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ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUE OF HEW'S (HEALTH EDUCATION AND WELFARE) SAFE SCHOOL STUDY REPORT TO THE CONGRESS

NCJ Number
49001
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Volume: 24 Issue: 3 Dated: (JULY 1978) Pages: 257-265
Author(s)
R J RUBEL
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
AN OVERVIEW OF STUDY METHODOLOGY, A SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, PROPERTY OFFENSES, PERSONAL ATTACKS AND LOSSES, THE URBAN CRISIS, THE USE OF SECURITY OFFICERS, SOCIAL COSTS. AND CRIME AS AN INTERNAL SCHOOL PROBLEM ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE STUDY CONSISTED OF THREE PHASES: PHASE 1, WHICH INVOLVED A MAIL SURVEY ON ILLEGAL OR DISRUPTIVE ACTIVITIES IN A 5,578-SCHOOL PROBABILITY SAMPLE; PHASE 2, WHICH INVOLVED ON-SITE SURVEYS OF A SMALLER CLUSTER SAMPLE OF JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS; AND PHASE 3, WHICH CONSISTED OF DETAILED, QUALITATIVE CASE STUDIES OF 10 SCHOOLS IN WHICH PROBLEMS OF VIOLENCE HAD DRAMATICALLY AND RAPIDLY DECREASED, SURVEY RETURN RATES WERE VERY HIGH, AND MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF THE DATA WAS MADE TO DETERMINE FACTORS THAT CORRELATED WITH SAFE AND VIOLENT SCHOOLS. STUDY FINDINGS CONSIDERED TO GO AGAINST THE GRAIN OF POPULAR NOTIONS OF CRIME AND VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOLS ARE AS FOLLOWS: (1) ONLY ABOUT 8 PERCENT OF ALL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS REPORT SERIOUS PROBLEMS -- SERIOUS BEING DEFINED AS HAVING NO LESS THAN SEVEN INCIDENTS IN THE SCHOOL DURING A 1 MONTH PERIOD: (2) IN TERMS OF ABSOLUTE NUMBERS OF AFFECTED SCHOOLS, SUBURBAN AND RURAL SCHOOLS OUTNUMBER URBAN SCHOOLS, BUT THE PERCENTAGE OF URBAN SCHOOLS WITH SERIOUS PROBLEMS IS HIGHER; (3) PRACTICALLY ALL OFFENSES ARE COMMITTED BY STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOLS AFFECTED; AND (4) SCHOOLS, FAR FROM BEING HELPLESS VICTIMS OF A PREVALENT SOCIAL VIOLENCE, CAN HAVE CONSIDERABLE CONTROL OVER THE CRIME AND VIOLENCE BY THE STUDENTS. INCREASING EFFORTS IN STUDENT GOVERNANCE AND RULE ENFORCEMENT, IMPROVING THE RELEVANCE OF SCHOOL CURRICULUM TO STUDENT INTERESTS AND NEEDS, TREATING STUDENTS FAIRLY, AND HAVING A SMALLER TEACHER-STUDENT RATIO ARE AMONG THE ACTIONS BY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FOUND TO HAVE THE MOST INFLUENCE IN REDUCING AND PREVENTING CRIME AND VIOLENCE. (RCB)

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