ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, SCHOOLCHILDREN COMMITTED 100 MURDERS, 12,000 ROBBERIES, AND 204,000 ASSAULTS DURING 1976. THE ANNUAL COST OF SCHOOL VANDALISM EXCEEDS $600 MILLION DOLLARS, AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THAT SPENT ON TEXTBOOKS. YOUTH GANGS ARE BLAMED FOR MUCH OF THE VIOLENCE WHICH OCCURS AT URBAN SCHOOLS, WITH ADDITIONAL CAUSES OF VIOLENCE INCLUDING THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND THE LACK OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE SCHOOLS. THE SUSPENSION AND EXPULSION OF DELINQUENT STUDENTS MAY ONLY DISPLACE VIOLENT ACTIVITY ONTO OTHERS OR MAY ITSELF BE A CAUSE OF VANDALISM. A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SCHOOL CRIME IS ATTRIBUTED TO STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN EXPELLED. ALTHOUGH THE COURTS HAVE APPROVED THE USE OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AS A LAST RESORT FOR STUDENT DISCIPLINE, FEW PEOPLE SEE IT HAS THE SOLUTION FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENCY. THE ORIGINAL GOAL OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, TO REHABILITATE OFFENDERS, APPEARS TO BE OUTMODED AT A TIME WHEN JUVENILES ARE COMMITTING SERIOUS FELONIES. REFORMS PROPOSALS WOULD PROVIDE SIMILAR PUNISHMENTS, AS WELL AS SIMILAR SAFEGUARDS FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS. THE USE OF STUDENT PATROLS SEEMS TO BE A MORE SUCCESSFUL METHOD OF PREVENTING SCHOOL CRIME THAN DOES THE USE OF EXPENSIVE SECURITY SYSTEMS. THE PROGRAM OF THE REV. JESSE JACKSON WHICH PROMOTES STUDENT RESPECT AND DISCIPLINE IS DISCUSSED. FOOTNOTES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)