A book from CBS News, The Class of 2000: A Definitive Study, found that while 96 percent of students felt safe in their schools, 22 percent of those same students knew students who carried weapons to school. Crime and violence do exist, and they are not exactly rare occurrences at many schools. It is important that you have the facts and some ideas about what you can do to prevent violence from occurring.

Prevalence of School Violence

According to a survey commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the overall rate of violent acts reported for elementary, middle, and high schools combined was 31 incidents per 1,000 students during the 2005–2006 school year. Further, 9 percent of schools reported student threats of violent attacks with a weapon.

These seem to be scary numbers, but it is important to keep this in perspective. Only 3 percent of all students were involved in violent acts. Further, when you look at the serious violent acts of rape, sexual battery other than rape, fighting with a weapon, and robbery with or without a weapon, the number of students involved drops to 1.2 for every 1,000 students. There's no reason to become overly worried about school violence and crime, but make sure to take some time and understand what you can do to help prevent it.

What You Can Do

One of the main things you can do to help prevent violent crimes at school is to watch for warning signs from your students, which include the following:

• A sudden change in interest level at school

• An obsession with violence

• Sudden change in attitude or mood swings

• Clues from writing, including signs of isolation and despair

• Sudden violent and angry outbursts

• Talking about dying or death

• Talking about bringing weapons to school

• Indications of violence toward animals

If you see these signs in your students, report them to the guidance counselor at your school, tell your administration, and call the parents. This is an important issue that requires a proactive attitude. Also remember that you are a good role model for your students. Do not allow your own anger to get out of control; teach students good anger-management techniques when the occasion arises.

You will probably witness fights at school. Mostly, these will be isolated events, rarely with weapons or other dangerous items involved. Your main job during these incidents is to protect yourself and your students while trying to alleviate the situation as quickly as possible. Each school district has its own rules concerning how you should handle a fight, so make sure that you consult with other teachers and administrators before such events occur.

While you will probably see some school fights, you are not likely to witness major incidents of school violence. However, this does not mean that you should be unprepared. Your school should have a plan for dealing with emergencies; make sure that you are intimately aware of your role in that plan.

Worries about school violence should not stop you from teaching or from enjoying your career. Strive to create a safe environment for your students without allowing fear to cripple your teaching efforts. Awareness on your part will go a long way toward warding off violence and helping you and your students focus on learning.