Forum Guide to 

Crime, Violence, and 

Discipline Incident Data

Forum Guide to 

Crime, Violence, and 

Discipline Incident Data
ii • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

National Cooperative Education Statistics System

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) established the National Cooperative Education Statistics 

System (Cooperative System) to assist in producing and maintaining comparable and uniform information and 

data on early childhood education and on elementary and secondary education. These data are intended to be 

useful for policymaking at the federal, state, and local levels.

The National Forum on Education Statistics (the Forum) is an entity of the Cooperative System and, among its 

other activities, proposes principles of good practice to assist state and local education agencies in meeting this 

purpose. The Cooperative System and the Forum are supported in these endeavors by resources from NCES.

Publications of the Forum do not undergo the same formal review required for products of NCES. The 

information and opinions published here are those of the Forum and do not necessarily represent the policy or 

views of the U.S. Department of Education or NCES.

May 2011

This publication and other publications of the National Forum on Education Statistics may be found at the 

websites listed below.

The NCES Home Page address is http://nces.ed.gov.

The NCES Publications and Products address is http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.

The Forum Home Page address is http://nces.ed.gov/forum.

This publication was prepared in part under Contract No. ED-06-CO-0056 with the Council of Chief State 

School Officers. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement 

by the U.S. Government.

Suggested Citation

National Forum on Education Statistics. (2011). Forum Guide to Crime, Violence, and Discipline Incident 

Data (NFES 2011–806). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 

For ordering information on this report, write:

ED Pubs, U.S. Department of Education

P.O. Box 22207

Alexandria, VA 22304

Or call toll free 1-877-4-ED-PUBS or order online at http://www.edpubs.gov.

Technical Contact

Ghedam Bairu

(202) 502-7304

ghedam.bairu@ed.gov
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • iii

The Crime, Violence, and Discipline 

Working Group

A volunteer working group of the National Forum on Education Statistics produced this document. It was 

developed through the National Cooperative Education Statistics System and funded by the National Center 

for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education. 

Chair

Bill Smith, Sioux Falls School District, South Dakota

Working Group Members

James Haessly, School District of Waukesha, Wisconsin

Derek Howard, Utah State Office of Education

Irma Jones, Tennessee Department of Education

Tom Ogle, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Janice Petro, Colorado Department of Education

Linda Rocks, Bossier Parish Schools, Louisiana

David Weinberger, Yonkers Public Schools, New York

Consultant

Tom Szuba, Quality Information Partners

Project Officer

Ghedam Bairu, National Center for Education Statistics
iv • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Acknowledgments

The members of the Crime, Violence, and Discipline Working Group of the National Forum on Education 

Statistics thanks everyone who reviewed drafts of this document or otherwise contributed to its development. 

This includes the Forum Steering Committee, National Education Statistics Agenda Committee (NESAC), 

and members of the National Forum on Education Statistics. 

The Crime, Violence, and Discipline Working Group would also like to acknowledge earlier documents 

about the use of crime, violence, and discipline data published by the National Center for Education Statistics 

and the Forum, including Recommendations of the Crime, Violence, and Discipline Reporting Task Force

(1996) and Safety in Numbers: Collecting and Using Crime, Violence, and Discipline Incident Data to Make a 

Difference in Schools (2002), both of which are available at http://nces.ed.gov/forum/publications.asp. 

The Working Group appreciates the valuable guidance provided by the Discipline Data Working Group 

of the U.S. Department of Education, which initiated this project following its review of the 2002 Forum 

document Safety in Numbers. Members of the Discipline Data Working Group included Ghedam Bairu, 

National Center for Education Statistics; Rebecca Fitch, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of 

Education (OCR); Christine Bischoff, OCR; Paul Kesner, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, U.S. 

Department of Education (OSDFS); Kimberly Light, OSDFS; Kelly Worthington, Office of Special 

Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education (OSERS); Diana Chang, OSERS; 

Angela Tanner-Dean, OSERS; Meredith Miceli, OSERS; Clare Banwart, Performance Information 

Management Service, U.S. Department of Education (PIMS); Pamela Hinman, PIMS; Bobbi Eaton-Stettner, 

PIMS; Barbara Timm, PIMS; Suzanne Sheridan, Office of the General Council, Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act, U.S. Department of Education; Mari Colvin, Office of the General Council, OSDFS; and 

Bucky Methfessel, Office of the General Council, U.S. Department of Education.
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • v

Foreword 

The National Forum on Education Statistics (the Forum) is pleased to release the Forum Guide to Crime, 

Violence, and Discipline Incident Data. This guide is designed for use by school, district, and state staff to 

improve the effectiveness of efforts to collect and use disciplinary incident data, including reporting accurate 

and timely incident data to the federal government. It provides recommendations on what types of data to 

collect, why it is critical to collect such data, and how to implement and manage an incident database. 

One goal of the Forum is to improve the quality of education data gathered for use by policymakers and 

program decisionmakers. An approach to furthering this goal has been to pool the collective experiences of 

Forum members to produce “best practice” guides in areas of high interest to those who collect, maintain, 

and use data about elementary and secondary education. The accurate, consistent, and timely collection and 

reporting of crime, violence, and discipline data by schools, districts, and state education agencies is one of 

those high-interest areas.

This guide reflects the judgment of experienced data managers; while there is no mandate to follow these 

principles, the authors hope that the contents will prove a useful reference to others in their work.

Chapter 1 focuses on the use of crime, violence, and discipline data to improve school safety.

Chapter 2 presents strategies for implementing an incident database, including system design, management, 

and training.

Chapter 3 recommends a body of data elements, definitions, and code lists useful for collecting accurate and 

comparable data about crime, violence, and discipline.

Chapter 4 offers suggestions for the effective presentation and reporting of crime, violence, and discipline 

data.

Appendix A describes how to use the recommendations in this guide to improve federal school safety and 

security data reporting requirements.

Appendix B provides additional information about references cited in this guide and other resources related 

to collecting, using, and reporting high-quality education data.

Appendix C contains a reprint of a December 16, 2010, letter from U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan to 

governors, chief state school officers, and state board of education leaders regarding technical assistance on 

addressing bullying through policy.

The National Cooperative Education Statistics System

The work of the Forum is a key aspect of the National Cooperative Education Statistics System (Cooperative 

System). The Cooperative System was established to produce and maintain, with the cooperation of the 

states, comparable and uniform education information and data that are useful for policymaking at the 

federal, state, and local levels. To assist in meeting this goal, the National Center for Education Statistics 

(NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education, established the National Forum on Education Statistics 

(the Forum) to improve the collection, reporting, and use of elementary and secondary education statistics. 

The Forum deals with issues in education data policy, sponsors innovations in data collection and reporting, 

and provides technical assistance to improve state and local data systems.
vi • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Development of Forum Products

Members of the Forum establish task forces to develop best practice guides in data-related areas of interest to 

federal, state, and local education agencies. NCES provides management and oversight of this work, but the 

content comes from the collective experience of the state and school district task force members who review 

all products iteratively throughout the development process. Documents prepared, reviewed, and approved 

by task force members undergo a formal public review. This public review consists of focus groups with 

representatives of the product’s intended audience, review sessions at relevant regional or national conferences, 

or technical reviews by acknowledged experts in the field. In addition, all draft documents are posted on the 

Forum website prior to publication so that any interested individuals or organizations can provide feedback. 

After the task force oversees the integration of public review comments and reviews the document a final 

time, publications are subject to examination by members of the Forum standing committee sponsoring the 

project. Finally, the entire Forum (approximately 120 members) reviews and formally votes to approve all 

documents prior to publication.
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • vii

Table of Contents

The Crime, Violence, and Discipline Working Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Chapter 1. Using Data to Help Create Safe and Productive Learning Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Using Data to Improve School Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Chapter 2. Implementing an Incident Data System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Planning an Incident Data System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Designing an Incident Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Managing an Incident Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Training Staff to Use an Incident Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Chapter 3. Collecting Accurate and Comparable Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Incident Data and Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Relevant Data Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Incident Overview (I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Incident Identifier—#001(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

School Number—#002(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Incident Date—#003(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Incident Time—#004(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Incident Location—#005(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Facilities Code—#006(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Incident Cost—#007(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Weapon Type—#008(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Injury—#009(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Reported to Law Enforcement—#010(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Offense Type—#011(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Multiple Offense Designation—#012(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Related Incident Behavior—#013(I) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Reporter Information (R) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Incident Participant Type (Reporter)—#014(R) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Incident Participant ID (Reporter)—#015(R) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Witness Information (W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Incident Participant Type (Witness)—#014(W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Incident Participant ID (Witness)—#015(W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
viii • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Perpetrator Information (P) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Incident Participant Type (Perpetrator)—#014(P) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Incident Participant ID (Perpetrator)—#015(P) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Injury (Perpetrator)—#009(P) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Perpetrator Demographic Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Victim Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Incident Participant Type (Victim)—#014(V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Incident Participant ID (Victim)—#015(V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Injury (Victim)—#009(V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Victim Demographic Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Discipline Information (D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Disciplinary Action and Response—#016(D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Disciplinary Action Start Date—#017(D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Disciplinary Action End Date—#018(D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Rule/Regulation Violated—#019(D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

IEP Placement Meeting Convened—#020(D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Related to Special Education Manifestation—#021(D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Full-Year Expulsion—#022(D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Modified Expulsion—#023(D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Links to Demographic Information in a Student Information System (SIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Sex—#024(SIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Race—#025(SIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity—#026(SIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Limited English Proficiency Status—#027(SIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Section 504 Indicator—#028(SIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

IDEA Indicator—#029(SIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

ADA Indicator—#030(SIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Primary Disability Type—#031(SIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Secondary Disability Type—#032(SIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Chapter 4. Presenting Incident Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Sharing Incident Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Reporting Mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Appendix A. Federal Reporting Suggestions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Gun-Free Schools Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Appendix B. References and Additional Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Appendix C. Technical Assistance on Addressing Bullying Through Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • ix

List of Tables

Table 1-1. Examples of the types of questions that crime, violence, and 

discipline data can help to address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Table 3-1. Data elements for an incident database defined in chapter 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Table A-1. Forum Guide weapons types considered firearms under GFSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Table A-2. GFSA expulsions crosswalk to the Forum Guide for all students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Table A-3. GFSA expulsions crosswalk to the Forum Guide for Children With Disabilities (IDEA) . . . . . 81

Table A-4. Forum Guide discipline actions included in reporting in CSPR for SDFSCA . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Table A-5. The Forum Guide codes that might be included in CSPR reports of violent 

incidents for SDFSCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Table A-6. Forum Guide codes that might be included in CSPR reports of other incidents 

for SDFSCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Table A-7. Terms used in the IDEA report (commonly referred to as “618 Table 5”) that are in the 

Forum Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Table A-8. Terms used in IDEA report (618 Table 5) that are not in the Forum Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Table A-9. The Forum Guide disciplinary actions considered expulsions in the IDEA report 

(618 Table 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Table A-10. Terms used in the CRDC that are in the Forum Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Table A-11. Terms used in the CRDC that are not included in the Forum Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

List of Figures

Figure 2-1. Defining an incident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Figure 2-2. Entity relationships in a typical incident database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Figure 2-3. Recommended data elements for an incident database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Figure 4-1. Disciplinary actions (total number of suspensions) by month (sample graph) . . . . . . . . . . 74

Figure 4-2. Disciplinary action (total number of suspensions) by type (sample graph) . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Figure 4-3. Number of crimes reported to law enforcement (sample graph) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Figure 4-4. Number of students suspended (out-of-school) (sample graph) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Figure 4-5. Number of students receiving a suspension by month (sample graph) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
10 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 1

Chapter 1

Using Data to Help Create Safe and 

Productive Learning Environments

Why Data Matter

After analyzing discipline data, one large school district recognized the need to address student attendance 

issues that were interfering with instructional time. The district hired a dropout specialist, instituted an inschool suspension program for truants, and changed policies to limit the number of days a student could be 

suspended in any one semester. These actions helped the district proactively address a critical instructional 

priority—keeping students in the classrooms where they have an opportunity to learn. The action also had 

a corollary effect of decreasing other security incidents that were more likely to arise when students were 

truant and not under the supervision of school staff.

Maintaining order in schools has always been an important component of effective school 

management, but reducing school crime and violence has become a national priority for 

policymakers only in the last two decades.1

 This priority—creating a school environment that 

is free of violence and other crime—is a necessary step in achieving critical education goals, 

including providing suitable conditions for learning in which all children have an opportunity 

to achieve high academic standards. 

During the 2007–08 school year, 85 percent of public schools recorded that at least one 

violent crime, theft, or other crime occurred at their school. During the same year, 62 percent 

of public schools reported to the police that a crime had occurred at school.2

 In addition 

to the real and immediate physical danger experienced by victims of crime and violence in 

schools, the perception that schools may be unsafe affects the ability of many students (and 

staff)3

 to learn and to fully participate in school activities. 

Recognizing the need for actual and perceived security, most states and school districts 

take proactive measures to protect the safety of students and staff—often in the form of 

school safety and emergency preparedness plans. These plans generally include action items 

intended to prevent or discourage crime and violence, as well as procedures for responding 

to emergencies when they do arise. While the body of research on crisis management in 

schools is growing, there is very little research-based evidence to quantify best practices for 

accomplishing this critical task in a school setting.4

 Nonetheless, the best of these plans 

1 Lawrence, R. (2007). School Crime and Juvenile Justice. Criminal Justice Review, 32(4): 337–338.

2Dinkes, R., Kemp, J., and Baum, K. (2009). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2009 (NCES 2010–012/NCJ 228478). 

National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, and Bureau of 

Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Washington, DC.

3 Ibid, page 58; and Scheckner, S., Rollins, S.A., Kaiser-Ulrey, C., and Wagner, R. (2002). School Violence in Children and 

Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis of Effectiveness. Journal of School Violence, 1: 5–34.

4U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. (2003). Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A 

Guide for Schools and Communities. Washington, DC: Author.

For children to learn 

and teachers to teach, 

schools must be safe.

While there are no 

guarantees that greater 

awareness of the status 

of crime and violence 

in schools will prevent 

future incidents from 

occurring, accurate 

and timely data 

enable policymakers 

and practitioners to 

more effectively focus 

interventions aimed at 

improving the safety 

and security of all 

students, staff, and 

school facilities.
2 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

The Office of Safe and 

Drug-Free Schools 

(U.S. Department 

of Education) and 

many state education 

agencies recommend 

school safety plans that 

focus on prevention, 

preparedness, 

intervention, response, 

and recovery. Data 

about incidents of 

crime, violence, and 

discipline inform 

such critical planning 

activities.

See appendix A for 

more information 

about federal reporting 

requirements.

Developing policies to 

reduce future school 

crime requires accurate 

and timely data about 

where, how, and why 

existing crimes occur .

emphasize the need for accurate and timely data about the nature, extent, and frequency of 

actual and potential crises in schools, such as incidents of crime and violence.

While information maintained in an incident database can be accessed by authorized 

individuals for legitimate education planning and operational purposes, most of these data 

are protected by state and federal privacy laws, such as the Family Educational Rights and 

Privacy Act (FERPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), 

and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Education organizations should 

enact strong policies and procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations 

governing the privacy and confidentiality of personal information. In addition, incident data 

should never be presented in ways that inadvertently identify individuals. In some cases this 

means aggregating, rather than disaggregating, categories of data so that small groups of staff 

or students cannot be identified by their unique characteristics. 

Using Data to Improve School Safety 

Educators and policymakers need access to crime, violence, and discipline data to help 

them decide how best to operate and manage schools. But they do not want just any data—

they want high-quality data: up-to-date information that tells them what incidents are 

occurring on their campuses, by whom, to whom, when, how, and perhaps even why (e.g., 

gang initiation, bullying, or vandalism). Educators need consistently collected and defined 

data that allow them to compare schools, policies, and intervention practices. All of this 

information becomes substantially more valuable when it is in the form of longitudinal data 

that permit these analytical dimensions to be evaluated over time. Most policy and data 

experts refer to this approach to school management as data-driven decisionmaking, a practice 

that is has been adopted by many schools, school districts, and state education agencies across 

the nation. 

High-quality data are necessary for improving decisionmaking, and all 

recommendations in this document support the collection of data that are accurate, 

comparable, and timely . The National Forum on Education Statistics has developed 

several resources to encourage the collection of high-quality data, including the 

following:

Traveling Through Time: The Forum Guide to Longitudinal Data Systems (Series) 

(2010–11) 

Crisis Data Management: A Forum Guide to Collecting and Managing Data 

About Displaced Students (2010) 

Forum Guide to Metadata: The Meaning Behind Education Data (2009) 

Every School Day Counts: The Forum Guide to Collecting and Using Attendance 

Data (2009)

Forum Curriculum for Improving Education Data: A Resource for Local 

Education Agencies (2007)

Forum Guide to Building a Culture of Quality Data: A School and District 

Resource (2005)

These and other resources are available online at no cost at http://nces .ed .goc/forum/

publications .asp . See appendix B . 

ü Accounting for Every Student: A Taxonomy for Standard Student Exit Codes 

(2006)

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 3

Absent good data, decisionmakers have only anecdotal evidence, intuition, and suspicion to 

inform their choices. In spite of the need for accurate and timely data, some schools, districts, 

and states may be reluctant to collect and publish data about crime, violence, and discipline in 

schools. However, as with other sensitive issues, knowing the extent and nature of the problem 

is a necessary step to solving it. Table 1-1 provides examples of the types of questions that 

crime, violence, and discipline data can answer.

Table 1-1. Examples of the types of questions that crime, violence, and discipline data can help to address 

About Student Safety

• 

• 

• 

How many students were the victims of [insert name of crime] last week/month/year?

How many different perpetrators were involved in these incidents?

How many of these perpetrators are still in schools?

About Building Management

• 

• 

• 

Where are these incidents occurring? (e.g., all on the playground or in one part of a poorly designed 

building?)

When are these incidents occurring? (e.g., on the way to school, in study hall, or in a particular teacher’s 

class?)

Can changes in lighting, construction, or facilities management improve safety (e.g., trimming hedges along 

narrow passageways and sidewalks)?

About Policymaking

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Have the number or type of incidents increased to a degree that warrants additional prevention or 

intervention resources?

Did the addition of a new vice-principal of safety and prevention have an effect on the number or type of 

incidents occurring?

Have the number or type of incidents decreased following the implementation of a new prevention/

intervention/security program?

Why are these incidents occurring? (e.g., is a new gang is in town, or is a new drug in town?)

How do reductions or increases in incidents relate to academic achievement and conditions for learning 

measures?

Data need to be reviewed in context. While crime, violence, and discipline data need 

to be collected in an accurate, timely, and comparable manner to address these important 

management and policy questions, no single observation can possibly supply all the 

information needed to assess the safety and security of an entire education system or even 

a single school facility. Rather, assessments of safety and security need to be interpreted 

within the context of a body of data, with each individual data element imparting a piece 

of the puzzle. When a robust body of data is developed, the result is a well-integrated, 

multidimensional data system that contributes to a thorough understanding of school safety 

in broad terms as well as a focus on specific aspects of safety and security.

For example, the use of an indicator such as the student suspension rate (the number of student 

suspensions relative to the total number of students) can be helpful to policymakers and 

school leaders but, taken alone, could lead to superficial or even incorrect conclusions about 

how safe and orderly schools are, or how well disciplinary policies are working. Knowing that 

a school has a 7.2 percent suspension rate, for example, does not point to possible actions. 
4 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Numerous other pieces of information come into play when interpreting what that 7.2 

percent suspension rate actually means:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Does this rate reflect the number of in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions, 

or both?

Does the reported rate reflect short-term suspensions (e.g., 1 day) for relatively minor 

infractions of school policy such as the use of obscene language, long-term suspensions 

that imply more significant threats to school safety and security, or suspensions of all 

durations?

Do a few students account for a disproportionate number of suspensions relative to the 

entire student population? Is the rate attributable to a small number of repeat offenders 

(perpetrators)?

Are there additional security incidents that do not show up in suspensions—for 

example, those carried out by perpetrators who are not students and therefore not 

subject to suspension?

According to policy, what determines whether an incident warrants suspension: a push, 

a punch, or a weapon?

Are suspensions administered uniformly from school to school and district to district, 

as both a matter of policy and subjective enforcement? 

Are policies in place that might skew or otherwise influence the number of suspensions 

being administered, such as one school’s “get tough” approach to tardiness?

Does a low suspension rate indicate few incidents worthy of suspension and a “safe” 

school, or does a low suspension rate indicate that suspension policies are not actively 

enforced? Does a high suspension rate indicate high levels of incidents and an “unsafe” 

school, or does a high suspension rate indicate that suspension policies are more actively 

enforced?

Are minority or disabled students disproportionately represented in discipline data? 

That is, are they disciplined at greater rates than other students?

These are just some examples of the contextual information necessary to correctly interpret 

data. Clearly, schools with high suspension rates could be those with high levels of disorder. 

But high suspension rates could also be found in schools that do not tolerate misbehavior 

in any form. High suspension rates might also indicate a physical plant problem, such as 

a poorly designed building with narrow halls and stairwells that increase the likelihood of 

pushing and shoving, behaviors that often lead to fighting. Over-enrollment can lead to 

overcrowding, and can have a similar effect on student behavior. 

When understood in the proper context, incident data can be used to drive decisions about 

planning, operations, and resource use. Effective data collection and analysis provide 

educators and policymakers with a powerful set of school management tools. Valid data 

that are comparable within and across states and districts are of great value to governing 

agencies, policymakers, researchers, and the general public. Collection and use of school 

safety data helps to 

• 

• 

identify, prioritize, and address safety and discipline needs (e.g., combating bullying, 

gang activity, substance abuse, and vandalism);

dispel myths about specific safety or discipline issues—that is, responding to 

assumptions about school safety that are not based in fact; 

Preventing and/or 

minimizing disruptive 

behavior ensures that the 

majority of educational 

resources are used as 

they are intended—to 

instruct children.
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 5

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

identify and address poor conditions for learning that may be contributing to persistent 

low achievement;

develop more effective prevention and intervention plans;

focus resources, including staff time, on safety and discipline priorities; 

publish and report timely and relevant information on school safety to the public and 

other key stakeholders (e.g., via school “report cards”):

evaluate program effectiveness; and 

determine whether additional resources are needed to help address safety concerns. 

Using Incident Data in the Real World

W .T . Lewis Elementary School in Louisiana not only collects discipline data—it uses these data to support 

student safety, classroom management, and overall school improvement efforts . To more fully comprehend 

discipline issues, staff view the data from many different perspectives to analyze current concerns and 

minimize future problems . 

Having access to incident data has contributed to

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

providing classroom management support to teachers;

targeting behavior interventions for students;

improving communication with parents and staff;

detecting problems earlier so that interventions can be engaged before existing problems escalate; 

and 

making related school improvement decisions .

To accomplish these critical school management activities, staff hold monthly meetings to review the 

following types of reports:

From these data, staff are able to see what types of infractions occur most frequently so that adjustments 

can be made to security practices at the building level . Because staff see incident data being used to 

improve safety and operations at W .T . Lewis Elementary School, teachers have become more efficient and 

comfortable in identifying infractions, and discipline data have become more accurate—leading to even 

better decisionmaking and further advancing school improvement efforts .

• 

• 

• 

Referrals by staff—These data show which teachers have the most discipline referrals for the month 

and the year . Using these data, classroom management support is provided to teachers and/or 

assistance is targeted to individual students who are repeat offenders (perpetrators), as appropriate . 

Average daily referrals by month—These data demonstrate trends in major infractions over the 

course of the year . Comparisons are also made with the previous year’s data .

Infraction report—This report is analyzed in a variety of dimensions, including the current month’s 

infractions, all months in the school year, special education students only, regular education students 

only, and so forth . 

FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 7

Chapter 2

Implementing an Incident Data System

Knowing Your Data Needs

Collecting and using crime, violence, and discipline data at all levels of education is an essential step 

for creating safe schools. Wise school leaders know that data systems need to reflect an organization’s 

unique circumstances and information needs. Before implementing an incident database, for example, 

they ask: What crime, violence, and discipline data are needed to inform how schools are managed and 

operated, and how can systems be designed to provide that information in an accurate, timely, and costeffective manner? 

Almost every education organization already employs technology to manage data and 

data systems. Sometimes system components may stand alone, but more frequently, 

they are linked to permit the exchange of information between systems. For example, a 

transportation database (with information about how students travel to and from school) 

is often linked to a student information system (which includes demographic information 

about each student) so that parents can be contacted immediately if a student is not on the 

bus as expected.

With respect to crime, violence, and discipline data, best practice suggests that education 

organizations develop and maintain an “incident” database (see figure 2-1) and, 

subsequently, link it to the organization’s student information system (SIS). An incidentbased system is recommended because many incidents of crime, violence, and discipline 

include more than one participant (e.g., both a perpetrator and victim). When such an 

event is coded in a normal SIS, multiple actors often can be misinterpreted as signifying 

multiple incidents; similarly, multiple disciplinary actions (e.g., detention and the loss of 

a privilege) may sometimes be incorrectly construed as evidence of multiple incidents. In 

an incident-based system, on the other hand, the unit record is an incident, meaning that 

a fight is defined as a single incident, even if it had 20 participants, each of whom received 

multiple disciplinary actions. Similarly, an assault is more accurately identified as a single 

incident in spite of separate perpetrators and victims. Demographic and other information 

about participants is then accessed via student identifier elements, such as a unique 

student ID, linking to information from each participant’s individual record (e.g., contact, 

demographic, and academic information). 

Planning an Incident Data System 

An incident-based data system can be developed in any of a wide range of formats, 

depending on the existing and expected needs and capabilities of an education 

organization. For example, an incident-based system can be designed as a stand-alone 

database linked to a relational enterprise system through the use of unique identification 
8 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Figure 2-1. Defining an incident

According to the National Incident-Based Reporting System Data Collection Guidelines published by 

the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Services 

Division...

An incident is one or more offenses committed by the same offender (perpetrator), or group of offenders acting 

in concert, at the same time and place.

 “Acting in concert” requires that the offenders actually commit or assist in the commission of the crime(s).

The offenders must be aware of and consent to the commission of the crime(s) or even if nonconsenting, 

their actions assist in the commission of the offense(s). This is important because all of the offenders in an 

incident are considered to have committed all of the offenses in the incident. If one or more of the offenders 

did not act in concert, then there is more than one incident involved.











Example (1) “acting in concert”: Three students decide to rob one student. They engage in the robbery, 

during which time one of the perpetrators punches the victim to get him to surrender his money. Although 

only one of the perpetrators commits the physical assault, the assault and robbery constitute a single 

incident because all three perpetrators act in concert.

Example (2) not “acting in concert”: An argument between two students escalates from a shouting match 

to an aggravated assault where one student begins to severely beat the other. The victim (the second 

student), in his own defense, shoots and kills the assailant (the first student). This should be reported 

as two incidents because the original assailant cannot be said to be “acting in concert” with the beating 

victim in the subsequent shooting (i.e., he did not act in concert with his own shooting). The first incident 

involved the aggravated assault. The second incident involved the shooting.

“Same time and place” means that the time interval between the offenses and the distance between the 

locations where they occurred was insignificant. Normally, the offenses must have occurred during an 

unbroken time duration and at the same or adjoining location(s). However, incidents can also comprise 

offenses that by their nature involve continuing criminal activity by the same offender(s) at different times 

and places, as long as the activity is deemed to constitute a single criminal transaction.

Example (3) not “same time and place”: Two student perpetrators brandish knives while robbing a group 

of children walking home from school. The children are forced at knifepoint to hand over their money.

While the robbery is occurring, one of the perpetrators walks out of sight with one of the victims and 

sexually accosts her outside of the view of the other offender. When he returns, both perpetrators leave.

In this case, there are two incidents—i.e., one involving robbery and the other involving sexual battery, 

because the offenses did not occur in the same location (one offense was out of the sight and knowledge 

of those involved in the other offense) and the offenders were not acting in concert in both offenses.

Example (4) “same time and place”: Same situation as example (3), except that the sexual assault occurs 

in the same location as the robbery, and the second perpetrator, seeing the sexual assault, continues 

to display his knife in commission of the robbery. In this case, even if the second offender had told the 

perpetrator of the sexual assault to stop and only rob the victim, by continuing to display the knife he 

prevented someone from coming to the victim’s assistance and, thereby, assisted in the commission of 

the crime. Thus, there was only one incident with two offenses (i.e., robbery and sexual assault).

Example (5): Over a period of 18 months, a computer programmer working for the school district 

manipulates accounting software so that he can systematically embezzle $70,000. This continuing 

criminal activity constitutes a single incident involving the crime of embezzlement.

Because it is not possible to provide instructions that will address the full range of possible situations that might 

arise in the real world, organizations will need to apply their best judgment to determine how many incidents 

stem from an offense or series of offenses as well as how to code and report such acts of crime, violence, and 

disciplinary action.
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 9

keys. Alternatively, an SIS module can be added to an existing off-the-shelf student 

information system or as a single table in a larger school database.

Regardless of the model that is followed, implementing an incident database is a 

relatively complex endeavor. It requires planning comparable to any other large 

organizational initiative to introduce a new data system or to merge components 

of existing systems into a new system. There are several substantial tasks involved 

in implementing an incident database. Most of these are common to any effort to 

collect, use, and report education data. In terms of implementing an incident database, 

however, the following concerns should be addressed proactively by multiple planners 

who represent a broad spectrum of expertise, including management experience; 

organizational operations; data proficiency; and a thorough understanding of crime, 

violence, and discipline policy issues:

ü Designing an incident database—How will the organization organize a 

body of crime, violence, and discipline data into a system that is useful to its 

data users (i.e., the people who report and make decisions based on the data)?

Managing an incident database—How will the data be integrated into the 

organization’s existing data systems and processes? How will terms be defined 

consistently within the organization and across organizations with which data 

are exchanged or reported? What steps must be taken to ensure that the data 

will be useful, accurate, valid, reliable, timely, and cost-effective? How will 

private data be kept confidential? 

Training staff to use an incident database—Who will use the incident 

database? How can staff be best trained to accurately collect, report, and use 

crime, violence, and discipline data?

Designing an Incident Database

An incident database is most often built within the framework of an existing data 

system and, ideally, in accordance with the organization’s overall vision for future 

data use and management of data. As such, the design of an incident database is driven by 

information needs and characteristics that are specific to the organization—what data users 

need to know to effectively manage and maximize the quality and usefulness of their work 

and decisions. Because of the need to customize systems to meet unique organizational needs, 

it is not feasible to describe a single model that would apply to every state, district, and school 

in the nation. However, in addition to their distinctive characteristics, most incident databases 

in education environments have several features in common. 

Relational Databases. As a matter of good practice, it is assumed that an incident database 

will be linked to student and staff databases to provide demographic information about 

perpetrators and victims. The recommendations presented in this guide presume that 

users will store incident data in a relational database with separate modules for each of the 

following:

Steps to Implementing a New 

Data System

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

Establish a planning team

Conduct a needs assessment

Assess technical and 

functional needs

Review existing data standards

Conduct a build versus buy 

analysis and a cost-benefit 

analysis

Evaluate the pros and cons of 

different approaches to system 

architecture (with respect to 

existing systems and future 

needs)

Establish a project 

implementation plan, 

including detailed schedules, 

assignments, and budgets

Provide initial and ongoing 

user training

Evaluate project outcomes and 

processes

For more information about 

best practices and standards for 

implementing education data 

systems, access the Forum 

Unified Education Technology 

Suite at http://nces.ed.gov/

forum/ pub_tech_suite.asp.
10 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

A relational database 

is particularly valuable 

for conducting analysis, 

especially in large 

districts with multiple 

school settings and 

security teams. For 

example, analysis 

might uncover that the 

victims of numerous 

apparently unrelated 

incidents were all from 

a single neighborhood, 

race, religion, or other 

demographic group.

ü Incident

Reporter

Witness

Perpetrator

Victim

Disciplinary action 

A relational database is especially valuable for conducting data analysis, particularly when 

disaggregating incidents by characteristics of frequent interest, such as race/ethnicity, sex 

(gender), English proficiency, disability, or other demographic characteristics. A relational 

database will also prove useful when responding to state and federal requests for information. 

For example, several program offices in the U.S. Department of Education presently 

require reporting about disciplinary incidents and actions in schools, districts, and states 

(see appendix A). A relational incident database that accounts for these and other reporting 

requirements in its design can greatly reduce reporting burden and can provide greater 

flexibility when it is necessary to accommodate changes in reporting requirements. 

Data Modeling. In addition to governance and staffing issues, management should ensure 

that the incident database is properly designed with respect to both data structure and 

technological capabilities. As when planning any data system, a data model can be prepared 

for an incident database to organize, describe, and illustrate the relationship between the 

organization’s information needs, data elements, relational logic, and file structures. Such 

a data model can be presented at a conceptual level, illustrating relationships between data 

elements and the larger body of information around which they are generated; a logical level, 

reflecting the technical and operational parameters in which the data elements exist; or a 

physical level, specifying layout, file structures, and other characteristics. At a more detailed 

level, a data model maps how data elements, metadata items, business rules, subsystems, 

data repositories, data flows, and information needs relate to one another. See figure 2-2 and 

figure 2-3 for examples of simple logical and conceptual data models for an incident database 

grouped into the following self-descriptive data categories:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Incident data 

Reporter data

Witness data

Perpetrator data 

Victim data 

Disciplinary action data

Incidents often involve more than one perpetrator, victim, and/or disciplinary action. 

Relational databases allow users to record any number of entries for each of these fields (e.g., 

multiple perpetrators, victims, and disciplinary actions) without requiring that the number be 

predetermined and therefore limited by the application developer. For example, imagine that 

a fight involving 10 perpetrators occurs at a school. If the incident database comprises a single 

data table containing only three perpetrator fields, it will not permit the school to record all 

of the perpetrators’ information in the same incident entry. However, if the database has a 

separate perpetrator table, users can simply record an entry for each perpetrator, linking the 

perpetrators to the incident with the incident identifier field. The database can then be linked 

to the school’s student information system, human resources system, or other information 

management system via identifier elements, such as a unique student or staff ID, to access 
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 11

Figure 2-2. Entity relationships in a typical incident database

Incident Database Demographic Data Sources

Incident Identifier

Perpetrator

Table

P1

P2

Pn

Victim

Table

V1

V2

Vn

Disciplinary 

Action Table

DA1

DA2

DAn

Victim 

Support Table

VS1

VS2

VSn

Individual Records about

Perpetrators (...Pn)

Unique 

Student/Staff

Identifiers

Reporter

Table

R1

R2

Rn

Witness

Table

W1

W2

Wn

Individual Records about

Victims (...Vn)

Individual Records about

Reporters (...Rn)

Individual Records about

Witnesses (...Wn)

Student Information System

Staff Information System

information from each perpetrator’s individual record (e.g., contact, demographic, and 

academic information). Similarly, there may be incidents that involve multiple victims or that 

result in multiple disciplinary actions. Enabling these links from the victim and perpetrator 

modules to individual student and staff databases will simplify data entry, advance data 

quality, and improve data use and decisionmaking. 

Collecting data about victims can be especially useful for recognizing patterns of 

victimization, such as a series of assaults in which members of a particular demographic 

group have been victimized. Moreover, education organizations have a responsibility to 

support the victims following school-related incidents of crime and violence (and, often, 

following nonschool-related incidents as well). Support services may include counseling 

and emotional support as well as safety planning and crisis prevention programs to avert 

future discrimination, harassment, and other problem behaviors. Victim data facilitates the 

identification of students who are eligible for these services. 

Managing an Incident Database

Data Governance. A sound incident database requires a thorough plan for system 

governance. Governance includes all policies and procedures for data management and use 

within the organization, as well as related roles and responsibilities for staff. The governance 

team should have significant authority at the policy level and understand data systems at an 

operational level in the organization.

Many of the principles 

required for sound data 

system governance can 

be found in The Need 

for Data Governance, 

available online at 

http://www.ccsso.org/

eimac.
12 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Figure 2-3. Recommended data elements for an incident database

Incident Overview

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Incident Identifier—#001(I) • 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Weapon Type—#008(I)

School Number—#002(I) Injury—#009(I)

Incident Date—#003(I) Reported to Law Enforcement—#010(I)

Incident Time—#004(I) Offense Type—#011(I)

Incident Location—#005(I) Multiple Offense Description—#012(I)

Facilities Code—#006(I) Related Incident Behavior—#013(I)

Incident Cost—#007(I)

Reporter Information (for Each Reporter) Witness Information (for Each Witness)

• 

• 

Incident Participant Type (Reporter)—#014(R) • Incident Participant Type (Witness)—#014(W)

Incident Participant ID (Reporter)—#015(R) Incident Participant ID (Witness)—#015(W)

Perpetrator Information (for Each Perpetrator) Victim Information (for Each Victim)

• 

• 

• 

• 

Incident Participant Type (Perpetrator)—#014(P) • 

• 

• 

• 

Incident Participant Type (Victim)—#014(V)

Incident Participant ID (Perpetrator)—#015(P) Incident Participant ID (Victim)—#015(V)

Injury (Perpetrator)—#009(P) Injury (Victim)—#009(V)

Perpetrator Demographic Information Victim Demographic Information

Unique Student and Staff Identifiers

Disciplinary Action (for Each Perpetrator) Student or Staff Information System (SIS)

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Disciplinary Action and Response—#016(D) • 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Race—#025(SIS)

Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity—#026(SIS)

Section 504 Indicator—#028(SIS)

IDEA Indicator—#029(SIS)

ADA Indicator—#030(SIS)

Primary Disability Type—#031(SIS)

Secondary Disability Type—#032(SIS) 

Sex—#024(SIS)

Disciplinary Action Start Date—#017(D)

Disciplinary Action End Date—#018(D)

Rule/Regulation Violated—#019(D) Limited English Proficiency Status—#027(SIS)

IEP Placement Meeting Convened—#020(D)

Related to Special Education

Manifestation—#021(D)

Full-Year Expulsion—#022(D)

Modified Expulsion—#023(D)

NOTE: See chapter 3 for definitions, field lengths, and other attributes of these data elements . Element numbers are 

for organizational purposes in this document only . (I) refers to Incidents, (R) for Reporters, (W) for Witnesses, (P) for 

Perpetrators, (V) for Victims, (D) for Disciplinary Actions, and (SIS) for links to student or staff records systems .
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 13

Data Definitions. Perhaps the single most important mechanism for collecting and 

maintaining high-quality data is the consistent application of standard terminology and 

usage rules throughout the organization. Most organizations with sound data systems have a 

single, exhaustive, and definitive source for data terminology expectations; data definitions; 

and other attributes typically associated with data elements, including field lengths, code lists 

and definitions, formats for each given type of data (e.g., MMDDYYYY format for dates), 

and any restrictions on values or value ranges (e.g., “age must be a value between 1 and 99”). 

Such a source is often referred to as a data dictionary, which is an agreed-upon set of clearly 

and consistently defined elements, definitions, and attributes—and is indispensable to any 

information system. Experienced database designers nearly always refer to a data dictionary to 

determine how a data term is defined, where specific data are located, whether they appear to 

be interpreted and reported correctly, and what their values mean.

Data Quality. Data quality is dependent upon the quality of the system and the actions of 

the individuals who collect, edit, and maintain the information. The goal of any data system 

is to produce data that are

ü useful (relevant to the issues in question);

valid (measure what they purport to measure);

reliable (produce consistent measures over time);

timely (available in time to inform decisionmaking and reporting); and

cost-effective (produce information that is valuable enough to justify any collection 

burden).

Other Useful Resources for Developing Incident Databases

The National Forum on Education Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics (of the U.S.

Department of Education) have released numerous publications that may be useful to school, district, or state 

education agency staff engaged in developing incident databases. These and other free, web-based reference 

resources are available at http://nces.ed.gov/forum/publications.asp. See appendix B for more information 

about these resources.

ü Forum Guide to Metadata: The Meaning Behind Education Data

http:nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2009805.asp

NCES Nonfiscal Data Handbook for Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education 

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2003419.asp

Forum Guide to Decision Support Systems: A Resource for Educators

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2006807.asp

Forum Guide to Building a Culture of Quality Data: A School and District Resource 

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2005801.asp

Forum Guide to Education Indicators 

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2005802.asp
14 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Quality suffers when education organizations lack clear policies and procedures for entering 

data accurately. In addition to the consistent application of standard terminology (data 

dictionaries), sound data systems also require that data quality be routinely verified and 

validated. Verification is the process of confirming that information is correct. Validation, on 

the other hand, means ensuring that data agree with expectations of reasonable values and 

accepted norms. Verification and validation are conducted through several collection and 

technical methods, including response and documentation audits, cross-checks, and value 

edits. Data quality is improved when sound collection methods are confirmed by appropriate 

verification and validation procedures. 

For example, data checks are a way of regularly reviewing data for completeness and accuracy 

by verifying that all required data elements are recorded for each incident. Another way to 

improve data quality is to compare a sample of incident data collection forms (e.g., reports 

written by security staff following an incident) to the information that was recorded in the 

database for those incidents. When assessing accuracy, it is important to consider differences 

from month to month or week to week in the number of each type of incident. For example, 

if substantially more or fewer “bullying” incidents were recorded for one period of time 

than another, it is wise to verify the accuracy of that incident reporting. If the data are not 

accurate, corrections can be made; if they are accurate, analysts can begin to assess possible 

causes for these changes over time. Similarly, data audits can ensure that data “make sense.” 

For example, a puzzling spike in the number of battery incidents that coincides with a sharp 

decline in fighting incidents may be a function of the employment of a new data clerk (with 

a different understanding of the definitions of these incidents) rather than a meaningful 

difference in student behavior.

Data Sharing. Although states may not collect all information maintained by school 

districts, education agencies often share information with other agencies and organizations 

that provide services to students and their families. While information maintained in an 

incident database can be accessed by authorized individuals for legitimate education planning 

and operational purposes, most of these data are protected by state and federal privacy laws, 

such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Health Insurance 

Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education 

Act (IDEA). Education organizations should enact strong policies and procedures to ensure 

compliance with state and federal regulations governing the privacy and confidentiality of 

personal information. 

Training Staff to Use an Incident Database

Training is a critical element in effective data collection and use. In addition to training 

staff on how to use an incident database from a technical perspective (e.g., how to access the 

system, enter data, save records, and generate reports), it is crucial to train staff about the 

kinds of problem behaviors that are supposed to be reported and entered into the system. 

Users need to clearly understand how incidents are defined and documented. 

School-level administrators will be better prepared to guide their staff in district discipline 

policy after they, themselves, have participated in training by qualified instructors. Similarly, 

district-level administrators can better provide this training to school-level administrators 

after they have received training. A well-designed training program will clarify policy goals, 

explain system operations (technically), explain data terms and definitions, demonstrate the 

use of supporting resources (e.g., data dictionaries), and endeavor to improve the consistency 

of data entry and system implementation. The use of real-life examples can be an especially 
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 15

effective tool for teaching staff to recognize and categorize the types of incident behavior 

codes. Providing examples of behaviors that do and do not meet the standard for each type of 

infraction helps users to differentiate among infractions (e.g., the difference between Battery; 

Fighting; and Physical Altercation, Minor in data element #011 (I) Offense Type). 

School and district administrators can be trained to categorize incidents in a manner that 

reflects state-defined thresholds for reporting. Before developing this training program, state 

staff may identify reporting problems, revise and clarify definitions related to these reporting 

problems, and develop technical assistance materials such as video clips of “examples and 

nonexamples” of each type of incident. In addition to school and district administrators, law 

enforcement officials may be involved in this process as necessary to improve school- and 

district-level reporting. 

In one school district, for example, staff were concerned that schools were potentially coding 

too many incidents as “disorderly conduct” when a less serious infraction would have been 

accurate. After training was provided to clarify the definition of disorderly conduct, the 

number of reported incidents decreased substantially because of more accurate coding. 

Another district found that some principals were recording all fights as multiple incidents—

one incident for each participant. Trainers soon were called in to explain the structure of their 

incident database, which had separate modules for incident and perpetrator information; 

thus, a single fighting incident was to be recorded as a single file in the database with linked 

files for each perpetrator. Again, the number of reported incidents decreased substantially 

because of more accurate coding. 

 

Chapter 3 

Collecting Accurate and Comparable Data
�

Knowing Your Data Elements... 

How can comparable incident data be collected when school leaders across the country may not be able 

to distinguish between battery, fighting, and a minor physical altercation? The following national data 

standards help to clarify the differences between these infractions, as well as other important data 

elements—and they serve as best practices for collecting and maintaining accurate and comparable crime, 

violence, and discipline data. The standards are also consistent with federal reporting requirements as of 

April 2011 for the Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA), Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of 

the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

This chapter presents data elements, definitions, and code lists that should be included in a 

robust incident database. Users may choose to modify these items to suit their needs, but 

should keep in mind that one major strength of a standard set of items, definitions, and code 

lists is that it encourages consistency and comparability within and between organizations. 

Incident Data and Codes 

The discussion in this chapter presumes that a relational database will be used to link 

incidents, perpetrators, victims, and disciplinary action elements to student and staff 

databases. The data elements described here are intended to capture information as the 

primary record for a specific incident. That is, these data elements are used to record what 

occurred, when, how, by whom, and to whom for each and every documented incident, with 

links to related perpetrators, victims, and disciplinary actions. 

The codes for many of the data elements allow either general or more detailed information to 

be collected, depending on the information needs of the organization—for example, to report 

whether an incident occurred on campus (a general level) or in a classroom as opposed to a 

restroom (a more detailed level). The codes are structured so that more detailed codes can, 

when necessary, be mapped to more general codes, which permits organizations to choose the 

level of detail they wish to record without impeding comparability across organizations. 

Relevant Data Elements 

Developing an accurate picture of crime, violence, and discipline in schools requires more 

than a handful of specific data elements. Incidents occur in a context, and when a body of 

related data is developed, the result is a well-integrated, multidimensional perspective with 

a total value that may be greater than the sum of its parts. By evaluating data in context, 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 17 
analysts are often able to generate a more thorough understanding of crime, violence, and 

discipline in schools. 

A body of contextual elements helps to capture supplemental information about incidents. 

In today’s climate, these codes are especially important when an offense is related to alcohol 

or drugs, weapon use, gang activity, and hate crimes. For example, if a student committed 

vandalism while under the influence of alcohol, alcohol may not be the primary offense, but 

the incident was alcohol related. 

Table 3-1 presents the data elements that are integral to a sound incident database for 

collecting, maintaining, and reporting data about crime, violence, and discipline in schools. 

Each element is defined in this chapter and is consistent with the model presented in figure 

2-3 in chapter 2. Element numbers are assigned for organizational purposes in this guide; 

(I) is used to refer to incidents, (R) to reporters, (W) to witnesses, (P) to perpetrators, (V) 

to victims, (D) to disciplinary actions, and (SIS) to links to demographic information in 

student or staff information systems. Note that it is assumed that data elements in this table 

will be maintained in a relational database. Thus, some elements are repeated in the tabular 

presentation of this information. 

