The purpose was to support the development of student and family interventions by adding to the body of research that expands the analysis of indicators of school violence into a broader framework. A variety of national surveys have reported on the frequency with which students are involved with violence and weapons at school. Although there is a general statistical correlation between drug or alcohol use and violence among adolescents, the nature of the relationship is more complex than it appears. This study was performed as an independent adjunct to a national multi-site evaluation study of school violence prevention programs. Subjects were students of the Syracuse, New York Public Schools that had been sent to an alternative school as a result of being caught with a weapon in school. Sample characteristics describe a young, largely minority, low income, predominantly female group with regular patterns of alcohol and marijuana use. The overrepresentation of females was due to poorer attendance and a higher dropout rate for males. An analysis of indicators of aggressive behaviors and attitudes did not reveal any significant differences by sex of surveyed students. Family structure was mainly female-headed and conflicts were not reported in family relationships. Substance-abusing behavior by adults in the home was common and over one-quarter of respondents indicated that they had a parent or guardian who had been in jail. The family factors most strongly associated with non-aggressive strategies or avoiding violence were those that suggested accountability or limit setting by parents. Youth may be less likely to behave violently or fight if they believe that they will be held accountable by their parents or guardians for this behavior. 30 references