School Violence

Daniel J. Flannery & Michelle L. Riske

On March 24, 1998, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, a false fire alarm brought middle-school students and teachers outside only to be fired on by two boys, ages eleven and thirteen; four students and one teacher were killed, and several others were injured. In April 1999, two young men opened fire in a high school in Littleton, Colorado, killing thirteen and injuring twenty-six. Acts of violence like these in American schools are a major concern at the local and national level and a routine component of the continuing debate about gun control. Youths aged ten to nineteen account for a significant portion of violent crime and for the growing number of people who are victims of violence (Flannery 1997). Between 1989 and 1993, there was a dramatic increase in violent crimes committed by juveniles. Since 1993, youth violence has declined, according to arrest records and victimization data. However, information collected from youth ...

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