Table 3-1. Data elements for an incident database defined in chapter 3 

data element name 

number 

(assigned for organizational purposes 

within this document) 

page (in this 

document) 

Incident Overview 

incident identifier 001(i) 22 

school number 002(i) 22 

incident date 003(i) 22 

incident time 004(i) 23 

incident location 005(i) 24 

Facilities Code 006(i) 25 

incident Cost 007(i) 25 

Weapon type 008(i) 25 

injury 009(i) 28 

reported to law enforcement 010(i) 28 

offense type 011(i) 28 

multiple offense designation 012(i) 35 

related incident Behavior 013(i) 35 

Reporter Information 

incident participant type (reporter) 014(r) 36 

table continued on next page 

18 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Table 3-1. Data elements for an incident database defined in chapter 3—Continued 

data element name 

number 

(assigned for organizational purposes 

within this document) 

page (in this 

document) 

incident participant id (reporter) 015(r) 41 

Witness Information 

incident participant type (Witness) 014(W) 42 

incident participant id (Witness) 015(W) 46 

Perpetrator Information 

incident participant type (perpetrator) 014(p) 47 

incident participant id (perpetrator) 015(p) 51 

injury (perpetrator) 009(p) 52 

perpetrator demographic information depends on categories included in sis 52 

Victim Information 

incident participant type (Victim) 014(V) 53 

incident participant id (Victim) 015(V) 57 

injury (Victim) 009(V) 57 

Victim demographic information depends on categories included in sis 58 

Disciplinary Action (for Each Perpetrator) 

disciplinary action and response 016(d) 58 

disciplinary action start date 017(d) 63 

disciplinary action end date 018(d) 63 

rule/regulation Violated 019(d) 63 

iep placement meeting Convened 020(d) 64 

related to special education manifestation 021(d) 64 

Full-Year expulsion 022(d) 64 

modified expulsion 023(d) 64 

Demographic Information Available in a Student or Staff Information System 

(usually linked to via a unique student id or other student identifier element) 

sex 024(sis) 64 

race 025(sis) 65 

Hispanic or latino ethnicity 026(sis) 65 

limited english proficiency status 027(sis) 65 

section 504 indicator 028(sis) 66 

idea indicator 029(sis) 66 

ada indicator 030(sis) 66 

primary disability type 031(sis) 66 

secondary disability type 032(sis) 69 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 19 
The NCES Handbooks Online 

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/handbook/index.asp 

most data element terms, definitions, and code lists in this chapter are maintained in the nCes Handbooks 

online. this free, web-based tool defines standard education terms for students, staff, schools, local education 

agencies, intermediate education agencies, and state education agencies. it allows users to view and download 

Handbook information via an electronic table of contents, a drill-down finder, element name and first-letter 

searches, and advanced query options. nCes Handbooks online contains reference documents intended for 

public and private organizations (including education institutions and early childhood centers) and for education 

researchers and other users of education data. this information is maintained on an ongoing basis and, as 

such, is updated annually. organizations interested in adopting these terms, definitions, and code lists in an 

incident database should visit the website to ensure that they are accessing the most up-to-date version of this 

valuable data system development tool. 

Data Elements 

this chapter often refers to variables as data elements, a term used by most data professionals. a data element 

is a unit of data that can be defined and measured. unless otherwise stated, all data elements in this chapter 

reflect one of the following data element types: 











Alpha/Numeric (AN): a data element for which any letter or number (or combination of letters and 

numbers) is appropriate. Generally, this data element type is used when no standard code list of related 

options exists, or where descriptive information is desired. 

Date (DT): a data element type that is specifically defined as a date. Generally, the format in the nCes 

Handbooks online is mmddYYYY (field length = 8), although this may vary. 

Floating Decimal (R): a data element type in which a decimal must be included in the numeric value. if 

it does not appear, the number is assumed to be whole. Floating decimal (r) values might, for example, 

appear as 4.1 (signifying four digits to the left of the decimal and one digit to the right of the decimal) or 3.2 

(signifying three digits to the left of the decimal and two digits to the right of the decimal). 

Identifier (ID): a data element defined by a code set of related options. a code set is provided for most of 

the data elements identified as “id” in the nCes Handbooks online. 

Numeric (N): a data element that must be a numeric value. decimals themselves are not included in the 

value [see Floating decimal (r) above], although a decimal is implied in the right-most place to signify a 

whole number. 

20 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Data Element Presentation Guide
�

the following format is used to present data element recommendations in this chapter.
�

Incident Overview (I) Subject Heading: including incident (i), reporters 

(r), Witnesses (W), perpetrators (p), Victims (V), 

disciplinary action (d), and links to student or staff 

records systems (sis) 

Incident 

Identifier 

alpha numeric 

field length = 30 

#001(I)
�

Key Information: describes the database management 

characteristics of the element. see page 20 for more 

information about data element types and field lengths. 

Incident Identifier— 

#001(I) 

Data Element Name - Number: refers to the words 

used to name the data element and a reference number 

used for organizational purpose in this document. 

Definition: A locally assigned 

unique identifier (within the 

school or school district) 

to identify each specific 

incident or occurrence. The 

same identifier should be 

used to document the entire 

incident even if it included 

multiple offenses and multiple 

perpetrators. 

Definition: a concise explanation of the meaning of a 

word or phrase. 

Usage Recommendations: 

This field links incident 

records to... 

Usage Recommendations: additional information that 

may help readers better understand how to implement 

the element in a data system. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 21 
• 

• 

• 

• 

Incident Overview (I) 

Incident 

Identifier
� alpha numeric 

field length = 30

#001(I)
�

Incident Identifier—#001(I) 

A locally assigned unique identifier (within the school or school district) to identify each 

specific incident or occurrence. The same identifier should be used to document the entire 

incident even if it included multiple offenses and multiple perpetrators. 

Usage Recommendations: This field links incident records to perpetrator, victim, reporter, 

witness, and disciplinary action data. In many systems, this data element may also link to the 

following types of elements: 

School year 

School identifier 

School district identifier 

State identifier 

Including the school year is useful when records are maintained for more than 1 year. By 

including “location” elements (school, school district, and state), users can distinguish 

between incidents reported by multiple jurisdictions. The school identifier is included when 

incident data are reported from a school to a school district. This data element could be a 

local school district code, the code assigned by the state, or the code assigned by a federal 

survey. The school and school district identifier are included when incident data are reported 

from school districts to state offices of education. The district identifier could be the state’s 

code for the district or the code assigned by a federal survey such as the Common Core of 

Data (CCD). A state identifier would be included only if incident data are reported to the 

federal government. The level of detail included in these data elements is generally determined 

by the data needs of the local education agency. 

School Number

alpha numeric 

field length = 30 

#002(I)
�

School Number—#002(I) 

A unique number or alphanumeric code assigned to a school for identification purposes. 

Usage Recommendations: This number is assigned by the school district or state for 

the school where the incident occurred. If the incident occurs during an activity or on 

transportation sponsored by the school, district, or state and not attached to a particular 

school, use a code that is not already assigned to a reporting unit. For example, 9s can be 

used to capture these “other” situations. Thus, if the state-assigned school code is a four-digit 

variable, the code 9999 could be used to indicate a location not otherwise assigned by the 

unique identification system. If a school identifier is included in the Incident Identifier, as 

discussed above, it need not be included separately. 

Incident Date 

date
�

field length = 8
�

(mmddYYYY)
�

#003(I)
�

Incident Date—#003(I) 

The month, day, and year on which the incident occurred. 

Usage Recommendations: The NCES Handbooks Online recommends that all dates be 

stored in the MMDDYYYY format (two digits to capture the month, two digits to capture 

the day, and four digits to capture the year), although there is some variation in acceptable 

date formats across education data systems. As long as dates are recorded consistently within a 

data system, they can be transformed and mapped to other data systems as needed. 

22 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Incident Time—#004(I) Incident Time 

id Code 

field length = 4 

#004(I) 

An indication of the time of day the incident took place. 

Usage Recommendations: This variable provides specific information about when the 

incident occurred in relation to the school day. For example, instead of simply recording that 

an incident occurred during school hours, noting that an incident took place while students 

were in transit between regular classes or during lunch would make the information more 

useful. Rather than recording the exact time of the incident, using descriptors may be more 

meaningful, as the exact time an incident occurred would not be meaningful outside of the 

school building—e.g., while 8:15 a.m. might be ““before school hours” on one campus, 

it could be “during class” at another. Using contextual descriptors to record the timing of 

incidents permits greater comparability across schools and districts. Additionally, given that 

over the course of the school year, adjustments to the school schedule do occur (e.g., snow 

days), 9:00 a.m. might be “during class” most of the time, but “before class” on the day of 

a particular incident. Time descriptors such as those listed below can help analysts identify 

when problem behaviors are most likely to occur: 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 23 

During School Hours	� Time during the regular school day. 

Before classes the incident occurred before the start of regular classes. 

during class the incident occurred during a regular class period. 

during passing the incident occurred while students were in transit between regular classes. 

during lunch/recess the incident occurred during lunch or recess. 

after classes the incident occurred after the end of regular classes. 

other time during school 

hours 

the time when the incident occurred cannot be captured by the above 

categories, but did take place during school hours. 

In Transit	� While students are on the way to or from school

 on the way to school the incident occurred while students were on their way to school. 

on the way from school the incident occurred while students were on their way from school. 

Outside School Hours	� Outside of school hours at times when students were not in transit to or 

from school.
�

school-sponsored activity the incident occurred during a school-sponsored activity. examples might 

include athletic events, academic clubs, or other school programs. 

nonschool-sponsored activity the incident did not occur during a school-sponsored event, but it involved 

one or more students. 

other time outside school 

hours 

the time when the incident occurred cannot be captured by the above 

categories, but did take place outside school hours. 

Unknown	� Timing of event unknown 
Incident Location—#005(I) Incident 

Location 

id Code 

field length = 4 

#005(I) 

Identifies where the incident occurred and whether it occurred on campus. 

Usage Recommendations: The primary codes for this data element capture whether the 

incident occurred on or off the school campus. Secondary codes provide additional details. 

For example, rather than simply recording that an incident occurred on campus (a primary 

code), many organizations will also want to record a more specific location, such as a 

classroom (a secondary code). Although some organizations may not choose to collect these 

specific location descriptors, this level of detail will be useful if analysts attempt to identify 

where problem behavior is most likely to occur: 

24 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 

On Campus	� A location within the boundaries of the school campus. 

administrative offices a location on campus designated as a school office area (e.g., main 

office, principal’s office). 

Cafeteria a location on campus designated as an area where students eat meals. 

Classroom a location on campus inside a room where classes are held. 

Hallway or stairs a location on campus in a hallway or stairwell. 

locker room or gym areas a location on campus designated as a locker room or gym facility. 

restroom a location on campus designated as a bathroom facility. 

library/media center a location on campus designated as a library or media center. 

Computer lab a location on campus designated as a computer lab. 

auditorium a location on campus designated as an auditorium. 

on-campus other inside area a location on campus in another area inside the school building(s); that 

is, the locale where the incident occurred cannot be captured by one of 

the above categories, but did take place on campus inside a facility. 

athletic field or playground a location on campus in an area designated as an athletic field or 

playground. 

stadium	� a location on campus designated as a stadium. 

parking lot a location on campus designated as a parking area. 

on-campus other outside area a location on campus in another area outside the school building(s); that 

is, the locale where the incident occurred cannot be captured by one 

of the above categories, and it took place on campus but not inside a 

facility. 

Off Campus	� A location outside the boundaries of the school campus proper. 

Bus stop a location off campus designated as a bus stop area. 

school bus a location off campus on a designated school bus. 

Walking to or from school a location off campus in an area used for walking to or from school. 

off-campus at other school a location off campus at another school within the district. 
 

off-campus at other school a location off campus at another school district facility (e.g., central 

district facility administration building); that is, the locale where the incident occurred 

cannot be captured by one of the above categories, but did take place 

off campus at another school district facility. 

off-campus at another school a location off campus but in another school district. 

district 

off-campus at a school- a location off campus but at a school-sponsored activity (e.g., on a field 

sponsored activity trip). 

off-campus at another location a location off campus and not directly related to school facilities, 

unrelated to school services, or events (e.g., at a teacher’s house). 

online the status of being connected to a computer or network or having 

access to information that is available through the use of a computer or 

network that is not located in a school facility. 

Unknown The incident occurred at an unknown location. 

Facilities Code—#006(I) 

A locally assigned unique number or alphanumeric code used to capture precise information 

on locations specific to a school (e.g., building number, class number, hall number, school bus 

number, computer station number, or internet protocol (IP) address). 

Usage Recommendations: For example, a school might record the class number, hall number, 

or school bus number. This information will be useful if analysts plot incident locations (i.e., 

geospatial patterns), but some schools may decide that this level of detail is not necessary. 

Facilities Code

alpha numeric 

field length = 30 

#006(I) 

Incident Cost—#007(I) 

The value of any quantifiable monetary loss directly resulting from the incident. Examples 

include the value of repairs necessitated by vandalism of a school facility, the value of 

personnel resources used for repairs or consumed by the incident, the value of stolen items, 

and the value of time consumed by an incident (e.g., instructional time involved in evacuating 

a school during a false fire alarm). 

Incident Cost 

floating decimal
�

field length = 8.2
�

#007(I)
�

Weapon Type—#008(I)5 

Identifies the type of weapon used during an incident. 

Usage Recommendations: The primary codes for this data element capture the type of 

weapon used in the incident. Secondary codes provide additional details. For example, rather 

than simply recording that the weapon was a firearm (a primary code), many organizations 

will also want to record a more specific weapon type, such as a handgun (a secondary code). 

Although some organizations may not choose to collect these specific weapon descriptors, this 

level of detail will be useful if analysts attempt to identify the types of weapons involved in 

incidents. 

Weapon Type 

identifier 

field length = 4 

#008(I) 

5 The Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA) requires that each state receiving federal funds under the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act (ESEA) have a state law that requires all local education agencies (LEAs) in the state to expel from school 

for at least 1 year any student found bringing a firearm to school. It also requires that state laws authorize the LEA chief 

administering officer to modify any such expulsion on a case-by-case basis. In addition, the GFSA states that it must be 

construed so as to be consistent with IDEA. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 25 
Firearm6	� The term “firearm” means 

a)	� any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to 

or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an 

explosive; 

b) the frame or receiver of any such weapon; 

c) any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; or 

d) any destructive device. 

Such term does not include an antique firearm. 

The term “destructive device” means 

a) any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas— 

i.	� bomb, 

ii.	� grenade, 

iii.	�rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, 

iv.	� missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than onequarter ounce, 

v.	� mine, or 

vi.	� device similar to any of the devices described in the preceding 

clauses; 

b)	� any type of weapon (other than a shotgun or a shotgun shell which the 

Attorney General finds is generally recognized as particularly suitable 

for sporting purposes) by whatever name known which will, or which 

may be readily converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an 

explosive or other propellant, and which has any barrel with a bore of 

more than one-half inch in diameter; and 

c)	� any combination of parts either designed or intended for use in 

converting any device into any destructive device described in 

subparagraph (a) or (b) and from which a destructive device may be 

readily assembled. 

The term “destructive device” shall not include any device which is neither 

designed nor redesigned for use as a weapon; any device, although 

originally designed for use as a weapon, which is redesigned for use as 

a signaling, pyrotechnic, line throwing, safety, or similar device; surplus 

ordnance sold, loaned, or given by the Secretary of the Army pursuant 

to the provisions of section 4684(2), 4685, or 4686 of title 10; or any 

other device which the Attorney General finds is not likely to be used as a 

weapon, is an antique, or is a rifle which the owner intends to use solely for 

sporting, recreational or cultural purposes. 

Handgun	� any firearm which has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the 

use of a single hand. 

shotgun	� a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired 

from the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the 

energy of an explosive to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball 

shots or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger. 

6 According to 18 U.S.C. 921(a). 

26 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

rifle a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired 

from the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the 

energy of an explosive to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for 

each single pull of the trigger.
�

other type of firearm (e.g., the weapon involved was another type of firearm not named above, including 

bombs, grenades, or zip guns, starter guns, and flare guns. as defined by the Gun-Free schools act, 

starter pistols) other firearms include the following: 

a) any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may 

readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of any explosive; 

b) the frame or receiver of any weapon described above; 

c) any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; and 

d) any destructive device, which includes: 

i.	� any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas: bomb, grenade, rocket having 

a propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile having an 

explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, mine, or 

similar device; 

ii.	� any weapon which will, or which may be readily converted to, expel a 

projectile by the action of an explosive or other propellant, and which 

has any barrel with a bore of more than one-half inch in diameter; and 

iii.	� any combination of parts either designed or intended for use in 

converting any device into any destructive device described in the two 

immediately preceding examples, and from which a destructive device 

may be readily assembled. 

Knife The weapon involved was a knife. 

Knife with blade length the weapon involved was a knife with a blade less than 2.5 inches in length. 

less than 2.5 inches 

Knife with blade length at the weapon involved was a knife with a blade at least 2.5 inches in length, but 

least 2.5 inches, but less less than 3 inches in length. 

than 3 inches 

Knife with blade length the weapon involved was a knife with a blade 3 inches or greater in length. 

greater than or equal to 3 

inches 

Other sharp objects The weapon involved was another type of sharp object, (e.g., razor blade, ice 

pick, dirk, Chinese star, other pointed instrument [used as a weapon]). 

Other object The weapon involved was another known object (e.g., chain, nunchakus, 

brass knuckle, billy club, electrical weapon or device [stun gun], BB or pellet 

gun). 

Substance used as weapon The weapon involved was a substance (e.g., mace, tear gas) that was used 

as a weapon. 

Other weapon The incident involved a weapon other than those described above. 

None (no weapon) No weapon was used in the incident. 

Unknown weapon A weapon was used in the incident, but the type is unknown. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 27 
 

Injury—#009(I) Injury 

id Code
�

field length = 4

#009(I)
�

An indication of the occurrence of physical injury to participants involved in the incident and, 

if present, the level of injury sustained. 

Minor injury An injury that does not require professional medical attention, such 

as a scrape on the body, knee, or elbow; and/or minor bruising. 

Medical attention from the school nurse qualifies the injury as minor 

unless further medical attention is required. 

Major injury An injury that requires professional medical attention that may 

include, but is not limited to, a bullet wound, a stab or puncture 

wound, fractured or broken bones, concussions, cuts requiring 

stitches, and any other injury with profuse or excessive bleeding, 

but not constituting designation as serious bodily injury. 

Serious bodily 

injury 

A bodily injury that involves a substantial risk of death, extreme 

physical pain, protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted 

loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or 

mental faculty. 

Fatal Injury A bodily injury that results in death. 

No injury No one was physically injured during the course of the incident. 

Reported to Law Enforcement—#010(I) Reported to Law

Enforcement
� id Code
�

field length = 4
�

#010(I)
�

An indication that the school resource officer or any other law enforcement official was 

notified about the incident, regardless of whether official action is taken. 

Yes 

No 

Offense Type—#011(I)7 

Offense Type 

id Code
�

field length = 4
�

#011(I)
�

The category of behavior that best describes an offense. 

Usage Recommendations: This element presents recommendations for categorizing behavior 

incidents into specific incident codes. These codes are presented alphabetically. Users may 

wish to assign a hierarchy so that the assigned code describes the most serious component of 

the incident (in cases in which multiple components exist). Such a hierarchy could be based 

on identifying the type of problem behavior that causes the most injury or greatest loss of 

property, or it could be based on locally defined priorities. In a situation in which more than 

one offense is committed, use element Multiple Offense Designation—#012(I) to identify the 

primary and secondary offenses. More specific information on certain types of noncriminal 

misbehavior (e.g., violations of school rules) might be of use to a school or district, but are not 

necessary to collect unless local decisionmakers choose to do so. The use of “Other” codes can 

7 Many incidents described here are illegal behaviors and need to be reported to law enforcement in addition to school officials. 

28 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Alcohol (liquor law violations: Violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, 

possession, use, sale)	� purchase, transportation, possession, or consumption of intoxicating 

alcoholic beverages or substances represented as alcohol. Suspicion 

of being under the influence of alcohol may be included if it results in 

disciplinary action. 

sale of alcohol selling alcoholic beverages.
�

distribution of alcohol distributing (i.e., giving away) alcoholic beverages.
�

drinking alcohol drinking alcoholic beverages.
�

possession of alcohol Having alcoholic beverages in one’s pocket(s), bag(s), car, locker, etc.
�

suspicion of alcohol use exhibiting behaviors that suggest that an individual consumed alcohol.
�

other alcohol the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve an alcohol violation. 

Arson To unlawfully and intentionally damage, or attempt to damage, any 

school or personal property by fire or incendiary device. Firecrackers, 

fireworks, and trash can fires would be included in this category if they 

8 were contributing factors to a damaging fire.

Attendance Policy Violation (not Violation of state, school district, or school policy relating to 

attending school or classes as attendance.
�

required)
�

Forging absence excuse to be locally defined.
�

skipping class to be locally defined.
�

tardiness to be locally defined.
�

truancy to be locally defined.
�

other attendance policy violation the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve an attendance policy violation. 

Battery (physical attack/harm)	� Touching or striking of another person against his or her will or 

9
� intentionally causing bodily harm to an individual.

see also: Fighting and physical altercation, minor 

Burglary/Breaking and Entering Unlawful entry or attempted entry into a building or other structure 

(stealing property/unlawful entry) with the intent to commit a crime.10
�

see also: robbery, theft, trespassing, and Vandalism 

help to meet these needs. In some cases, it may be difficult to determine the code that most 

accurately describes an incident. For example, a fight could be construed as a more serious 

incident (Battery) or a less serious incident (Physical altercation, Minor). Training staff on 

how to apply definitions is important to accurate and consistent reporting. 

8 Without a fire, firecrackers and fireworks may be coded as disruptive behavior. This category does not include the simple act of lighting a match. 

9 Many authorities consider age and developmentally appropriate behavior before using this category. This category should be used when the attack is serious 

enough to warrant calling the police or security or when serious bodily harm occurs. Include an attack with a weapon in this category. (This offense may be 

referred to by law enforcement as aggravated assault.) 

10 When using this code, the value of any property loss or the cost of repairing or replacing any damaged property may be recorded under Incident Cost— 

#007(I). Selecting this code does not require that force be used in gaining entry, nor is it necessary that property loss occur. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 29 
Disorderly Conduct (disruptive Any act that disrupts the orderly conduct of a school function; behavior 

behavior) that substantially disrupts the orderly learning environment. 

see also: insubordination and Violation of school rules 

Drugs Excluding Alcohol and Unlawful use, cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale, solicitation, 

Tobacco (illegal drug possession, purchase, possession, transportation, or importation of any controlled 

sale, use/ drug (e.g., Demerol, morphine) or narcotic substance. (Consult local 

under the influence) and state laws for a complete list of these substances.) 

sale of illegal drug selling illegal drugs. 

sale of substance represented as selling a substance represented as an illegal drug (e.g., selling oregano 

an illegal drug represented as marijuana). 

distribution of illegal drug distributing (i.e., giving away) illegal drugs. 

distribution of substance distributing (i.e., giving away) substance represented as an illegal drug. 

represented as an illegal drug 

use of illegal drug smoking, snorting, injecting, ingesting, or otherwise using an illegal drug. 

possession of illegal drug Having an illegal drug in one’s pocket(s), bag(s), car, locker, etc. 

possession of drug paraphernalia Having equipment (e.g., a bong) for use in consuming illegal drugs in 

one’s pocket(s), bag(s), car, locker, etc. 

suspicion of use an instance in which an individual’s behavior, breath, etc., suggests that 

he or she used illegal drugs. 

solicitation of illegal drug an instance in which an individual seeks to obtain illegal drugs. 

other drug offense the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve illegal drugs. 

see also: inappropriate use of medication 

Fighting (mutual altercation)	� Mutual participation in an incident involving physical violence, where 

there is no major injury.11 

see also: Battery and physical altercation, minor 

Harassment, Nonsexual (physical, Repeatedly annoying or attacking (e.g., bullying or hazing) a student 

verbal, or psychological) or group of students or other personnel, which creates an intimidating 

or hostile education or work environment.12 

see also: threat/intimidation 

Harassment, Sexual (unwelcome Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other 

sexual conduct)	� physical or verbal conduct or communication of a sexual nature, 

including gender-based harassment that creates an intimidating, 

hostile, or offensive education or work environment.13 

11 Many authorities consider age and developmentally appropriate behavior before using this category. Where serious injury occurs, the incident may be coded 

as battery for all participants. This code does not include verbal confrontations, tussles, or other minor confrontations. (This offense may be referred to by law 

enforcement as simple assault.) 

