTEMS WITH RESPECT TO CRIME AND VIOLENCE ARE DISCUSSED AS THEY RELATE TO STUDENT ACTIONS, ACTIONS TAKEN BY LOCAL SCHOOLS, AND THE SCHOOL SECURITY OFFICES. TABULAR DATA, GRAPHS, AND FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (JCP)