12 When these incidents are hate related, an additional code (“Hate-Related”) should be noted for Related Incident Behavior—#013(I) 

13 Examples include leering, pinching, grabbing, suggestive comments, gestures, or jokes, as well as pressure to engage in sexual activity. Many authorities 

consider age and developmentally appropriate behavior before using this category. 

30 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

see also: Harassment, nonsexual and obscene Behavior 

Homicide (murder or manslaughter) Killing a human being. 

Inappropriate Use of Medication 

(prescription or over-the-counter) 

Use, possession, or distribution of any prescription or over-the-counter 

medication (e.g., aspirin, cough syrups, caffeine pills, nasal sprays) in 

violation of school policy. 

sale of medication selling prescription or over-the-counter medication. 

distribution of medication distributing (i.e., giving away) prescription or over-the-counter medicine in 

violation of school rules. 

use of medication in violation of 

school rules 

using prescription or over-the-counter medicine in violation of school 

rules. 

possession of medication in 

violation of school rules 

Having prescription or over-the-counter medication in one’s pocket(s), 

bag(s), car, locker, etc., in violation of school rules. 

suspicion of use of medication in 

violation of school rules 

an instance in which an individual’s behavior suggests that he or she 

used prescription or over-the-counter drugs in violation of school rules. 

other inappropriate use of 

medication 

the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve the use of prescription or over-the-counter medication in violation 

of school rules. 

see also: drugs 

Insubordination (disobedience) Unwillingness to submit to authority, refusal to respond to a 

reasonable request, or other situations in which a student is 

disobedient. 

see also: disorderly Conduct 

Kidnapping (abduction) Unlawful seizure, transportation, and/or detention of a person against 

his or her will, or of a minor without the consent of his or her custodial 

parent(s) or legal guardian. This category includes hostage taking. 

Obscene Behavior Language or actions, written, oral, physical, or electronic, in violation 

14 of community or school standards.

obscene written messages Writing obscene messages on paper, on blackboards, or elsewhere on 

school property (e.g., on a bathroom wall). 

drawing obscene pictures Creating illustrations of a sexually explicit or vulgar nature. 

obscene electronic 

communication 

posting obscene messages on internet message boards, sending 

obscenities via internet chat rooms/instant messaging, and downloading 

or e-mailing obscene material. 

obscene gestures Gestures that are offensive, socially unacceptable, or otherwise not 

suitable for an education setting. 

obscene language/profanity suggestive, explicit, or vulgar language; cursing; abusive language or 

demeaning remarks. 

14 Many authorities consider age and developmentally appropriate behavior before using this category. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 31 
other obscene behavior the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve obscene behavior. 

see also: Harassment, sexual 

Physical Altercation, Minor (pushing, 

shoving) 

Confrontation, tussle, or physical aggression that does not result in 

injury.15 

see also: Battery, Fighting, and Harassment, nonsexual 

Robbery (taking of things by force)	� The taking of, or attempt to take, anything of value that is owned by 

another person or organization under confrontational circumstances 

by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in 

fear. A key difference between robbery and theft is that the threat of 

physical harm or actual physical harm is involved in a robbery.16 

see also: Burglary/Breaking and entering and theft 

School Threat (threat of destruction Any threat (verbal, written, or electronic) by a person to bomb or use 

or harm)	� other substances or devices for the purpose of exploding, burning, or 

causing damage to a school building or school property or harming 

students or staff. 

Bomb threat	� intentionally making a false report of potential harm from a bomb, 

dynamite, explosive, or arson-causing device. 

Fire alarm	� Verbally or otherwise (e.g., ringing alarm bells) making a false report of 

fire. 

Chemical/biological threat	� intentionally making a false report of potential harm from dangerous 

chemicals or biological agents. 

terroristic threat	� making terroristic threats to harm students or school officials, and/or to 

destroy school property. 

other school threat	� the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve a school threat. 

see also: threat/intimidation 

Sexual Battery (sexual assault)	� Oral, anal, or vaginal penetration forcibly or against the person’s will 

or where the victim is incapable of giving consent. Includes rape, 

fondling, indecent liberties, child molestation, and sodomy.17 

see also: sexual offenses, other 

Sexual Offenses, Other (lewd Sexual intercourse, sexual contact, or other behavior intended to result 

behavior,indecent exposure) in sexual gratification without force or threat of force. Code statutory 

rape here.18 

15 Many authorities consider age and developmentally appropriate behavior before using this category. When these incidents are hate related, an additional code 

(“Hate-Related”) should be noted for Related Incident Behavior—#013(I).
�

16 Many authorities consider age and developmentally appropriate behavior before using this category.
�

17 Many authorities consider age and developmentally appropriate behavior before using this category.
�

18 Many authorities consider age and developmentally appropriate behavior before using this category.
�

32 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

see also: obscene Behavior and sexual Battery 

Suicide Violation	� Act or instance of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally. 

suicide taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally.
�

attempted suicide attempting to take one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally.
�

other suicide violation the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve the threat or mention of suicide. 

Theft (stealing personal or school The unlawful taking of property belonging to another person or 

property)	� organization without threat, violence, or bodily harm. Electronic theft of 

data should be coded here. Do not include dealing in stolen goods in 

this category (see Other Offenses).19 

General theft	� taking or attempting to take money or property belonging to another 

person or the school with the intent to permanently deprive the victim of 

his or her possessions. 

other theft	� the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve theft. 

see also: Burglary/Breaking and entering and robbery 

Threat/Intimidation (causing fear Physical, verbal, written, or electronic action that immediately creates 

of harm)	� fear of harm, without displaying a weapon and without subjecting the 

victim to actual physical attack.20 

physical threat	� threatening an individual or group of individuals with a gesture(s) or body 

language. 

Verbal threat	� threatening an individual or group of individuals with spoken words or 

sounds. 

Written threat	� threatening an individual or group of individuals in writing (e.g., letter, 

note, message on chalkboard). 

electronic threat	� threatening an individual or group of individuals by e-mail, by postings 

on internet sites, or through other electronic mechanisms. 

other threat	� the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve a threat. 

see also: Harassment, nonsexual, Harassment, nonsexual , Harassment, nonsexual , school threat, and Weapon 

possession 

19 Many organizations code the theft of low-value items (e.g., pencil, pad of paper) as a violation of school rules. When there is greater value related to property 

loss or the cost of repairing or replacing any damaged property, such value may be recorded under Incident Cost—#007(I). Many authorities consider age and 

developmentally appropriate behavior before using this category. 

20 Many authorities consider age and developmentally appropriate behavior before using this category. Also, Cornell, Sheras, and Cole (2006) make a 

distinction between a transient (vague) threat and an imminent (specific) threat with respect to intervention approaches and significance of the offense. See 

Cornell, D., Sheras, P., and Cole, J. (2006). Assessment of Bullying. In S. R. Jimerson and M. J. Furlong (Eds.), The Handbook of School Violence and School 

Safety: From Research to Practice (pp. 191-210). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 33 
Tobacco (possession or use) Possession, use, distribution, or sale of tobacco products. 

sale of tobacco selling tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, chewing tobacco). 

distribution of tobacco distributing (i.e., giving away) tobacco products. 

use of tobacco smoking, chewing, or otherwise using tobacco. 

possession of tobacco Having tobacco in one’s pocket(s), bag(s), car, locker, etc. 

suspicion of use of tobacco an instance in which an individual’s behavior, breath, etc., suggests that 

he or she used tobacco. 

other tobacco offense the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve tobacco. 

Trespassing (unlawful or To enter or remain on a public school campus or school board facility 

unauthorized presence) without authorization or invitation and with no lawful purpose for entry. 

see also: Burglary/Breaking and entering and Vandalism 

Vandalism (damage to school or Willful destruction or defacement of school or personal property.21 

personal property) 

Vandalism of school property	� Willful destruction or defacement of school property. 

Vandalism of personal property	� Willful destruction or defacement of personal property. 

other vandalism	� the incident cannot be coded in one of the above categories but did 

involve vandalism. 

see also: Burglary/Breaking and entering and trespassing 

Violation of School Rules This category comprises misbehavior not captured elsewhere. 

(disobeying school policy)	� Problem behaviors could include dress code violations, possession of 

contraband, unacceptable displays of affection, dress code violations, 

cheating, lying to authorities, falsifying records, or inappropriately 

using electronic devices. 

see also: disorderly Conduct 

Weapons Possession (firearms and Possession of an instrument or object to inflict harm on other persons. 

other weapons) Both firearms and other weapons should be coded here.22 

see also: threat/intimidation 

Other Offenses (e.g., forgery, Any significant incident resulting in disciplinary action not classified 

extortion) previously. Offenses could include bribery, fraud, embezzlement, forgery, 

resisting arrest, gambling, extortion, or dealing in stolen property. 

21 When using this code, the value of any property loss or the cost of repairing or replacing any damaged property may be recorded under Incident Cost— 

#007(I). 

22 When using this code, the type of weapon involved should be coded under Weapon Type—#008(I). If a weapon was used in the commission of another 

offense (e.g., battery, homicide), use that code to capture the event and code Related Incident Behavior—#013(I) as “Weapon-Related.” 

34 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Multiple Offense Designation—#012(I) 

An indication of whether the offense was primary or secondary in nature when a single 

incident included more than one type of offense.23 

Primary 

Secondary 

Multiple 

Offense 

Designation 

id Code 

field length = 4 

#012(I) 

Related Incident Behavior—#013(I) 

Supplemental information about an incident when the primary offense is more serious in 

nature than related (e.g., alcohol or drug) offenses. 

Usage Recommendations: Adoption of the following secondary incident behavior codes will 

facilitate reporting for the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act under the 

Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR), section 2.7.2, in which each state defines 

violent incidents with and without injury; weapons possession; and incidents that are alcohol 

related or illicit drug related. 

Related 

Incident 

Behavior 

id Code 

field length = 4 

#013(I) 

Alcohol-Related Those involved in the incident were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the 

incident or there is evidence of drinking having occurred, based on testing or investigation 

of a police officer at the scene, or if the incident is somehow related to possession, use, 

or sale of alcohol. Do not use this code if the main offense during the incident is the 

possession, use, or sale of alcohol. In that case, report as an alcohol offense. 

Drug-Related Those involved in the incident were under the influence of drugs at the time of the 

incident, based on testing or investigation done by police as a result of the incident, or 

if the incident is somehow related to possession, use, or sale of drugs. Drugs include 

illegal substances such as marijuana and cocaine and unauthorized use of controlled 

substances such as Demerol and morphine (consult local and state laws for a complete 

list of these substances). Do not use this code if the main offense during the incident is 

the possession, use, or sale of drugs. In that case, report as Drugs Excluding Alcohol and 

Tobacco. 

Gang-Related	� The incident was gang-motivated or gang membership caused the incident or contributed 

to actions that occurred during the incident. For example, an incident of vandalism or 

robbery might be part of an initiation into a gang, or a fight might be caused by gang 

rivalry. Use this code only if certain that gang membership contributed to the incident. A 

gang is an organized group characterized by turf concerns, symbols, special dress, and/or 

colors and that engages in delinquent or illegal activity. 

Hate-Related—	�

Other	�

The incident was motivated by hate due to some characteristics or perceived 

characteristics of the victim, including religion, political beliefs, marital status, age, social 

and family background, or linguistic preference. Any act, or attempted act, is hate related 

if it is designed to cause physical injury, emotional suffering, or property damage through 

intimidation, harassment, racial/ethnic slurs and bigoted epithets, vandalism, force, or 

the threat of force, motivated all or in part by hostility toward some real or perceived 

characteristic of the victim. 

23 There can be only one primary offense, but there is no limit to the number of secondary offenses that can be recorded. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 35 
Hate-Related— 

Disability 

The incident was motivated by hate due to some characteristics or perceived 

characteristics of the victim related to a disability. Any act, or attempted act, is hate 

related if it is designed to cause physical injury, emotional suffering, or property damage 

through intimidation, harassment, slurs and bigoted epithets, vandalism, force, or 

the threat of force, motivated all or in part by hostility toward some real or perceived 

characteristic of the victim. 

Hate-Related— 

Race, Color, or 

National Origin 

The incident was motivated by hate due to some characteristics or perceived 

characteristics of the victim related to race, color, or national origin. Any act, or attempted 

act, is hate related if it is designed to cause physical injury, emotional suffering, or 

property damage through intimidation, harassment, racial/ethnic slurs and bigoted 

epithets, vandalism, force, or the threat of force, motivated all or in part by hostility 

toward some real or perceived characteristic of the victim. 

Hate-Related— 

Sex 

The incident was motivated by hate due to some characteristics or perceived 

characteristics of the victim related to sex, sexual orientation, or other gender-based 

factor. Any act, or attempted act, is hate related if it is designed to cause physical injury, 

emotional suffering, or property damage through intimidation, harassment, racial/ethnic 

slurs and bigoted epithets, vandalism, force, or the threat of force, motivated all or in part 

by hostility toward some real or perceived characteristic of the victim. 

Weapon-Related Any of those involved in the incident were in the possession of or used a weapon during 

the incident or the incident was somehow related to the possession, use, or sale of 

weapons. Do not use this code if the main offense during the incident is the possession, 

use, or sale of weapons. In that case, report as weapons possession. 

None There was not a secondary incident. 

Reporter Information (R) 

These variables identify the type of individual who reported the incident. As illustrated in 

figure 2-2, figure 2-3, and figure 3-1, recording this information in a separate module permits 

linking to the incident data table and information systems, which will facilitate the coding of 

multiple reporters. 

Incident Participant Type (Reporter)—#014(R) Incident 

Participant Type (Reporter) 

id Code
�

field length = 4
�

#014(R)
�

Information on the type of individual who reported the incident. A “reporter” is the 

individual who reports the incident to school or legal authorities. 

Usage Recommendations: The primary codes for this data element capture the type of 

individual who reports an incident. Secondary codes provide additional details. For example, 

rather than simply recording that the individual was a student (a primary code), many 

organizations will also want to record a more specific type of individual, such as a student 

enrolled in the school where the incident occurred (a secondary code). Although some 

organizations may choose not to collect these specific descriptors, this level of detail will be 

useful if analysts attempt to identify the types of individuals reporting incidents. 

36 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Student An individual for whom instruction, services, and/or care are 

provided in an early childhood, elementary, or secondary 

education program under the jurisdiction of a school, education 

agency, or other institution or program. 

other codes appropriate for student include the following: 

student enrolled in the school where 

the incident occurred 

a student who, at the time the incident occurred, was enrolled in the 

school where the incident was reported. 

student enrolled in another school a student who, at the time the incident occurred, was enrolled in a 

school other than the one where the incident was reported. 

student expelled or involuntarily 

withdrawn 

a student who is removed from the school system without choice, 

for reasons other than health. this includes a student who left school 

due to an expulsion approved by appropriate school authorities or 

who was removed by court order. 

other student a student not otherwise captured by one of the above codes. 

Professional Educational Staff A general job classification that describes staff members who 

perform duties requiring a high degree of knowledge and skills 

generally acquired through at least a baccalaureate degree (or its 

equivalent, obtained through special study and/or experience), 

including skills in the field of education, educational psychology, 

educational social work, or an education therapy field. 

other codes appropriate for professional education staff include the 

following: 

teacher an individual who provides instruction, learning experiences, and care 

to students during a particular time period or in a given discipline. 

substitute teacher an individual who provides educational services on an as-needed 

basis. 

librarian/media specialist a professional staff member or supervisor assigned specific duties 

and school time for professional library and media service activities. 

activities include selecting, acquiring, preparing, cataloging, and 

circulating books and other printed materials; planning the use of 

library and media services by students, teachers, and other members 

of the instructional staff; and guiding individuals in their use of media 

services and library materials (whether maintained separately or as 

part of an instructional materials center). 

Counselor an individual who guides individuals, families, groups, and 

communities by assisting them in problem solving; decisionmaking; 

discovering meaning; and articulating goals related to personal, 

educational, and career development. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 37 
school Counselor a professional staff member assigned specific duties and school 

time for any of the following activities: counseling with students and 

parents, consulting with other staff members on learning problems, 

evaluating student abilities, assisting students in making education 

and career choices, assisting students in personal and social 

development, providing referral assistance, and/or working with other 

staff members in planning and conducting guidance programs for 

students. school counselors may be reported by elementary and 

secondary level when that information is available. 

athletic coach an individual who instructs individuals in the fundamentals of a 

competitive sport and direct team or individual strategy. 

student activity advisor/ 

nonathletic coach 

an individual who instructs individuals in the fundamentals of a 

nonathletic activity and develops training and competition schedules. 

other professional education staff the type of reporter cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was reported by a professional staff member. 

Other Professional Staff A general job classification that describes staff members who 

perform assignments requiring a high degree of knowledge and 

skills usually acquired through at least a baccalaureate degree (or 

its equivalent, obtained through special study and/or experience) 

but not necessarily requiring skills in the field of education. 

other codes appropriate for other professional staff include the 

following: 

attendance officer an individual who monitors compliance of compulsory attendance 

laws. 

registered nurse an individual who conducts a health service program at a school or 

system for the evaluation, improvement, and protection of the health 

of students and school personnel in accordance with state law and 

local policies and procedures. 

social worker an individual who provides social services for clients who may be 

individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations, or society 

in general. typical responsibilities include (1) preparing a social 

or developmental history on a student with disabilities; (2) group 

and individual counseling with a student and his or her family; (3) 

working with those problems in a student’s living situation (home, 

school, and community) that affect adjustment in school; (4) 

mobilizing school and community resources in order to enable the 

student to receive maximum benefit from his or her educational 

program; and (5) other related services as necessary. the providers 

of these services are certified, licensed, or otherwise qualified 

professionals. 

other professional staff the type of reporter cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was reported by a professional (noneducation) staff 

member. 

38 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Administrator A general job classification that describes staff members who 

perform management activities that require developing broad 

policies and executing those policies through direction of 

individuals at all levels. This includes high-level administrative 

activities performed directly for policymakers. 

other codes appropriate for administrator include the following: 

principal/headmaster/headmistress/ 

head of school 

an individual who performs the highest level of executive 

management functions in an individual school, a group of schools, or 

units of a school system. responsibilities include the administration 

of instructional programs and extracurricular programs, community 

relations, operation of the school plant, selection and evaluation of 

professional and support staff, and the coordination of staff and 

student activities. 

deputy/associate/vice/ 

assistant principal 

an individual who performs high-level executive management 

functions in an individual school, a group of schools, or units of 

a school system. primary duties include but are not limited to 

(1) supervising student behavior; (2) handling specific assigned 

duties related to school management; (3) continuing curriculum 

and staff development; (4) working cooperatively with professional 

staff; (5) providing leadership in the instructional program; and (6) 

coordinating and/or arranging class schedules. 

dean/dean of instructions/dean of 

students/dean of boys/dean of girls/ 

dean of student activities 

an individual who oversees either academic/curriculum activities or 

student body activities and behaviors such as student government, 

school clubs, rallies, and assemblies. 

superintendent/commissioner an individual who serves as the chief executive officer and primary 

advisor to the board of education. responsibilities include overseeing 

the development of educational programs and all other activities that 

impact those programs. 

deputy/associate/assistant 

superintendent/commissioner 

an individual who performs high-level executive management 

functions for a superintendent in the areas of personnel, instruction, 

and/or administration such as business, transportation, food 

services, maintenance, operation, and facility management/planning. 

such an assignment also includes performing the duties of the 

superintendent in his or her absence as assigned or designated. 

Board of education/school board/ 

board of trustees member 

an individual who performs activities as a member of a legally 

constituted body that has been created and vested with 

responsibilities for education policy and decisionmaking as specified 

in education codes and regulations in a given geographical area. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 39 
other administrator	� the type of reporter cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was reported by an administrator. 

All Other Support Staff	� Support staff not reported in instructional or student support; 

includes employees such as bus drivers and data processing, 

health, plant and equipment maintenance, security, and food 

service workers. 

other codes appropriate for all other support staff include the 

following: 

Bus driver	� a person who drives a bus used in the service of a school or system. 

administrative support staff an individual whose activities are concerned with support of the 

teaching and administrative duties of the office of the principal or 

department chairpersons; includes clerical staff and secretaries. 

Custodian	� an individual who performs plant housekeeping and servicing 

activities consisting of cleaning; operation of heating, ventilating, and 

air conditioning systems; and servicing of building equipment. 

Cook/food preparer (food service 

staff)	�

an individual who prepares and cooks foodstuffs in quantities 

according to menu and number of persons to be served. an 

individual who provides services including (1) serving; (2) running 

dishwashers; (3) ordering items to replace stocks; and (4) collecting 

and recording payments or transactions. 

paraprofessional/instructional aide	� a staff member assigned to assist a teacher with routine activities 

associated with teaching—i.e., activities requiring minor decisions 

regarding students, such as monitoring, conducting rote exercises, 

operating equipment, and clerking. 

security guard	� an individual who provides protection to individuals and who 

safeguards the school facility.
�

other support staff	� the type of reporter cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was reported by a support staff member. 

Law Enforcement Officer	� A law enforcement officer at the time the incident occurred. 

other codes appropriate for law enforcement officer include the 

following: 

municipal law enforcement officer 

assigned to the school 

the incident was reported by a municipal law enforcement officer 

(e.g., town, city, or county police officer; school resource officer; or 

sheriff) assigned to the school. 

40 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

municipal law enforcement officer not 

assigned to the school 

the incident was reported by a municipal law enforcement officer 

(e.g., town, city, or county police officer; school resource officer; or 

sheriff) not assigned to the school. 

school district police officer assigned 

to the school	�

the incident was reported by a school district police officer (i.e., 

directly employed by the school district) assigned to the school for 

some or all of the school day at the time the incident occurred (e.g., a 

school resource officer). 

school district police officer not 

assigned to the school	�

the incident was reported by a school district police officer (i.e., 

directly employed by the school district) not assigned to the school 

for some or all of the school day at the time the incident occurred 

(e.g., a school resource officer). 

other law enforcement officer	� the type of reporter cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was reported by a law enforcement officer. 

other law enforcement	� the type of reporter cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was reported by law enforcement. 

Nonschool Personnel	� The incident was reported by an individual who did not attend or 

work for the school (e.g., parent, community member). 

other codes appropriate for nonschool personnel include the 

following: 

parent/guardian	� the incident was reported by a parent or guardian of a student. 

representative of visiting school	� the incident was reported by a representative of a visiting school 

(e.g., teacher, coach). 

other adult	� the incident was reported by another adult in the community. 

nonstudent youth	� the incident was reported by a nonstudent youth (e.g., a youth who 

had dropped out of school). 

nonschool personnel	� the type of reporter cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was reported by nonschool personnel. 

Unknown	� Use this code for incidents that were anonymously reported. 

Incident Participant ID (Reporter)—#015(R) 

Identifies the reporter of the incident by use of a pre-existing unique identifier assigned to a 

student or staff member by a school or district. Using this data element permits linkage to 

descriptive information about the individual in the student or staff database. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 41 

Incident 

Participant ID 

(Reporter) 

alpha numeric 

field length = 30 

#015(R) 
Witness Information (W) 

These variables identify the types of individuals who witnessed (saw, heard, or experienced) 

an incident. As illustrated in figure 2-2, figure 2-3, and figure 3-1, recording this information 

in a separate module permits linking to the incident data table and student and staff 

databases, which will facilitate the coding of multiple witnesses. 

Incident Participant Type (Witness)—#014(W) Incident 

Participant Type (Witness) 

alpha numeric 

field length = 30 

#014(W)	�

Information on the type of individual who witnessed the incident. A “witness” is an 

individual who can give a firsthand account of an incident that was seen, heard, or 

experienced. 

Usage Recommendations: The primary codes for this data element capture the type of 

individual who witnesses an incident. Secondary codes provide additional details. For 

example, rather than simply recording that the individual was a student (a primary code), 

many organizations may want to record that the witness was a student enrolled in the school 

where the incident occurred (a secondary code). Although some organizations may choose not 

to collect these specific descriptors, this level of detail will be useful to analysts who wish to 

identify the types of individuals who witness incidents. 

Student	� An individual for whom instruction, services and/or care are 

provided in an early childhood, elementary, or secondary education 

program under the jurisdiction of a school, education agency, or 

other institution or program. 

Other codes appropriate for Student include the following: 

student enrolled in the school where a student who, at the time the incident occurred, was enrolled in the 

the incident occurred	� school where the incident was reported. 

student enrolled in another school	� a student who, at the time the incident occurred, was enrolled in a 

school other than the one where the incident was reported. 

student expelled or involuntarily a student who is removed from the school system without choice, for 

withdrawn	� reasons other than health. this includes a student who left school due 

to an expulsion approved by appropriate school authorities or who 

was removed by court order. 

other student	� a student not otherwise described by one of the above codes. 

Professional Educational Staff	� A general job classification that describes staff members who 

perform duties requiring a high degree of knowledge and skills 

generally acquired through at least a baccalaureate degree (or its 

equivalent, obtained through special study and/or experience), 

including skills in the field of education, educational psychology, 

educational social work, or education therapy.
�

other codes appropriate for professional education staff include the 

following: 

42 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

teacher an individual who provides instruction, learning experiences, and care 

to students during a particular time period or in a given discipline. 

substitute teacher an individual who provides educational services on an as-needed 

basis. 

librarian/media specialist a professional staff member or supervisor assigned specific duties 

and school time for professional library and media service activities. 

activities include selecting, acquiring, preparing, cataloging, and 

circulating books and other printed materials; planning the use of 

library and media services by students, teachers and other members 

of the instructional staff; and guiding individuals in their use of media 

services and library materials, (whether maintained separately or as 

part of an instructional materials center). 

Counselor an individual who guides individuals, families, groups, and 

communities by assisting them in problem solving; decisionmaking; 

discovering meaning; and articulating goals related to personal, 

educational, and career development. 

school counselor a professional staff member assigned specific duties and school 

time for any of the following activities: counseling with students and 

parents, consulting with other staff members on learning problems, 

evaluating student abilities, assisting students in making education 

and career choices, assisting students in personal and social 

development, providing referral assistance, and/or working with other 

staff members in planning and conducting guidance programs for 

students. school counselors may be reported by elementary and 

secondary level when that information is available. 

athletic coach an individual who instructs individuals in the fundamentals of a 

competitive sport and direct team or individual strategy. 

student activity advisor/nonathletic 

coach 

an individual who instructs individuals in the fundamentals of a 

nonathletic activity and develops training and competition schedules. 

other professional education staff the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by a professional staff member. 

Other Professional Staff A general job classification that describes staff who perform 

assignments requiring a high degree of knowledge and skills 

usually acquired through at least a baccalaureate degree (or its 

equivalent, obtained through special study and/or experience), but 

not necessarily requiring skills in the field of education. 

other codes appropriate for other professional staff include the 

following: 

attendance officer an individual who monitors compliance of compulsory attendance 

laws. 

registered nurse an individual who conducts a health service program at a school or 

system for the evaluation, improvement, and protection of the health of 

students and school personnel in accordance with state law and local 

policies and procedures. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 43 
social worker an individual who provides social services for clients who may be 

individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations, or society 

in general. typical responsibilities include (1) preparing a social or 

developmental history on a student with disabilities; (2) group and 

individual counseling with a student and his or her family; (3) working 

with those problems in a student’s living situation (home, school, and 

community) that affect adjustment in school; (4) mobilizing school 

and community resources in order to enable the student to receive 

maximum benefit from his or her educational program; and (5) other 

related services as necessary. the providers of these services are 

certified, licensed, or otherwise qualified professionals. 

other professional staff the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by a professional (noneducation) staff 

member. 

Administrator A general job classification that describes staff members who 

perform management activities that require developing broad 

policies and executing those policies through direction of 

individuals at all levels. This includes high-level administrative 

activities performed directly for policymakers. 

other codes appropriate for administrator include the following: 

principal/headmaster/ 

headmistress/head of school 

an individual who performs the highest level of executive management 

functions in an individual school, a group of schools, or units of 

a school system. responsibilities include the administration of 

instructional programs and extracurricular programs, community 

relations, operation of the school plant, selection and evaluation of 

professional and support staff, and the coordination of staff and 

student activities. 

deputy/associate/vice/ 

assistant principal 

an individual who performs high-level executive management 

functions in an individual school, a group of schools, or units of 

a school system. primary duties include but are not limited to (1) 

supervising student behavior; (2) handling specific assigned duties 

related to school management; (3) continuing curriculum and staff 

development; (4) working cooperatively with professional staff; (5) 

providing leadership in the instructional program; and (6) coordinating 

and/or arranging class schedules. 

dean/dean of instructions/dean of 

students/dean of boys/dean of girls/ 

dean of student activities 

an individual who oversees either academic/curriculum activities or 

student body activities and behaviors such as student government, 

school clubs, rallies, and assemblies. 

superintendent/ 

commissioner 

an individual who serves as the chief executive officer and primary 

advisor to the board of education. responsibilities include overseeing 

the development of educational programs and all other activities that 

impact those programs. 

44 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

deputy/associate/ assistant an individual who performs high-level executive management 

superintendent/ commissioner	� functions for a superintendent in the areas of personnel, instruction, 

and/or administration such as business, transportation, food services, 

maintenance, operation, and facility management/planning. such an 

assignment also includes performing the duties of the superintendent 

in his or her absence as assigned or designated. 

Board of education/school board/	� an individual who performs activities as a member of a legally 

board of trustees member	� constituted body that has been created and vested with responsibilities 

for education policy and decisionmaking as specified in education 

codes and regulations in a given geographical area. 

other administrator	� the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by an administrator. 

All Other Support Staff	� Support staff not reported in instructional or student support; 

includes bus drivers and employees such as data processing, 

health, plant and equipment maintenance, security, and food 

service workers. 

other codes appropriate for all other support staff include the 

following: 

Bus driver	� a person who drives a bus used in the service of a school or system. 

administrative support staff an individual whose activities are concerned with support of the 

teaching and administrative duties of the office of the principal or 

department chairpersons, including clerical staff and secretaries. 

Custodian	� an individual who performs plant housekeeping and servicing activities 

consisting of cleaning; operating the heating, ventilating, and air 

conditioning systems; and servicing of building equipment. 

Cook/food preparer (food service an individual who prepares and cooks foodstuffs in quantities 

staff) according to menu and number of persons to be served; an individual 

who provides services including (1) serving; (2) running dishwashers; 

(3) ordering items to replace stocks; and (4) collecting and recording 

payments or transactions. 

paraprofessional/instructional aide	� a staff member assigned to assist a teacher with routine activities 

associated with teaching—i.e., activities requiring minor decisions 

regarding students, such as monitoring, conducting rote exercises, 

operating equipment, and clerking. 

security guard	� an individual who provides protection to individuals and safeguards 

the school facility. 

other support staff	� the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by a support staff member. 

Law Enforcement Officer	� A law enforcement officer at the time the incident occurred. 

other codes appropriate for law enforcement officer include the 

following: 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 45 
municipal law enforcement officer the incident was witnessed by a municipal law enforcement officer 

assigned to the school (e.g., town, city, or county police officer; school resource officer; or 

sheriff) assigned to the school. 

municipal law enforcement officer the incident was witnessed by a municipal law enforcement officer 

not assigned to the school (e.g., town, city, or county police officer; school resource officer; or 

sheriff) not assigned to the school. 

school district police officer assigned the incident was witnessed by a school district police officer (i.e., 

to the school directly employed by the school district) assigned to the school for 

some or all of the school day at the time the incident occurred (e.g., a 

school resource officer). 

school district police officer not the incident was witnessed by a school district police officer (i.e., 

assigned to the school directly employed by the school district) not assigned to the school for 

some or all of the school day at the time the incident occurred (e.g., a 

school resource officer). 

other law enforcement officer the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by a law enforcement officer. 

other law enforcement the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by other law enforcement. 

Nonschool Personnel The incident was witnessed by an individual who did not attend or 

work for the school (e.g., parent, community member). 

other codes appropriate for nonschool personnel include the 

following: 

parent/guardian the incident was witnessed by a parent or guardian of a student. 

representative of visiting school the incident was witnessed by a representative of a visiting school 

(e.g., teacher, coach). 

other adult the incident was witnessed by another adult in the community. 

nonstudent youth the incident was witnessed by a nonstudent youth (e.g., a youth who 

had dropped out of school). 

nonschool personnel the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by nonschool personnel. 

Unknown Use this code for incidents that were witnessed by a person whose 

identity is anonymous. 

Incident Participant ID (Witness)—#015(W) Incident 

Participant ID 

(Witness) 

alpha numeric 

field length = 30 

#015(W) 

Identifies the witness of the incident by use of a pre-existing unique identifier assigned to a

student or staff member by a school or district. Using this data element permits linkage to 

descriptive information about the individual in the student or staff database. 

46 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Perpetrator Information (P) 

The following variables identify the type of perpetrator (offender) involved in the incident. 

As illustrated in figure 2-2, figure 2-3, and figure 3-1, recording this information in a separate 

module permits linking to the incident data table and student and staff databases, which will 

facilitate the coding of multiple perpetrators. 

Incident Participant Type (Perpetrator)—#014(P) 

Information on the type of individual who committed an incident. A “perpetrator” is an 

individual involved in an incident as an offender (the person who committed the infraction 

constituting the incident).25 

Usage Recommendations: The primary codes for this data element capture the type of 

individual who is accused of perpetrating an incident. Secondary codes provide additional 

details. For example, rather than simply recording that the individual was a student (a 

primary code), many organizations may want to record that the perpetrator was a student 

enrolled in the school where the incident occurred (a secondary code). Although some 

organizations may choose not to collect these specific descriptors, this level of detail will be 

useful to analysts attempting to distinguish perpetrator types. 

Incident 

Participant Type

(Perpetrator) 

id Code 

field length = 4 

#014(P) 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 47 

Student	� An individual for whom instruction, services and/or care are 

provided in an early childhood, elementary, or secondary education 

program under the jurisdiction of a school, education agency, or 

other institution or program. 

other codes appropriate for student include the following: 

student enrolled in the school where a student who, at the time the incident occurred, was enrolled in the 

the incident occurred school where the incident was reported. 

student enrolled in another school	� a student who, at the time the incident occurred, was enrolled in a 

school other than the one where the incident was reported. 

student expelled or involuntarily a student who is removed from the school system without choice, for 

withdrawn	� reasons other than health. this includes a student who left school due 

to an expulsion approved by appropriate school authorities or who 

was removed by court order. 

other student	� a student not otherwise described by one of the above codes. 

Professional Educational Staff	� A general job classification that describes staff members who 

perform duties requiring a high degree of knowledge and skills 

generally acquired through at least a baccalaureate degree (or its 

equivalent, obtained through special study and/or experience), 

including skills in the field of education, educational psychology, 

educational social work, or education therapy.
�

other codes appropriate for professional education staff include the 

following: 

25 Additional codes for school staff are available, if necessary, under Incident Participant Type (Reporter)—#014(R). 
teacher an individual who provides instruction, learning experiences, and care 

to students during a particular time period or in a given discipline. 

substitute teacher an individual who provides educational services on an as-needed 

basis. 

librarian/media specialist a professional staff member or supervisor assigned specific duties 

and school time for professional library and media service activities. 

activities include selecting, acquiring, preparing, cataloging, and 

circulating books and other printed materials; planning the use of 

library and media services by students, teachers and other members 

of the instructional staff; and guiding individuals in their use of media 

services and library materials, (whether maintained separately or as 

part of an instructional materials center). 

Counselor an individual who guides individuals, families, groups, and 

communities by assisting them in problem solving; decisionmaking; 

discovering meaning; and articulating goals related to personal, 

educational, and career development. 

school counselor a professional staff member assigned specific duties and school 

time for any of the following activities: counseling with students and 

parents, consulting with other staff members on learning problems, 

evaluating student abilities, assisting students in making education 

and career choices, assisting students in personal and social 

development, providing referral assistance, and/or working with other 

staff members in planning and conducting guidance programs for 

students. school counselors may be reported by elementary and 

secondary level when that information is available. 

athletic coach an individual who instructs individuals in the fundamentals of a 

competitive sport and direct team or individual strategy. 

student activity advisor/nonathletic 

coach 

an individual who instructs individuals in the fundamentals of a 

nonathletic activity and develops training and competition schedules. 

other professional education staff the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by a professional staff member. 

Other Professional Staff A general job classification that describes staff who perform 

assignments requiring a high degree of knowledge and skills 

usually acquired through at least a baccalaureate degree (or its 

equivalent, obtained through special study and/or experience), but 

not necessarily requiring skills in the field of education. 

other codes appropriate for other professional staff include the 

following: 

attendance officer an individual who monitors compliance of compulsory attendance 

laws. 

registered nurse an individual who conducts a health service program at a school or 

system for the evaluation, improvement, and protection of the health of 

students and school personnel in accordance with state law and local 

policies and procedures. 

48 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

social worker an individual who provides social services for clients who may be 

individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations, or society 

in general. typical responsibilities include (1) preparing a social or 

developmental history on a student with disabilities; (2) group and 

individual counseling with a student and his or her family; (3) working 

with those problems in a student’s living situation (home, school, and 

community) that affect adjustment in school; (4) mobilizing school 

and community resources in order to enable the student to receive 

maximum benefit from his or her educational program; and (5) other 

related services as necessary. the providers of these services are 

certified, licensed, or otherwise qualified professionals. 

other professional staff the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by a professional (noneducation) staff 

member. 

Administrator A general job classification that describes staff members who 

perform management activities that require developing broad 

policies and executing those policies through direction of 

individuals at all levels. This includes high-level administrative 

activities performed directly for policymakers. 

other codes appropriate for administrator include the following: 

principal/headmaster/ 

headmistress/head of school 

an individual who performs the highest level of executive management 

functions in an individual school, a group of schools, or units of 

a school system. responsibilities include the administration of 

instructional programs and extracurricular programs, community 

relations, operation of the school plant, selection and evaluation of 

professional and support staff, and the coordination of staff and 

student activities. 

deputy/associate/vice/ 

assistant principal 

an individual who performs high-level executive management 

functions in an individual school, a group of schools, or units of 

a school system. primary duties include but are not limited to (1) 

supervising student behavior; (2) handling specific assigned duties 

related to school management; (3) continuing curriculum and staff 

development; (4) working cooperatively with professional staff; (5) 

providing leadership in the instructional program; and (6) coordinating 

and/or arranging class schedules. 

dean/dean of instructions/dean of 

students/dean of boys/dean of girls/ 

dean of student activities 

an individual who oversees either academic/curriculum activities or 

student body activities and behaviors such as student government, 

school clubs, rallies, and assemblies.

 superintendent/ 

commissioner 

an individual who serves as the chief executive officer and primary 

advisor to the board of education. responsibilities include overseeing 

the development of educational programs and all other activities that 

impact those programs. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 49 
deputy/associate/ assistant an individual who performs high-level executive management 

superintendent/ commissioner	� functions for a superintendent in the areas of personnel, instruction, 

and/or administration such as business, transportation, food services, 

maintenance, operation, and facility management/planning. such an 

assignment also includes performing the duties of the superintendent 

in his or her absence as assigned or designated. 

Board of education/school board/	� an individual who performs activities as a member of a legally 

board of trustees member	� constituted body that has been created and vested with responsibilities 

for education policy and decisionmaking as specified in education 

codes and regulations in a given geographical area. 

other administrator	� the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by an administrator. 

All Other Support Staff	� Support staff not reported in instructional or student support; 

includes bus drivers and employees such as data processing, 

health, plant and equipment maintenance, security, and food 

service workers. 

other codes appropriate for all other support staff include the 

following: 

Bus driver	� a person who drives a bus used in the service of a school or system. 

administrative support staff an individual whose activities are concerned with support of the 

teaching and administrative duties of the office of the principal or 

department chairpersons, including clerical staff and secretaries. 

Custodian	� an individual who performs plant housekeeping and servicing activities 

consisting of cleaning; operating the heating, ventilating, and air 

conditioning systems; and servicing of building equipment. 

Cook/food preparer (food service an individual who prepares and cooks foodstuffs in quantities 

staff) according to menu and number of persons to be served; an individual 

who provides services including (1) serving; (2) running dishwashers; 

(3) ordering items to replace stocks; and (4) collecting and recording 

payments or transactions. 

paraprofessional/instructional aide	� a staff member assigned to assist a teacher with routine activities 

associated with teaching—i.e., activities requiring minor decisions 

regarding students, such as monitoring, conducting rote exercises, 

operating equipment, and clerking. 

security guard	� an individual who provides protection to individuals and safeguards 

the school facility. 

other support staff	� the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by a support staff member. 

Law Enforcement Officer	� A law enforcement officer at the time the incident occurred. 

other codes appropriate for law enforcement officer include the 

following: 

50 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

municipal law enforcement officer the incident was witnessed by a municipal law enforcement officer 

assigned to the school (e.g., town, city, or county police officer; school resource officer; or 

sheriff) assigned to the school. 

municipal law enforcement officer the incident was witnessed by a municipal law enforcement officer 

not assigned to the school (e.g., town, city, or county police officer; school resource officer; or 

sheriff) not assigned to the school. 

school district police officer assigned the incident was witnessed by a school district police officer (i.e., 

to the school directly employed by the school district) assigned to the school for 

some or all of the school day at the time the incident occurred (e.g., a 

school resource officer). 

school district police officer not the incident was witnessed by a school district police officer (i.e., 

assigned to the school directly employed by the school district) not assigned to the school for 

some or all of the school day at the time the incident occurred (e.g., a 

school resource officer). 

other law enforcement officer the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by a law enforcement officer. 

other law enforcement the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by other law enforcement. 

Nonschool Personnel The incident was witnessed by an individual who did not attend or 

work for the school (e.g., parent, community member). 

other codes appropriate for nonschool personnel include the 

following: 

parent/guardian the incident was witnessed by a parent or guardian of a student. 

representative of visiting school the incident was witnessed by a representative of a visiting school 

(e.g., teacher, coach). 

other adult the incident was witnessed by another adult in the community. 

nonstudent youth the incident was witnessed by a nonstudent youth (e.g., a youth who 

had dropped out of school). 

nonschool personnel the type of witness cannot be captured by one of the above codes, 

but the incident was witnessed by nonschool personnel. 

Unknown Use this code for incidents that were witnessed by a person whose 

identity is anonymous. 

Incident Participant ID (Perpetrator)—#015(P) Incident 

Participant ID 

(Perpetrator) 

alpha numeric 

field length = 30 

#015(P) 

Identifies the perpetrator of the incident by use of a pre-existing unique identifier assigned to 

a student or staff member by a school or district. Using this data element permits linkage to 

descriptive information about the individual in the student or staff database. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 51 
Injury (Perpetrator)—#009(P) Injury (Perpetrator) 

id Code 

field length = 4 

#009(P) 

An indication of the occurrence of physical injury to the perpetrator(s) (participants) involved 

in the incident and, if so, the level of injury sustained. 

Minor injury	� An injury that does not require professional medical attention such 

as a scrape on the body, knee or elbow; and/or minor bruising. 

Medical attention from the school nurse qualifies the injury as minor 

unless further medical attention is required. 

Major injury	� An injury that requires professional medical attention; this may 

include, but is not limited to, bullet wounds, stab or puncture 

wounds, fractured or broken bones, concussions, cuts requiring 

stitches, and any other injury with profuse or excessive bleeding, 

but not constituting designation as serious bodily injury. 

Serious bodily A bodily injury that involves a substantial risk of death; extreme 

injury	� physical pain; protracted and obvious disfigurement; or protracted 

loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or 

mental faculty. 

Fatal Injury	� A bodily injury that results in death. 

No injury	� No one was physically injured during the course of the incident. 

Perpetrator Demographic Information 

Data elements from individual records that identify various relevant types of demographic 

information, potentially including sex, race, ethnicity, English proficiency status, and elements 

related to disability status. See page 64 for common links to demographic information in a 

student information system (SIS). 

52 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Victim Information 

These variables identify the type of victim involved in the incident. As illustrated in figure 

2-2, figure 2-3, and figure 3-1, recording this information in a separate module permits 

linking to the incident data table and student and staff databases, which will facilitate the 

coding of multiple victims. 

Incident Participant Type (Victim)—#014(V) 

Information on the type of individual who was injured or otherwise harmed as a direct result 

of the incident. A “victim” is the individual who suffers injury or harm that directly results 

from the incident.25 

Usage Recommendations: The primary codes for this data element capture the type of 

individual who is the victim of an incident. Secondary codes provide additional details. 

For example, rather than simply recording that the victim was a student (a primary code), 

many organizations will also want to record more specific information about the individual, 

such as whether the victim was a student enrolled in the school where the incident occurred 

(a secondary code). Although some organizations may choose not to collect these specific 

descriptors, this level of detail will be useful to analysts attempting to identify the types of 

victims in incidents.
�

Incident 

Participant Type (Victim) 

id Code 

field length = 4 

#014(V)
�

Student	� An individual for whom instruction, services, and/or care are 

provided in an early childhood, elementary, or secondary education 

program under the jurisdiction of a school, education agency, or 

other institution or program. 

other codes appropriate for student include the following: 

student enrolled in the school where a student who, at the time the incident occurred, was enrolled in the 

the incident occurred school where the incident was reported. 

student enrolled in another school	� a student who, at the time the incident occurred, was enrolled in a 

school other than the one where the incident was reported. 

student expelled or involuntarily a student who is removed from the school system without choice, for 

withdrawn	� reasons other than health. this includes a student who left school due 

to an expulsion approved by appropriate school authorities or who 

was removed by court order. 

other student	� a student not otherwise captured by one of the above codes. 

Professional Educational Staff	� A general job classification that describes staff members who 

perform duties requiring a high degree of knowledge and skills 

generally acquired through at least a baccalaureate degree (or its 

equivalent, obtained through special study and/or experience), 

including skills in the field of education, educational psychology, 

educational social work, or education therapy.
�

teacher	� an individual who provides instruction, learning experiences, and care 

to students during a particular time period or in a given discipline. 

25 These codes permit very specific recording of the type of individual(s) who is the victim of an incident. Individual schools and districts may find that 

capturing such detailed information is not useful. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 53 
substitute teacher an individual who provides educational services on an as-needed 

basis. 

librarian/media specialist a professional staff member or supervisor assigned specific duties 

and school time for professional library and media service activities. 

activities include selecting, acquiring, preparing, cataloging, and 

circulating books and other printed materials; planning the use of 

library and media services by students, teachers and other members 

of the instructional staff; and guiding individuals in their use of media 

services and library materials (whether maintained separately or as 

part of an instructional materials center). 

Counselor an individual who guides individuals, families, groups, and 

communities by assisting them in problem solving; decisionmaking; 

discovering meaning; and articulating goals related to personal, 

educational, and career development. 

school counselor professional staff assigned specific duties and school time for any 

of the following activities: counseling with students and parents, 

consulting with other staff members on learning problems, evaluating 

student abilities, assisting students in making education and career 

choices, assisting students in personal and social development, 

providing referral assistance, and/or working with other staff members 

in planning and conducting guidance programs for students. school 

counselors may be reported by elementary and secondary level when 

that information is available. 

athletic coach an individual who instructs individuals in the fundamentals of a 

competitive sport and direct team or individual strategy. 

student activity advisor/nonathletic an individual who instructs individuals in the fundamentals of a 

coach nonathletic activity and develops training and competition schedules. 

other professional education staff the type of victim cannot be captured by one of the above codes, but 

the victim was a professional staff member. 

Other Professional Staff A general job classification that describes staff who perform 

assignments requiring a high degree of knowledge and skills 

usually acquired through at least a baccalaureate degree (or its 

equivalent, obtained through special study and/or experience), but 

not necessarily requiring skills in the field of education. 

attendance officer an individual who monitors compliance of compulsory attendance 

laws. 

registered nurse an individual who conducts a health service program at a school or 

system for the evaluation, improvement, and protection of the health of 

students and school personnel in accordance with state law and local 

policies and procedures. 

54 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

social worker an individual who provides social services for clients who may be 

individuals, families, groups, communities, organizations, or society 

in general. typical responsibilities include (1) preparing a social or 

developmental history on a student with disabilities; (2) group and 

individual counseling with a student and his or her family; (3) working 

with those problems in a student’s living situation (home, school, and 

community) that affect adjustment in school; (4) mobilizing school 

and community resources in order to enable the student to receive 

maximum benefit from his or her educational program; and (5) other 

related services as necessary. the providers of these services are 

certified, licensed, or otherwise qualified professionals. 

other professional staff the type of victim cannot be captured by one of the above codes, but 

the victim was a professional (noneducation) staff member. 

Administrator A general job classification that describes staff who perform 

management activities that require developing broad policies and 

executing those policies through direction of individuals at all 

levels. This includes high-level administrative activities performed 

directly for policymakers. 

principal/headmaster/ an individual who performs the highest level of executive management 

headmistress/head of school functions in an individual school, a group of schools, or units of 

a school system. responsibilities include the administration of 

instructional programs and extracurricular programs, community 

relations, operation of the school plant, selection and evaluation of 

professional and support staff, and the coordination of staff and 

student activities. 

deputy/associate/vice/ an individual who performs high-level executive management 

assistant principal functions in an individual school, group of schools, or units of a school 

system. primary duties include but are not limited to (1) supervising 

student behavior; (2) handling specific assigned duties related to 

school management; (3) continuing curriculum and staff development; 

(4) working cooperatively with professional staff; (5) providing 

leadership in the instructional program; and (6) coordinating and/or 

arranging class schedules. 

dean/dean of instructions/dean of an individual who oversees either academic/curriculum activities or 

students/dean of boys/dean of girls/ student body activities and behaviors such as student government, 

dean of student activities school clubs, rallies, and assemblies. 

superintendent/Commissioner an individual who serves as the chief executive officer and primary 

advisor to the board of education. responsibilities include overseeing 

the development of educational programs and all other activities that 

impact those programs. 

deputy/associate/assistant an individual who performs high-level executive management 

superintendent/commissioner functions for a superintendent in the areas of personnel, instruction, 

and/or administration such as business, transportation, food services, 

maintenance, operation, and facility management/planning. such an 

assignment also includes performing the duties of the superintendent 

in his or her absence as assigned or designated. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 55 
Board of education/school board/ an individual who performs activities as a member of a legally 

board of trustees member constituted body that has been created and vested with responsibilities 

for education policy and decisionmaking as specified in education 

codes and regulations in a given geographical area. 

other administrator the type of victim cannot be captured by one of the above codes, but 

the victim was an administrator. 

All Other Support Staff Support staff not reported in instructional or student support; 

includes bus drivers and employees such as data processing, 

health, plant and equipment maintenance, security, and food 

service workers. 

Bus driver a person who drives a bus used in the service of a school or system. 

administrative support staff an individual whose activities are concerned with support of the 

teaching and administrative duties of the office of the principal or 

department chairpersons; includes clerical staff and secretaries. 

Custodian an individual who performs plant housekeeping and servicing activities 

consisting of cleaning; operation of heating, ventilating, and air 

conditioning systems; and servicing of building equipment. 

Cook/food preparer (food service an individual who prepares and cooks foodstuffs in quantities 

staff) according to menu and number of persons to be served; an individual 

who provides services including (1) serving; (2) running dishwashers; 

(3) ordering items to replace stocks; and (4) collecting and recording 

payments or transactions. 

paraprofessional/instructional aide a staff member assigned to assist a teacher with routine activities 

associated with teaching—i.e., activities requiring minor decisions 

regarding students, such as monitoring, conducting rote exercises, 

operating equipment, and clerking. 

security guard an individual who provides protection to individuals and safeguards 

the school facility. 

other support staff the type of victim cannot be captured by one of the above codes, but 

the victim was a support staff member. 

Law Enforcement Officer A law enforcement officer at the time the incident occurred. 

municipal law enforcement officer the victim was a municipal law enforcement officer (e.g., town, city, 

assigned to the school or county police officer; school resource officer; or sheriff) assigned to 

the school. 

municipal law enforcement officer not the victim was a municipal law enforcement officer (e.g., town, city, or 

assigned to the school county police officer; school resource officer; or sheriff) not assigned 

to the school. 

school district police officer assigned the victim was a school district police officer (i.e., directly employed 

to the school by the school district) assigned to the school for some or all of the 

school day at the time the incident occurred (e.g., a school resource 

officer). 

56 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

school district police officer not 

assigned to the school	�

the victim was a school district police officer (i.e., directly employed 

by the school district) not assigned to the school for some or all of the 

school day at the time the incident occurred (e.g., a school resource 

officer). 

other law enforcement officer	� the type of victim cannot be captured by one of the above codes, but 

the victim was a law enforcement officer. 

other law enforcement	� the type of victim cannot be captured by one of the above codes, but 

the victim was a support staff member. 

Nonschool Personnel	� The victim was an individual who did not attend or work for the 

school (e.g., parent, community member).
�

parent/guardian	� the victim was a parent or guardian of a student. 

representative of visiting school	� the victim was a representative of a visiting school (e.g., teacher, 

coach). 

other adult	� the victim was another adult in the community. 

nonstudent youth	� the victim was a nonstudent youth (e.g., a youth who had dropped 

out of school). 

nonschool personnel	� the type of victim cannot be captured by one of the above codes, but 

the victim was nonschool personnel. 

Unknown	� Use this code for incidents in which the victim type is not known. 

Incident Participant ID (Victim)—#015(V)	�

Identifies the victim of the incident by use of a pre-existing unique identifier assigned to a 

student or staff member by a school or district. The use of this variable allows descriptive 

information about the individual to be linked to the incident via the student or staff database. 

Incident 

Participant ID 

(Victim) 

id Code 

field length = 4 

#015(V) 

Injury (Victim)—#009(V) 

An indication of the occurrence of physical injury to the victim(s) (participants) involved in 

the incident and, if present, the level of injury sustained. 

Minor An injury that does not require professional medical attention, such as a 

injury	� scrape on the body, knee or elbow; and/or minor bruising. Medical attention 

from the school nurse qualifies the injury as minor unless further medical 

attention is required. 

Major An injury that requires professional medical attention, which may include, 

injury	� but is not limited to, bullet wounds, stab or puncture wounds, fractured or 

broken bones, concussions, cuts requiring stitches, and any other injury 

with profuse or excessive bleeding, but not constituting designation as 

serious bodily injury. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 57 

Injury (Victim)

id Code 

field length = 4 

#009(V) 
Serious A bodily injury that involves a substantial risk of death, extreme physical 

bodily pain, protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or 

injury impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty 

Fatal A bodily injury that results in death. 

Injury 

No injury No one was physically injured during the course of the incident. 

Victim Demographic Information 

Data elements from individual records that identify various relevant types of demographic 

information, potentially including sex, race, ethnicity, English proficiency status, and elements 

related to disability status. See page 64 for common links to demographic information in a 

student information system (SIS). 

Discipline Information (D) 

The codes described in this section are those necessary to capture information about the 

outcome of the incident, including the type of punishment that was assigned and its duration. 

The database structure described in figure 2-2, figure 2-3, and figure 3-1 permits multiple 

disciplinary actions to be recorded for each incident—not only more than one per incident, 

but also more than one per perpetrator. 

Disciplinary Action and Response—#016(D) Disciplinary 

Action and 

Response 

id Code 

field length = 4 

#016(D)
�

Identifies the consequences of an incident for the student(s) involved in an incident as 

perpetrator(s). 

Usage Recommendations: The following coding options represent a comprehensive list of 

disciplinary actions. Some codes may not be appropriate to individual schools and districts, 

given local policies and procedures. Use only those that apply. These codes are presented 

alphabetically. Individual schools, districts, or states may wish to assign a hierarchy based 

on locally defined parameters for severity of the penalty. While these codes are intended to 

be mutually exclusive, some overlap is possible, depending on how discipline is handled at 

a local level. It is also possible that multiple codes might map to a single disciplinary action 

item in a U.S. Department of Education collection. Similarly, some items requested by the 

U.S. Department of Education may need to be derived from a data system. For example, the 

occurrence of an out-of-school suspension greater than 10 consecutive school days would be 

derived from the Disciplinary Action Start Date—#017(D) and Disciplinary Action End 

Date—#018(D) for the codes Suspension, out-of-school, with services and Suspension, outof-school, without services. 

Bus suspension the student was prohibited from riding the school bus. 

58 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Change of placement 

(long-term) 

the student was permanently (i.e., for at least one semester) 

reassigned to another school facility or program that allowed 

him or her to continue to participate in the general curriculum 

at a school setting. include students receiving prescribed 

special education services who continue to receive these 

services (for these students, temporary placement is not 

to exceed 45 days). note: When a change of placement is 

prescribed for a special education student, idea requires 

that the student’s individualized education program planning 

team meet. 

Change of placement 

(reassignment), pending 

an expulsion hearing 

the student was assigned to an interim alternative setting 

that allowed him or her to continue to participate in the 

general curriculum at a school setting pending an expulsion 

hearing, called as a consequence of the incident. include 

students receiving prescribed special education services 

who continue to receive these services (for these students, 

temporary placement is not to exceed 45 days). note: When 

a change of placement is prescribed for a special education 

student, idea requires that the student’s individualized 

education program planning team meet. 

Change of placement 

(reassignment), resulting 

from an expulsion hearing 

the student was assigned, as a result of an expulsion 

hearing, to an interim alternative setting that allowed him or 

her to continue to participate in the general curriculum at a 

school setting. include students receiving prescribed special 

education services who continue to receive these services 

(for these students, temporary placement is not to exceed 45 

days). note: When a change of placement is prescribed for 

a special education student, idea requires that the student’s 

individualized education program planning team meet. 

Change of placement 

(reassignment), 

temporary 

the student was removed from his or her regular classroom 

and assigned to an interim alternative setting that allowed 

him or her to continue to participate in the general 

curriculum at a school setting for a period of time less than 

one semester. include students receiving prescribed special 

education services who continue to receive these services 

(for these students, temporary placement is not to exceed 45 

days). 

Community service the student was assigned to perform community service 

(e.g., cleanup work). see also: restitution and Work detail. 

Conference with and 

warning to student 

an administrator discussed the incident with the student and 

issued a warning regarding the consequences of subsequent 

offenses. see also: reprimand. 

Conference with and 

warning to student and 

parent/guardian 

an administrator discussed the incident with the student, 

issued a warning regarding the consequences of subsequent 

offenses, and contacted the parent or guardian to discuss 

the incident. see also: reprimand. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 59 
Confiscation of an item(s) defined as prohibited by school or district policy 

contraband was taken away from the student. 

Conflict resolution or 

anger management 

services mandated 

the student was required to participate in conflict resolution 

or anger management counseling or classes. see also: 

Counseling mandated. 

Corporal punishment the student was physically punished (e.g., paddling, 

spanking, or other form of physical punishment). 

Counseling mandated the student was required to participate in a counseling 

program. see also: substance abuse counseling. 

Demerit the student received a mark of poor conduct. see also: 

unsatisfactory behavior grade. 

Detention the student was assigned to before- or after-school 

detention or detention at lunch. see also: suspension after 

school. 

Expulsion with services the exclusion of a student from school for disciplinary 

reasons that results in the student’s removal from school 

attendance rolls or otherwise meets the criteria for expulsion 

as defined by the appropriate state or local school authority. 

although the student was expelled from his or her regular 

school setting, arrangements were made for the provision of 

educational and individualized education program (iep)-

related services. see also: Change of placement resulting 

from an expulsion hearing. 

Expulsion without services the exclusion of a student from school for disciplinary 

reasons that results in the student’s removal from school 

attendance rolls or otherwise meets the criteria for expulsion 

as defined by appropriate state or local school authority. no 

arrangements were made for the provision of educational 

and iep-related services. 

Letter of apology the student was required to submit a formal letter of 

apology. 

Loss of privileges the student lost a privilege (e.g., recess, parking). see also: 

school probation. 

60 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Mechanical restraint the use of any device or equipment to restrict a student’s 

freedom of movement. the term does not include devices 

implemented by trained school personnel, or utilized by 

a student, that have been prescribed by an appropriate 

medical or related services professional and are used for 

the specific and approved purposes for which such devices 

were designed, such as (1) adaptive devices or mechanical 

supports used to achieve proper body position, balance, or 

alignment to allow greater freedom of mobility than would 

be possible without the use of such devices or mechanical 

supports; (2) vehicle safety restraints when used as intended 

during the transport of a student in a moving vehicle; (3) 

restraints for medical immobilization; or (4) orthopedically 

prescribed devices that permit a student to participate in 

activities without risk of harm. 

Physical activity the student was required to participate in a physical activity 

(e.g., to run laps or perform pushups). 

Physical restraint a personal restriction that immobilizes or reduces the ability 

of a student to move his or her torso, arms, legs, or head 

freely. the term physical restraint does not include a physical 

escort, which refers to a temporary touching or holding 

of the hand, wrist, arm, shoulder, or back for the purpose 

of inducing a student who is acting out to walk to a safe 

location. 

Referral to law 

enforcement—juvenile 

justice 

the student was referred to juvenile justice law enforcement 

authorities. 

Referral to law 

enforcement—other than 

juvenile justice 

an action by which a student is reported to any law 

enforcement agency or official other than juvenile justice, but 

including a school police unit, regardless of whether official 

action is taken. 

Reprimand the student was rebuked. see also: Conference. 

Removal by a hearing 

officer 

the student was removed, by direction of a hearing officer, 

for likely injury to self or others. include students receiving 

prescribed special education services who continue to 

receive these services (for these students, temporary 

placement is not to exceed 45 days). 

Restitution the student was required to make restitution for the 

damages caused by the incident. see also: Community 

service. 

Saturday school the student was assigned to attend saturday school. 

School probation the student is required to demonstrate certain behavior 

(e.g., improved academic performance or refraining from 

disciplinary infractions, etc.) during a specified period of 

time. see also: loss of privileges. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 61 
Seclusion the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room 

or area from which the student is physically prevented from 

leaving. it does not include a timeout, which is a behavior 

management technique that is part of an approved program; 

involves the monitored separation of the student in a 

nonlocked setting; and is implemented for the purpose of 

calming. 

Substance abuse the student was required to participate in substance abuse 

counseling mandated counseling. see also: Counseling. 

Substance abuse the student was required to participate in substance abuse 

treatment mandated treatment. 

Suspension after school the student was assigned to an after-school-suspension 

program. see also: detention. 

Suspension, in-school, the student was removed from his or her regular classroom 

with services and assigned to an in-school-suspension program or 

another setting in the same school but continued to receive 

educational and iep-related services. 

Suspension, in-school, the student was removed from his or her regular classroom 

without services and assigned to an in-school-suspension program or 

another setting in the same school but did not continue to 

receive educational and iep-related services. 

Suspension, out-of- the student was removed from his or her regular classroom 

school, with services and barred from school for a specified length of time and 

continued to receive educational and iep-related services at 

a location other than the regular school setting. 

Suspension, out-of- the student was removed from his or her regular classroom 

school, without services and barred from school grounds for a specified length of 

time and did not receive educational services. 

Unilateral removal— drug 

incident 

the student was unilaterally removed for a drug violation. 

include students receiving prescribed special education 

services who continue to receive these services (for these 

students, temporary placement is not to exceed 45 days). 

Unilateral removal— 

weapon incident 

the student was unilaterally removed for a weapons 

violation. include students receiving prescribed special 

education services who continue to receive these services 

(for these students, temporary placement is not to exceed 45 

days). 

Unilateral removal— 

serious bodily injury 

the student was unilaterally removed for inflicting serious 

bodily injury to another person. include students receiving 

prescribed special education services who continue to 

receive these services (for these students, temporary 

placement is not to exceed 45 days). 

Unsatisfactory behavior 

grade 

the student received an official appraisal from school 

personnel that indicated unsatisfactory behavior. see also: 

demerit. 

62 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Work detail the student was assigned to a work detail. see also: 

Community service. 

No action no action was taken in response to the incident. 

Other, resulting in there was a consequence to the perpetrator that resulted in 

removal from educational removal from his or her educational placement, but none of 

placement the above codes apply. 

Other, not resulting in there was a consequence to the perpetrator that did not 

removal from educational result in removal from his or her educational placement, but 

placement none of the above codes apply. 

None no consequences resulted from the perpetrator’s actions. 

Unknown it is unknown if any consequences resulted from the 

perpetrator’s actions. 

Disciplinary Action Start Date—#017(D) 

The month, day, and year on which the disciplinary action begins. 

Usage Recommendations: The NCES Handbooks Online recommends that all dates be 

stored in the MMDDYYYY format (two digits to capture the month, two digits to capture 

the day, and four digits to capture the year), although there is some variation in acceptable 

date formats across education data systems. As long as dates are recorded consistently within a 

data system, they can be transformed and mapped to other data systems as needed. 

Disciplinary 

Action Start 

Date 

dt
�

field length = 8
�

#017(D)
�

Disciplinary Action End Date—#018(D) 

The month, day, and year through which the disciplinary action is in effect. 

Usage Recommendations: The NCES Handbooks Online recommends that all dates be 

stored in the MMDDYYYY format (two digits to capture the month, two digits to capture 

the day, and four digits to capture the year), although there is some variation in acceptable 

date formats across education data systems. As long as dates are recorded consistently within a 

data system, they can be transformed and mapped to other data systems as needed. 

Disciplinary 

Action End Date
� dt
�

field length = 8
�

#018(D)
�

Rule/Regulation Violated—#019(D) 

A description of the rule, regulation, or standard that was violated when an incident occurred 

(e.g., the identification of a relevant law, conduct standard, or acceptable use policy). 

Rule/Regulation Violated
� alpha numeric 

field length = 30 

#019(D)
�

26 If an IEP meeting is convened, it may be appropriate to record the date of the meeting. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 63 
IEP Placement

Meeting 

Convened
� id Code
�

field length = 4
�

#020(D)
�

IEP Placement Meeting Convened—#020(D) 

An indication as to whether an offense and/or disciplinary action resulted in a meeting of a 

student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to determine appropriate placement.26 

Yes 

No 

Related to 

SpecialEducation

Manifestation 

id Code
�

field length = 4
�

#021(D)
�

Full-Year 

Expulsion
� id Code
�

field length = 4
�

#022(D)
�

Modified 

Expulsion
� id Code
�

field length = 4

#023(D)
�

Related to Special Education Manifestation—#021(D) 

An indication whether a student’s behavior (offense) was a manifestation of, or related to, a 

special education condition. 

Yes 

No 

Full-Year Expulsion—#022(D) 

An expulsion with or without services for a period of 1 full year (i.e., 365 days). 

Yes 

No 

Modified Expulsion—#023(D) 

An expulsion with or without services that is shortened to a term of less than 1 year by the 

superintendent or chief administrator of a school district. 

Yes 

No 

Links to Demographic Information in a Student 

Information System (SIS) 

Some discipline incident data, especially those related to perpetrators and victims, are 

aggregated by student demographic characteristics, including sex, race, ethnicity, English 

proficiency status, and several elements related to disability status. In some cases, the data are 

aggregated by two or more demographic characteristics, such as racial/ethnicity and sex. The 

following elements are often used for these types of analytical purposes. 

Sex—#024(SIS) Sex 

id Code
�

field length = 4
�

#024(SIS)
�

The concept describing the biological traits that distinguish the males and females of a 

species. 

Female 

Male 

64 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Race—#025(SIS)27 

The general racial category which most clearly reflects the individual’s recognition of his or 

her community or with which the individual most identifies. 

Race 

id Code 

field length = 4 

American a person having origins in any of the original peoples of north and #025(SIS) 

Indian or south america (including Central america), and who maintains cultural 

Alaska Native	� identification through tribal affiliations or community recognition. 

Asian	� a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far east, 

southeast asia, or the indian subcontinent. this area includes, for 

example, Cambodia, China, india, Japan, Korea, malaysia, pakistan, 

thailand, and Vietnam.
�

Black or African a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of africa. 

American terms such as “Haitian” or “negro” can be used in addition to “Black or 

african american.”
�

Native a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, 

Hawaiian or samoa, or other pacific islands. 

Other Pacific 

Islander 

White	� a person having origins in any of the original peoples of europe, north 

africa, or the middle east.
�

Hispanic or Latino Ethnicity—#026(SIS) Hispanic or 

Latino Ethnicity

id Code 

field length = 4 

#026(SIS) 

An indication that the individual traces his or her origin or descent to Mexico, Puerto Rico, 

Cuba, Central and South America, and other Spanish cultures, regardless of race. The term 

“Spanish origin” can be used in addition to “Hispanic or Latino.” 

Hispanic or Latino 

Non-Hispanic/Latino 

Limited English Proficiency Status—#027(SIS)28 

Limited English

Proficiency Status 

id Code 

field length = 4 

#027(SIS) 

An individual who was not born in the United States or whose native language is a language 

other than English; who is a Native American or Alaska Native, or native resident of the 

outlying areas; and who comes from an environment where a language other than English has 

27 On October 19, 2007, ED issued guidance on the collection and reporting of data on the racial and ethnic backgrounds of students. This guidance should 

be followed when reporting discipline data by the racial/ethnic background of the students. The way this data element is presented, multiple entries should 

be permitted so that each individual can specify all appropriate races. An alternative would be to list the options as separate data elements and have a yes/no 

option for each race option. 

28 An alternative definition in coordination with the state’s definition based on Title 9 of ESEA, would include students: (A) who are ages 3 through 21; (B) 

who are enrolled or preparing to enroll in an elementary school or a secondary school; (C ) who are i, ii, or iii; (i) who were not born in the United States or 

whose native languages are languages other than English; (ii) (who are I and II); (I) who are a Native American or Alaska Native, or a native resident of the 

outlying areas; and (II) who come from an environment where languages other than English have a significant impact on their level of language proficiency; 

or (iii) who are migratory, whose native languages are languages other than English, and who come from an environment where languages other than English 

are dominant; and(D) whose difficulties in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the individuals (who 

are denied i or ii or iii) (i) the ability to meet the state.s proficient level of achievement on state assessments described in section 1111(b)(3); (ii) the ability to 

successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English; or (iii) the opportunity to participate fully in society. To be classified as limited 

English proficient, an individual must meet the criteria of A, B, C, and D in the definition above. To meet the criteria for C, an individual can meet the criteria 

of any of i, ii, or iii. If the criteria to meet C is ii, then the individual must meet the criteria of both I and II. To meet the criteria for D, an individual must be 

denied one of the three listed, i or ii or iii. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 65 
ADA Indicator 

id
�

field length = 4
�

#030(SIS)
�

had a significant impact on the individual’s level of English language proficiency; or who is 

migratory, whose native language is other than English and who comes from an environment 

where a language other than English is dominant; and whose difficulties in speaking, reading, 

writing, or understanding the English language may be sufficient to deny the individual the 

ability to meet the state’s Proficient level of achievement on state assessments described in 

section 1111(b)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); the ability to 

successfully achieve in classrooms where the language of instruction is English; or the 

opportunity to participate fully in society. 

Yes 

No 

Section 504 Indicator—#028(SIS) Section 504 

Indicator
� id Code
�

field length = 4
�

#028(SIS)
�

Individuals with disabilities who are being provided with related aids and services under 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. 

Yes 

No 

IDEA Indicator—#029(SIS) IDEA Indicator

id Code
�

field length = 4
�

#029(SIS)
�

An individual having an intellectual disability; hearing impairment, including deafness; 

speech or language impairment; visual impairment, including blindness; serious emotional 

disturbance (hereafter referred to as emotional disturbance); orthopedic impairment; autism; 

traumatic brain injury; developmental delay; other health impairment; specific learning 

disability; deaf-blindness; or multiple disabilities and who, by reason thereof, receive special 

education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 

according to an IEP, Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), or service plan. 

Yes 

No 

ADA Indicator—#030(SIS) 

The qualified individual is an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable 

modifications to rules, policies, or practices; the removal of architectural, communication, 

or transportation barriers; or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential 

eligibility requirements for the receipt of services or the participation in programs or activities 

provided by a public entity. 

Yes 

No 

Primary Disability Type—#031(SIS) Primary Disability Type

id Code
�

field length = 4
�

#031(SIS)
�


� The major or overriding disability condition that best describes an individual’s impairment. 

66 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Autistic/ a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal 

autism communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 

three that adversely affects an individual’s educational performance. 

other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement 

in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to 

environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual 

responses to sensory experiences. the term does not apply if an 

individual’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily 

because the individual has an emotional disturbance. 

Deaf-blindness Concomitant hearing and visual impairments that cause such severe 

communication and other developmental and educational problems 

that an individual with deaf-blindness cannot be accommodated in 

special education programs solely for deaf or blind individuals. 

Deafness a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in 

processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without 

amplification that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. 

Developmental each state determines the definition of this term to be used by that 

delay state. the definition must (1) specify that a child may be determined 

to be eligible if the child has a delay in one or more of the following 

developmental areas: cognitive development, physical development, 

including vision and hearing, language and speech development, 

psychosocial development, or self-help skills; (2) designate the levels 

of functioning, or other criteria, that will be used in determining a 

child’s eligibility as a result of a developmental delay; and (3) describe 

the procedures the state will use to determine the existence of a 

developmental delay in each developmental area. the term is used for 

children only through age 9. 

Emotional either (1) a condition exhibiting one or more of the following 

disturbance characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree, 

which adversely affects an individual’s educational performance: (a) 

an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, 

or health factors; (b) an inability to build or maintain satisfactory 

interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; (c) inappropriate 

types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances; (d) a 

general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or (e) a 

tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with 

personal or school problems; or (2) a schizophrenic individual. this 

term does not include those who are socially maladjusted unless it is 

determined that they have a serious emotional disturbance. 

Hearing a hearing impairment, whether permanent or fluctuating, (which would 

impairment not be considered to be a state of deafness) that adversely affects an 

individual’s educational performance. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 67 
Infants and individuals from birth through age 2 who need early intervention 

Toddlers with services because they (1) are experiencing developmental 

Disabilities delays, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and 

procedures, in one or more of the following areas: (a) cognitive 

development; (b) physical development, including vision and 

hearing; (c) communication development; (d) social or emotional 

development; or (e) adaptive development; or (2) have a diagnosed 

physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in 

developmental delay. the term may also include, at a state’s discretion, 

children from birth through age 2 who are at risk of having substantial 

developmental delays if early intervention services are not provided. 

Intellectual a state of significantly below-average general intellectual functioning, 

disability existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior, that is 

manifested during the developmental period, which adversely affects 

an individual’s educational performance. 

Multiple Concomitant impairments (e.g., intellectual disability-blind or intellectual 

disabilities disability-orthopedic impairments), the combination of which causes 

such severe educational problems that an individual cannot be 

accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the 

impairments. this term does not include deaf-blindness. 

Orthopedic a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects an individual’s 

impairment educational performance. the term includes impairments caused 

by congenital anomaly (e.g., clubfoot or absence of some member), 

impairments caused by some disease (e.g., poliomyelitis or bone 

tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, 

amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures). 

Other health a condition that causes limited strength, vitality, or alertness to 

impairment environmental stimuli; that results in limited alertness with respect to 

the educational environment; that is due to chronic or acute health 

problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or condition, 

hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, 

and sickle cell anemia; and that adversely affects an individual’s 

educational performance. 

Specific learning a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes 

disability involved in understanding or in using language, whether spoken 

or written, which may manifest itself as an imperfect ability to 

listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or perform mathematical 

calculations. the term includes such conditions as perceptual 

disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and 

developmental aphasia. the term does not include individuals who 

have learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, 

or motor disabilities; intellectual disability; emotional disturbance; or 

environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. 

Speech or a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, 

language and language or voice impairments that adversely affect an individual’s 

impairment educational performance. 

68 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Traumatic an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force 

brain injury resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial 

impairment, which adversely affects an individual’s educational 

performance. the term includes open or closed head injuries resulting 

in impairments in one or more areas, including cognition, language, 

memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problemsolving, sensory, perceptual and motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, 

physical functions, information processing, and speech. the term does 

not include brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or brain 

injuries induced by birth trauma. 

Visual a visual impairment that, even with correction, adversely affects an 

impairment individual’s educational performance. the term includes both partially 

seeing and blind individuals. 

Secondary Disability Type—#032(SIS) 

A secondary disability condition that is identified with an individual, as distinguished from a 

primary disability. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 69 

Secondary 

Disability Type

id Code 

field length = 4 

Autistic/	� a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal #032(SIS) 

autism	� communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 

three that adversely affects an individual’s educational performance. 

other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement 

in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to 

environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual 

responses to sensory experiences. the term does not apply if an 

individual’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily 

because the individual has an emotional disturbance.
�

Deaf-blindness	� Concomitant hearing and visual impairments that cause such severe 

communication and other developmental and education problems that 

an individual with deaf-blindness cannot be accommodated in special 

education programs solely for deaf or blind individuals.
�

Deafness	� a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in 

processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without 

amplification that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.
�

Developmental each state determines the definition of this term to be used by that 

delay	� state. the definition must (1) specify that a child may be determined 

to be eligible if the child has a delay in one or more of the following 

developmental areas: cognitive development, physical development, 

including vision and hearing, language and speech development, 

psychosocial development, or self-help skills; (2) designate the levels 

of functioning, or other criteria, that will be used in determining a 

child’s eligibility as a result of a developmental delay; and (3) describe 

the procedures the state will use to determine the existence of a 

developmental delay in each developmental area. the term is used for 

children only through age 9.
�
Emotional either (1) a condition exhibiting one or more of the following 

disturbance characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree, 

which adversely affects an individual’s educational performance: (a) 

an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, 

or health factors; (b) an inability to build or maintain satisfactory 

interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; (c) inappropriate 

types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances; (d) a 

general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or (e) a 

tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with 

personal or school problems; or (2) a schizophrenic individual. this 

term does not include those who are socially maladjusted unless it is 

determined that they have a serious emotional disturbance. 

Hearing a hearing impairment, whether permanent or fluctuating, (which would 

impairment not be considered to be a state of deafness) that adversely affects an 

individual’s educational performance. 

Infants and individuals from birth through age 2 who need early intervention 

Toddlers with services because they (1) are experiencing developmental 

Disabilities delays, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and 

procedures, in one or more of the following areas: (a) cognitive 

development; (b) physical development, including vision and 

hearing; (c) communication development; (d) social or emotional 

development; or (e) adaptive development; or (2) have a diagnosed 

physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in 

developmental delay. the term may also include, at a state’s discretion, 

children from birth through age 2 who are at risk of having substantial 

developmental delays if early intervention services are not provided. 

Intellectual a state of significantly below-average general intellectual functioning, 

disability existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior, that is 

manifested during the developmental period, which adversely affects 

an individual’s educational performance. 

Multiple Concomitant impairments (e.g., intellectual disability-blind or intellectual 

disabilities disability-orthopedic impairments), the combination of which causes 

such severe education problems that an individual cannot be 

accommodated in special education programs solely for one of the 

impairments. this term does not include deaf-blindness. 

Orthopedic a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects an individual’s 

impairment educational performance. the term includes impairments caused 

by congenital anomaly (e.g., clubfoot or absence of some member), 

impairments caused by some disease (e.g., poliomyelitis or bone 

tuberculosis), and impairments from other causes (e.g., cerebral palsy, 

amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures). 

Other health a condition that causes limited strength, vitality, or alertness to 

impairment environmental stimuli; that results in limited alertness with respect 

to the education environment; that is due to chronic or acute health 

problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or condition, 

hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, 

and sickle cell anemia; and that adversely affects an individual’s 

educational performance. 

70 • Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data 
 

Specific learning a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes 

disability involved in understanding or in using language, whether spoken 

or written, which may manifest itself as an imperfect ability to 

listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or perform mathematical 

calculations. the term includes such conditions as perceptual 

disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and 

developmental aphasia. the term does not include individuals who 

have learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, 

or motor disabilities; intellectual disability; emotional disturbance; or 

environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. 

Speech or a communication disorder such as stuttering, impaired articulation, 

language and language or voice impairments that adversely affect an individual’s 

impairment educational performance. 

Traumatic an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force 

brain injury resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial 

impairment, which adversely affects an individual’s educational 

performance. the term includes open or closed head injuries resulting 

in impairments in one or more areas, including cognition, language, 

memory, attention, reasoning, abstract thinking, judgment, problemsolving, sensory, perceptual and motor abilities, psychosocial behavior, 

physical functions, information processing, and speech. the term does 

not include brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or brain 

injuries induced by birth trauma. 

Visual a visual impairment that, even with correction, adversely affects an 

impairment individual’s educational performance. the term includes both partially 

seeing and blind individuals. 

Forum Guide to Crime, ViolenCe, and disCipline inCident data • 71 

 

Chapter 4

Presenting Incident Data
�

Knowing Your Reporting Responsibilities 

School staff are expected to report accurate and timely crime, violence, and discipline data to a range of 

data users, including 

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

ü

building-level administrators who use these data to plan effective management strategies; 

district-level planners who use these data to identify and prioritize resource use; 

parents and community members who use these data to determine whether their schools are

suitably safe and effective; 

law enforcement officers who use these data to determine legal actions in response to criminal 

activity; 

state education agencies, which use these data to develop and evaluate policies and regulations 

intended to improve school safety; and 

federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education, which use these data to set national 

research and intervention priorities and to ensure compliance with a host of laws intended to 

ensure the education rights of students. 

Crime, violence, and discipline data are reported to meet a number of purposes. At one 

level, reports of these data may be required by law or regulation (e.g., a school district 

reporting data to a state education agency, or a state reporting data to the U.S. Department of 

Education). On another level, information about school safety is an important component of 

communication with a school’s local community. And from yet another perspective, reporting 

these data to school leaders, such as board members and senior administrators, serves the very 

practical purpose of informing policymaking aimed at improving safety and security in school 

facilities. 

Schools, districts, and states must decide what information from these incident data will be 

reported and to whom. One of the considerations in deciding what data to collect, and how 

to report them, is how this information will affect school image. Sharing data proactively 

and voluntarily conveys a message that the school is aware of problems and wants to engage 

the community in solving them. Such a message has the potential to present even negative 

information in a way that frames schools in a positive light. It is important to report 

unfavorable results fully and openly along with an action plan to address the issues these data 

identify. This may mean not only informing parents and the media about the infractions 

and disciplinary actions that have occurred, but also determining whether data reflect an 

increase or decrease in the number or types of incidents, what the school has done to reduce 

incidents, or what the school plans to do to address an increased number of incidents—the 

public has the right to know how safe a school is or isn’t if people are expected to send their 

children there each day. And, of course, positive information about low incidences of problem 

behaviors, or about improvements, should be shared with the community as well. 

FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 73 
Parents and 

communities send their 

children to schools 

with the expectation 

that the education 

establishment will 

keep their kids safe— 

and, as important as 

education achievement 

is, providing a secure 

learning environment 

is the highest priority 

for educators . 

Collecting, using, 

and reporting crime, 

violence, and discipline 

data is necessary to 

evaluate the status 

of school safety and, 

when necessary, to 

prioritize and assess 

the effectiveness of 

interventions . 

However, when sharing data, it is important to be alert to privacy issues. Incident data should 

never be presented in ways that potentially identify individuals. In some cases this means 

aggregating, rather than disaggregating, categories of data so that small groups of staff or 

students cannot be identified by their unique characteristics. 

Sharing Incident Data 

Incident data can be presented in a written format, graphically, or by a combination of the 

two. Graphs are particularly useful in identifying change over time or differentiating among 

variables such as type of offense or disciplinary action (see figures 4-1 and 4-2). Incident data 

may be grouped by type or category in numerous ways, including incident (Offense Type— 

#011[I]) or disciplinary action (Disciplinary Action and Response—#016[D]). It may be 

useful to report rates because this helps to put levels of problem behavior in perspective. For 

example, if a school of 1,000 students had 20 fights, it obviously had more altercations than 

a school of 250 with 5 fights. However, both schools had the same rate of fighting: 2 fights 

per 100 students. If it is possible to link incident and finance data, information on the cost of 

problem behavior may be of considerable interest to parents and the public. 

Figure 4-1. Disciplinary actions (total number of suspensions) by month (sample 

graph) 

Number of 

Disciplinary 

Actions 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

19 

15 

20 

18 18 

5 

0 

September October November December January February March April May June 

7 

22 

25 

22 

4 

Month of the Year 

Reporting Incident Data. A concise explanation of what is being reported is an important 

first step when discussing the types of incidents that occurred in a school, district, or state. It 

may be useful to briefly explain the criteria used to determine the severity and the category 

of an incident and its results. For example, incidents reported to police may differ from those 

that resulted in suspension or expulsion (i.e., not all incidents that are reported to the police 

will result in a suspension or expulsion, and not all incidents that result in a suspension or 

expulsion will be reported to police). Therefore, the criteria used to decide when an incident is 

reported to law enforcement should be clearly stated (e.g., a weapon was used or a student was 

seriously injured in the incident). 

Context is also important. For example, it may be important to note whether law enforcement 

personnel are regularly stationed at a school, given that the presence of a school resource 

officer may influence whether an incident is reported to law enforcement. Similarly, when 

discussing incidents that resulted in a suspension or expulsion, it is important to explain the 

74 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA 
 

Figure 4-2. Disciplinary action (total number of suspensions) by type (sample 

graph) 

Out­of­School 

After­School 

In­School 

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 

35 

25 

110 

Number of Disciplinary Actions 

Disciplinary Action Type 

category of suspensions being described. Are all suspensions (i.e., in-school suspension, outof-school suspension, and after-school suspension) being reported or are only specific types of 

suspensions reported? 

Another way to report incident data is by category of problem behavior. For instance, data 

could be grouped into the following major categories: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

drug and alcohol offenses; 

crimes against persons; 

property crimes; 

disorderly conduct; and
�

other.
�

When grouping information, define each group by the types of behaviors it includes. 

Depending on the local or state criteria, drug and alcohol offenses might involve alcohol, 

drugs, and inappropriate use of medication, while excluding tobacco. Clear, accurate 

reporting tells readers exactly what is being described. 

Subcategorizing incident data can also be informative. Month-by-month data can show 

whether the level of problem behavior has changed at a school as staff work to implement a 

new behavior management program. Time of day and location are also commonly used to 

subcategorize incidents. For example, grouping incidents by time of day could illustrate the 

need for additional supervision during problem times (e.g., before school, during lunch). A 

school might communicate this information with a request to parents for volunteers to help 

supervise students during these times. 

Reporting Disciplinary Action Data. The number of disciplinary actions may also be 

of interest to parents and the public. These data could include the number of expulsions, 

suspensions, and other changes of placement. The number of disciplinary actions is likely 

to differ from the number of incidents, as a single fight (incident) can result in more than 

one student being disciplined. When reporting multiple types of information (e.g., incidents 

and disciplinary actions or number of students involved), it can be useful to highlight the 

differences among these counts. 

FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 75 
If the public is aware of 

the costs of vandalism 

to a school district, 

the community might 

readily agree to spend a 

portion of that cost on 

prevention efforts . 

Clear and concise 

identification of what 

is being reported 

will assist the target 

audience in focusing on 

key points . 

Reporting the Number of Students Involved. Data regarding the number of students 

involved in incidents can be reported in several ways. In fact, it may be useful to create 

different reports depending on the range of audience needs. For example, reports that fulfill 

state requirements may not cover all of the areas that are of interest to parents and the 

community. 

Some reports will contain duplicated counts of students. That is, students will be counted 

more than once if they are involved in more than one incident or are disciplined more than 

once. Other reports contain unduplicated counts of students and count students only one 

time, regardless of the number of incidents in which they are involved. For example, the 

number of students suspended for fighting is an unduplicated count. It includes each student 

only one time, regardless of how many times he or she was suspended for fighting. On the 

other hand, the total number of suspensions for fighting is a duplicated count of students, as a 

student is counted once for each time he or she was suspended for fighting. Clear labels should 

identify exactly what is being reported. Other figures of interest might include the number of 

students suspended more than once—an unduplicated count of students. 

One of the benefits of maintaining separate data tables is that data can be aggregated easily to 

whatever level of reporting and analysis is desired. These data also can be readily subdivided 

by student characteristics such as gender or race/ethnicity. However, care needs to be taken 

when creating such figures so that the presentation of information does not identify individual 

students or particularly small groups of students. 

Some jurisdictions count incidents using the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National 

Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). This system looks at “events” in several ways, 

including a count “by offense type.” Incidents of crimes against persons, including Battery, 

Fighting (serious enough to result in arrest), Sexual Battery, and Sexual Offenses. Incidents 

that are serious enough to result in arrest are counted as multiple events if they involve 

multiple victims (Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 2000). Having separate incident and 

victim data tables allows computation of such information. 

The Cost of Problem Behavior. Presenting data on the cost of problem behavior can be 

especially helpful in fostering public support for prevention efforts. If the public is aware 

of the costs of vandalism to a school district, the community might readily agree to spend 

a portion of that cost on prevention efforts. The cost of personnel resources devoted to 

managing problem behavior and time lost to student learning should be included as part 

of the total cost. For example, a bomb threat that requires a school of 250 students to be 

evacuated for 4 hours has a student learning cost of 1,000 hours. 

Presentation. How information is presented is often as important as what information is 

presented. A clear and concise focus on a message will help the audience concentrate on key 

points. As discussed above, the number of incidents reported to law enforcement may differ 

from the number of incidents resulting in suspension. Similarly, the number of students 

suspended may not match the number of suspensions. Unambiguous labeling will prevent 

confusion. For example, if a chart presents incident data reported to law enforcement, the 

title on the chart might read “Number of Crimes Reported to Law Enforcement . . .” (see 

figure 4-3). Conversely, if a chart describes the number of students suspended, the title should 

read “Number of Students Suspended . . .” (see figure 4-4) in contrast to the total number of 

suspensions (as presented in figures 4-1 and 4-2). Additional comments that further clarify 

data are especially appropriate when it is likely that readers may be confused (e.g., “Note 

that the number of students suspended is greater than the number of crimes reported to law 

enforcement because not all incidents warranting suspension are criminal behaviors.”) 

76 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA 
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 77 

Figure 4-3. Number of crimes reported to law enforcement (sample graph) 

Drug and alcohol 

offenses* 

Crimes against 

persons 

Property crimes Disorderly conduct Other 

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

25 

30 

25 

15 

7 

12 

5 

Offense Type 

Number of Crimes 

Reported to 

Law Enforcement 

* These data reflect incidents involving illegal drugs, alcohol, and/or inappropriate use of 

medicine, but not tobacco-related violations of school policies . 

NOTE: A School Resource Officer is stationed at Hypothetical High School during school hours . 

Figure 4-4. Number of students suspended (out-of-school) (sample graph) 

12th Graders 

11th Graders 

10th Graders 

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 

30 

24 

16 

Number of Students Suspended (Out­of­School) 

Grade Level 

Illustrations should to be clear and simple. This principle is especially important to 

remember when reporting data by subcategories. For example, a figure showing the number 

of students suspended out-of-school at least once in a month (i.e., an unduplicated count 

by month) should not include a “total” column because such an aggregation would likely 

lead to duplications in what is being presented as an “unduplicated count.” For example, in 

figure 4-5, some students would be included in more than one column—those suspended 

in more than 1 month. An unduplicated total would be smaller than the sum of the months 

and would be confusing to readers. Thus, total out-of-school suspensions would be more 

appropriately reported separately, as in figure 4-4. 

Keep graphs 

clear and simple . 
Figure 4-5. Number of students receiving a suspension by month (sample graph) 

Number of 

Students 

Receiving a 

Suspension 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

September October November December January February March April May June 

12 13 

15 

22 

18 

11 

8 

6 

11 10 

Month of Year 

NOTE: “Suspension” includes in-school, out-of-school, and after-school suspensions . “By 

month” means that any single student is included only once each month, but may be counted in 

more than 1 month over time if the student receives a suspension in more than 1 month (e .g ., in 

May and June) . 

Before administrators 

share data with people 

outside the school 

building, they should 

make sure that school 

staff are aware of the 

data . Communicating 

with school staff is 

a vital part of safety 

planning and discipline 

improvement, and 

staff members will 

particularly appreciate 

receiving timely 

information directly from 

administrators . 

Reporting Mechanisms 

Many reporting methods are available to schools, districts, and states. The appropriate 

medium for sharing crime, violence, and discipline data will be determined by reporting 

objectives. Options include supplements to existing reports, publications dedicated to the 

topic, and press releases to enhance communication with the public. Any of these formats 

may include general or specific data, depending on the school or district goals. Many states 

produce special incident reports, while other states include incident data in other public 

reporting. In some states, incident data are posted on the state education agency’s web site. 

Many states distribute special reports to the state legislature, state school board members, and 

school district superintendents. 

Many states require schools and/or districts to produce report cards that include data 

about specific types of incidents, such as the number of drug and alcohol offenses or fights, 

or the number of students suspended. This information is often posted on school and 

district websites in addition to being mailed to parents. School newsletters also provide 

a useful mechanism for reporting problem behavior. These public relations tools can be 

used to acknowledge problem areas and potential solutions as well as areas that have seen 

improvement. 

Public support is vital to the implementation of programs designed to ensure a safe, friendly 

learning environment. Schools and school districts need to examine and report not only data 

on incidents but also information on prevention and intervention programs. In this way, the 

public is informed and more likely to support efforts to maintain discipline and improve the 

climate in the classroom. 

78 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA 
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 79

Federal Reporting Suggestions 

This appendix is based on federal statutes and regulations as of January 2011. The crosswalks in this guide could 

change if the statutes, regulations, or other reporting requirements are modified. This appendix is not required by 

regulation and is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to define or modify any requirement 

imposed by statute or regulation referred to herein or otherwise.

Explanatory text is included to help inform the application of crosswalks recommended in this appendix because there 

is not a one-to-one relationship between the methodology presented in the Forum Guide and the U.S. Department of 

Education data collections.

Scope

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) collects data on discipline incidents and disciplinary removals under the 

following statutes:

•	

•	

•	

•	

•	

•	

Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA)

Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 

The crosswalks in this appendix are organized by these statutes. 

The collection of data for these statutes has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under 

the following clearances:

1875–0240 Annual Collection of Elementary and Secondary Education Data for EDFacts

1865–0002 Gun-Free Schools Act Report

1810–0614 Consolidated State Performance Report

1820–0621 Report of Children with Disabilities Subject to Disciplinary Removal

If approved by OMB, ED can also collect data on incidents and discipline for special studies or evaluations. This 

appendix does not include crosswalks for any special studies or evaluations.

Appendix A
80 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Gun-Free Schools Act

Under the Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA), states are required to submit data on firearms incidents. These data have 

been reported to ED through the GFSA Report (OMB #1865–0002) and are now beginning to be reported through 

EDFacts.

Data are collected only on incidents that involve firearms. Table A-1 presents the Forum Guide to Crime, Violence, and 

Discipline Incident Data weapon types that are considered firearms. Incidents reported under these codes would be 

included in the GFSA Report.

Table A-1. Forum Guide weapons types considered firearms under GFSA

Forum Guide 

Classification 

GFSA Definition

Handgun under 

#008(I) Weapon 

Type, Firearm

Any firearm which has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the use of 

a single hand.

Shotgun under 

#008(I) Weapon 

Type, Firearm

A weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from 

the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of 

an explosive to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a single 

projectile for each single pull of the trigger.

Rifle under 

#008(I) Weapon 

Type, Firearm

A weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the 

shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of an 

explosive to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the 

trigger.

Other type of 

firearm (e.g., 

bombs, grenades, 

or starter pistols) 

under #008(I) 

Weapon Type, 

Firearm

The weapon involved was another type of firearm not named above, including zip guns, 

starter guns, and flare guns. As defined by the Gun-Free Schools Act, other firearms 

include: 

 Any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be 

converted to expel a projectile by the action of any explosive; 

 The frame or receiver of any weapon described above; 

 Any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; and 

 Any destructive device, which includes: 

 Any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas: bomb, grenade, rocket having a 

propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile having an explosive or 

incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, mine, or similar device; 

 Any weapon which will, or which may be readily converted to, expel a projectile 

by the action of an explosive or other propellant, and which has any barrel with 

a bore of more than one-half inch in diameter; and 

 Any combination of parts either designed or intended for use in converting any 

device into any destructive device described in the two immediately preceding 

examples, and from which a destructive device may be readily assembled.
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 81

Generally, a violation of the GFSA requires student expulsion of not less than 1 year. However, expulsions can be 

shortened to a term of less than 1 year by the chief administering officer of a local education agency (LEA) under the 

case-by-case modification provisions of Section 4141(b)(1) of the GFSA.

The GFSA collection aggregates the data by the type of expulsion. Table A-2 crosswalks the expulsion terms used in 

GFSA reporting to those identified in this Forum Guide.

Table A-2. GFSA expulsions crosswalk to the Forum Guide for all students

GFSA Term Forum Guide Term Comments

Expulsion not modified Expulsion with services or 

Expulsion without services under 

#016(D) Disciplinary Action and 

Response

When #022(D) Full-Year Expulsion 

equals yes

Modified expulsion Expulsion with services or

Expulsion without services under 

#016(D) Disciplinary Action and 

Response

When #023(D) Modified Expulsion 

equals yes

Alternative placement among 

students with expulsions not 

modified

Expulsion with services under 

#016(D) Disciplinary Action and 

Response

When #022(D) Full-Year Expulsion 

equals yes

Alternative placement among 

students with modified expulsions

Expulsion with services under 

#016(D) Disciplinary Action and 

Response

When #023(D) Modified Expulsion 

equals yes

In addition, the GFSA collection includes the number of children with disabilities (IDEA) who had their expulsions 

modified. Table A-3 crosswalks this requirement to the Forum Guide.

Table A-3. GFSA expulsions crosswalk to the Forum Guide for Children with Disabilities (IDEA)

GFSA Term Forum Guide Term Comments

Modified expulsions for 

students with disabilities 

Expulsion with services or 

Expulsion without services 

under #016 Disciplinary Action 

and Response

When #023(D) Modified Expulsion 

equals yes AND the #029(SIS) IDEA 

Indicator equals yes (i.e., the student is 

a child with a disability under IDEA)

For School Year (SY) 2008–09 and subsequent school years, GFSA will be collected exclusively through EDFacts. In 

EDFacts, the following files are used to collect data required by GFSA:

¡ N/X004 Firearms Incidents 

N/X086 Students Involved with Firearms

The GFSA collection also includes data on LEAs and schools filing required GFSA reports with their SEAs. The files 

N/X131 School and N/X132 LEA are used to collect the status of the schools and LEAs filing GFSA reports with the 

SEA.
82 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act

Under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA), states are required to submit discipline data 

for certain types of incidents. These data have been reported to ED through Section 2.7 of the Consolidated State 

Performance Report (CSPR) (OMB# 1810–0614).

Section 2.7 of the CSPR collects data on students who received out-of-school suspensions or expulsions as a result of 

certain types of incidents. Table A-4 presents the Forum Guide codes that identify the type of disciplinary actions 

reported in section 2.7.

Table A-4. Forum Guide discipline actions included in reporting in CSPR for SDFSCA

Forum Guide 

Discipline Action 

Definition

Suspension, 

out-of-school, 

with services 

under #016(D) 

Disciplinary Action 

and Response

The student was removed from his or her regular classroom and barred from school 

for a specified length of time and continued to receive educational and Individualized 

Education Program (IEP)-related services at a location other than the regular school 

setting.

Suspension, 

out-of-school, 

without services 

under #016(D) 

Disciplinary Action 

and Response

The student was removed from his or her regular classroom and barred from school 

grounds for a specified length of time and did not receive educational services.

Expulsion 

with services 

under #016(D) 

Disciplinary Action 

and Response

The exclusion of a student from school for disciplinary reasons that results in the 

student’s removal from school attendance rolls or otherwise meets the criteria for 

expulsion as defined by the appropriate state or local school authority. Although the 

student was expelled from his or her regular school setting, arrangements were made 

for the provision of educational and IEP-related services.

Expulsion 

without services 

under #016(D) 

Disciplinary Action 

and Response

The exclusion of a student from school for disciplinary reasons that results in the 

student’s removal from school attendance rolls or otherwise meets the criteria 

for expulsion as defined by the appropriate state or local school authority. No 

arrangements were made for the provision of educational and IEP-related services.

These disciplinary actions are reported for the following types of incidents: 

¡ violent incidents without physical injury;

violent incidents with physical injury;

weapons possession;

alcohol-related incidents; and

illicit drug-related incidents.
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 83

Table A-5. The Forum Guide codes that might be included in CSPR reports of violent incidents for SDFSCA

SDFSCA 

Description

Forum Guide Classification Definition

Violent incident Fighting (Mutual Altercation) 

under #011(I) Offense Type

Mutual participation in an incident involving physical 

violence, where there is no major injury

Violent incident Physical Altercation, Minor 

(Pushing, Shoving) under #011(I) 

Offense Type

Confrontation, tussle, or physical aggression that 

does not result in injury

Violent incident Harassment, Nonsexual (Physical, 

Verbal, or Psychological) under 

#011(I) Offense Type

Repeatedly annoying or attacking (e.g., bullying 

or hazing) a student or group of students or other 

personnel, which creates an intimidating or hostile 

education or work environment

Violent incident Threat/Intimidation (Causing Fear 

of Harm) under #011(I) Offense 

Type

Physical, verbal, written, or electronic action that 

immediately creates fear of harm, without displaying 

a weapon and without subjecting the victim to actual 

physical attack

Violent incident School Threat (Threat of 

Destruction or Harm) under 

#011(I) Offense Type

Any threat (verbal, written, or electronic) by a person 

to bomb or use other substances or devices for the 

purpose of exploding, burning, or causing damage 

to a school building or school property, or to harm 

students or staff

Violent incident Battery (Physical Attack/Harm) 

under #011(I) Offense Type

Touching or striking of another person against his 

or her will or intentionally causing bodily harm to an 

individual

Violent incident Robbery (Taking of Things by 

Force) under #011(I) Offense 

Type

The taking of, or attempt to take, anything of value 

that is owned by another person or organization 

under confrontational circumstances by force or threat 

of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in 

fear. A key difference between robbery and theft is 

that the threat of physical harm or actual physical 

harm is involved in a robbery.

The definition of each type of incident is determined by the state. Therefore, each state has its own crosswalk for each 

type of incident included above. 

Table A-5 presents the types of incidents that would be expected to be reported in section 2.7 if the result was an 

out-of-school suspension or an expulsion related to a violent incident with or without physical injury. #009(I) Injury 

(Incident) in the Forum Guide—which provides codes for minor injury, major injury, serious bodily injury, fatal 

injury, and no injury—would be used to determine whether the incident resulted in physical injury.

Table A-6 presents the types of incidents that would be expected to be reported in section 2.7 if the result was an outof-school suspension or an expulsion because of weapons possession, alcohol-related incidents, or illicit drug-related 

incidents. 
84 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Table A-6. Forum Guide codes that might be included in CSPR reports of other incidents for SDFSCA

SDFSCA 

Description

Forum Guide Classification Definition

Weapons 

possession

Weapon-related under #013(I) 

Related Incident Behavior

Any of those involved in the incident were in possession 

of or used a weapon during the incident, or the incident 

was somehow related to the possession, use, or sale of 

weapons. Do not use this code if the main offense during 

the incident was the possession, use, or sale of weapons.

In that case, report as weapons possession.

AlcoholrelatedAlcohol-related under #013(I) 

Related Incident Behavior

Those involved in the incident were under the influence of 

alcohol at the time of the incident or there is evidence of 

drinking having occurred, based on testing or investigation 

of a police officer at the scene, or if the incident is 

somehow related to the possession, use, or sale of 

alcohol. Do not use this code if the main offense during 

the incident was the possession, use, or sale of alcohol.

In that case, report as an alcohol offense.

Illicit drugrelatedDrug-related under #013(I) 

Related Incident Behavior

Those involved in the incident were under the influence 

of drugs at the time of the incident, based on testing or 

investigation done by police as a result of the incident, or 

if the incident was somehow related to the possession, 

use, or sale of drugs. Drugs include illegal substances 

such as marijuana and cocaine and unauthorized use of 

controlled substances such as Demerol and morphine 

(consult local and state laws for a complete list of these 

substances). Do not use this code if the main offense 

during the incident was the possession, use, or sale of 

drugs. In that case, report as Drugs Excluding Alcohol and 

Tobacco.

Currently, section 2.7 of the CSPR collects data about students who had out-of-school suspensions or expulsions. 

Because of variation in the definitions of suspensions and expulsions across states, the EDFacts collection was designed 

to collect data about students who are removed from their regular educational program for at least an entire school 

day. ED plans to revise the CSPR in the same manner. 

In EDFacts, the following files are used to collect data required by SDFSCA:

¡ N/X030 Discipline Incidents

N/X136 Discipline 
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 85

Table A-7. Terms used in the IDEA report (commonly referred to as “618 Table 5”) that are in the 

Forum Guide

IDEA Report (618 

Table 5) Term

Forum Guide Classification Caveats

In-school 

suspension

Suspension, in-school; with 

services 

Suspension, in-school, without 

services under #016(I) 

Disciplinary Action and 

Response

618 Table 5 clarifies that the suspension is under the 

direct supervision of school personnel and provides 

a definition of “direct supervision.” Also, 618 Table 

5 includes both removals in which services are 

provided as well as removals in which services are 

not provided.

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires the collection of data about disciplinary removals 

of students with disabilities. These data have been collected through the Report of Children with Disabilities Subject to 

Disciplinary Removal (OMB# 1820–0621). This report is one of eight data collections SEAs submit to ED to meet the 

reporting requirements under section 618 of Part B of IDEA (commonly referred to as “618 Table 5”).

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) requires the submission of the following data elements in 618 

Table 5:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

unilateral removals to an interim alternative education setting by school personnel;

removals to an interim alternative education setting based on a hearing officer determination regarding likely 

injury;

out-of-school suspensions or expulsions;

in-school suspensions;

total disciplinary removals; and

cumulative duration of the disciplinary removals.

Data are reported in 618 Table 5 by disability category, by sex, by race/ethnicity, and by the limited English 

proficiency (LEP) status of the student being disciplined. However, the data are not cross-tabulated by these 

demographic categories.

Data reported include both counts based on the type of disciplinary removals as well as counts of children subject to 

disciplinary removals.

Table A-7 lists the terms used in the IDEA report that crosswalk to terms in the Forum Guide, with relevant caveats 

identified in the third column.

Table continued on next page
86 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Table A-7. Terms used in the IDEA report (commonly referred to as “618 Table 5”) that are in the Forum 

Guide—Continued

IDEA Report (618 

Table 5) Term

Forum Guide Classification Caveats

Out-of-school 

suspension

Suspension, out-of-school, 

with services 

Suspension, out-of-school, 

without services under 

#016(I) Disciplinary Action 

and Response

618 Table 5 includes both removals in which no IEP 

services are provided because the removal is 10 

days or less as well as removals in which the child 

continues to receive services according to his or her 

IEP.

Dangerous 

weapon

All weapon types except

Knife with blade length less 

than 2.5 inches, unknown 

weapon under #008(I) 

Weapon Type, and no weapon

Weapons under “other object” and “other weapon” 

should be reported in 618 Table 5 when they meet the 

definition of “Dangerous Weapon.”

Drug offense Sale, distribution, use, 

possession, or solicitation 

of illegal drug under #011(I) 

Offense Type

Serious bodily 

injury

Serious bodily injury under 

#009(I) Injury

The serious bodily injury must occur to another 

person (as opposed to self) to be reported in 618 

Table 5.

Unilateral 

removals for drug 

offenses

Unilateral removal – drug 

incident under #016(D) 

Disciplinary Action and 

Response

School personnel must unilaterally remove the student 

from his or her current educational placement to an 

interim alternative education setting (determined by 

the IEP team) to be reported in 618 Table 5. Unilateral 

removals do NOT include decisions by the IEP team to 

change a student’s placement. The drug incident must 

meet the definition of Drug Offenses in 618 Table 5 to 

be reported.

Unilateral 

removals for 

weapons offenses

Unilateral removal – weapon 

incident under #016(D) 

Disciplinary Action and 

Response

School personnel must unilaterally remove the student 

from his or her current educational placement to an 

interim alternative education setting (determined by 

the IEP team) to be reported in 618 Table 5. Unilateral 

removals do not include decisions by the IEP team to 

change a student’s placement. The weapon incident 

must meet the definition of Dangerous Weapon in 618 

Table 5 to be reported.

Table continued on next page
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 87

Table A-7. Terms used in the IDEA report (commonly referred to as “618 Table 5”) that are in the Forum 

Guide—Continued

IDEA Report (618 

Table 5) Term

Forum Guide Classification Caveats

Unilateral 

removals for 

inflecting serious 

bodily injury

Unilateral removal – serious 

bodily injury under #016(D) 

Disciplinary Action and 

Response

School personnel must unilaterally remove the student 

from his or her current educational placement to an 

interim alternative education setting (determined by 

the IEP team) to be reported in 618 Table 5. Unilateral 

removals do not include decisions by the IEP team 

to change a student’s placement. The serious bodily 

injury must meet the definition of Serious Bodily Injury 

in 618 Table 5 to be reported.

Removal by a 

hearing officer

Removal by a hearing officer 

under #016(D) Disciplinary 

Action and Response

An impartial hearing officer must order the removal 

of the child from the current educational placement to 

an appropriate alternative education setting based on 

the hearing officer’s determination that maintaining 

the child’s current placement is substantially likely to 

result in injury to the child or others. The IEP team 

is responsible for determining the interim alternative 

education setting.

The terms in Table A-8 describe data collected for IDEA that do not correspond directly to definitions in the Forum 

Guide. Though these terms are not included in the Forum Guide, these data must be reported on an annual basis in 

618 Table 5. 

Table A-8. Terms used in IDEA report (618 Table 5) that are not in the Forum Guide

IDEA Report (618 

Table 5) Term

Definition

Interim alternative 

educational setting

An appropriate setting determined by the child’s IEP team in which the child is placed 

for no more than 45 school days. This setting enables the child to continue to receive 

educational services and participate in the general education curriculum (although 

in another setting) and to progress toward meeting the goals set out in the IEP. As 

appropriate, the setting includes functional behavioral intervention services and 

modifications to address the behavior violation so that it does not recur.

Disciplinary removal Any instance in which a child is removed from his/her educational placement for 

disciplinary purposes, including in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, 

expulsion, removal by school personnel to an interim alternative educational setting 

for drug or weapon offenses or serious bodily injury, and removal by hearing officer 

for likely injury to self or others.

In addition to collecting data about the disciplinary removal of students with disabilities, IDEA requires collection 

of data about the expulsion of both Children with Disabilities, Ages 3-21 (IDEA) and Children without Disabilities, 

Grades K-12. Table A-9 lists the terms used to collect these data and the crosswalk to the Forum Guide.
88 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Table A-9. The Forum Guide disciplinary actions considered expulsions in the IDEA report (618 Table 5)

IDEA Report 

(618 Table 5) 

Term

Forum Guide Classification Caveats

Expulsion Expulsion with services 

Expulsion without services 

Suspension, out-of-school, 

with services 

Suspension, out-of-school, 

without services 

under #016(I) Disciplinary 

Action and Response

The 618 Table 5 definition of “expulsion” includes 

an action taken by the local education agency 

removing a child from his or her regular school 

for disciplinary purposes for the remainder of the 

school year or longer in accordance with local 

education agency policy.

ED is in the process of transitioning the collection of these data to EDFacts. In EDFacts, the following files are used 

to collect discipline data required by IDEA:

¡ N/X005 Children with Disabilities (IDEA) Removal to Interim Alternative Educational Setting

N/X006 Children with Disabilities (IDEA) Suspensions/Expulsions 

N/X007 Children with Disabilities (IDEA) Reasons for Unilaterally Removal 

N/X088 Children with Disabilities (IDEA) Disciplinary Removals

N/X143 Children with Disabilities (IDEA) Total Disciplinary Removals

N/X144 Educational Services During Expulsion
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 89

Table A-10. Terms used in the CRDC that are in the Forum Guide

CRDC Term Forum Guide Term CRDC Definition

Corporal 

punishment 

Corporal punishment:

The student was physically 

punished (e.g., paddling, 

spanking, or other form of 

physical punishment).

under #016(D) Disciplinary 

Action and Response

Same.

1

See note at end of table.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 

1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 

The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is authorized by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the 

Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Since SY 2005–06, the CRDC 

has been included in the EDFacts clearance (OMB# 1875–0240). 

The CRDC collects data on the discipline of students with disabilities and students without disabilities. Data for 

students without disabilities and students with disabilities (under IDEA) are disaggregated by race/ethnicity, sex, and 

English language proficiency of the student being disciplined. Discipline data are also collected for Students with 

Disabilities (Section 504 only). 

The CRDC collects data on the following categories of disciplinary actions:

• corporal punishment;

• in-school suspension;

• out-of-school suspension (once);

• out-of-school suspension (more than once);

• expulsion with educational services;

• expulsion without educational services;

• expulsion under zero-tolerance policies;

• referral to law enforcement; and

• school-related arrests.

Table A-10 maps the disciplinary actions in the CRDC to the disciplinary actions in the Forum Guide to Crime, 

Violence, and Discipline Incident Data.
90 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Table A-10. Terms used in the CRDC that are in the Forum Guide—Continued

CRDC Term Forum Guide Term CRDC Definition

Out-ofschool 

suspension

Suspension, out-of-school, 

with services:

The student was removed 

from his or her regular 

classroom and barred from 

school for a specified length of 

time and continued to receive 

educational and IEP-related 

services at a location other 

than the regular school setting.

Suspension, out-of-school, 

without services:

The student was removed from 

his or her regular classroom 

and barred from school 

grounds for a specified length 

of time and did not receive 

educational services.

under #016(D) Disciplinary 

Action and Response

For students with disabilities (IDEA):

Out-of-school suspension is an instance in which a child 

is temporarily removed from his/her regular school for 

disciplinary purposes to another setting (e.g., home, 

behavior center). This includes both removals in which 

no IEP services are provided because the removal is 

10 days or less as well as removals in which the child 

continues to receive services according to his/her IEP.

For students without disabilities and students with 

disabilities served solely under Section 504:

Out-of-school suspension means excluding a student 

from school for disciplinary reasons for 1 school day or 

longer. This does not include students who served their 

suspension in the school.

Caveats: 

 The CRDC definition is intended to include both 

suspensions with educational services and 

suspensions without educational services.

 Defined for students with disabilities and students 

without disabilities.

Expulsions 

with 

educational 

services

Expulsion with services:

The exclusion of a student 

from school for disciplinary 

reasons that results in the 

student’s removal from 

school attendance rolls or 

otherwise meets the criteria 

for expulsion as defined by 

the appropriate state or local 

school authority. Although the 

student was expelled from his 

or her regular school setting, 

arrangements were made for 

the provision of educational 

and IEP-related services.

under #016(D) Disciplinary 

Action and Response

Equivalent: The CRDC defines expulsions with 

educational services using similar language and is 

intended to have a similar meaning.

An action taken by the local education agency removing 

a child from his/her regular school for disciplinary 

purposes, with the continuation of educational 

services, for the remainder of the school year or longer 

in accordance with local education agency policy.

Expulsion with educational services also includes 

removals resulting from violations of the Gun-Free 

Schools Act that are modified to less than 365 days.

Table continued on next page
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 91

Table A-10. Terms used in the CRDC that are in the Forum Guide—Continued

CRDC Term Forum Guide Term CRDC Definition

Expulsions 

without 

educational 

services 

Expulsion without services:

The exclusion of a student 

from school for disciplinary 

reasons that results in the 

student’s removal from school 

attendance rolls or otherwise 

meets the criteria for expulsion 

as defined by appropriate state 

or local school authority. No 

arrangements were made for 

the provision of educational 

and IEP-related services.

under #016(D) Disciplinary 

Action and Response

Equivalent: The CRDC defines expulsion without 

educational services using similar language and is 

intended to have a similar meaning.

An action taken by the local education agency removing 

a child from his/her regular school for disciplinary 

purposes, with the cessation of educational services, for 

the remainder of the school year or longer in accordance 

with local education agency policy. Expulsion without 

services also includes removals resulting from violations 

of the Gun-Free Schools Act that are modified to less 

than 365 days.

In-school 

suspension

Suspension, in-school, with 

services:

The student was removed 

from his or her regular 

classroom and assigned to 

an in-school-suspension 

program or another setting in 

the same school but continued 

to receive educational and IEPrelated services.

Suspension, in-school, without 

services:

The student was removed 

from his or her regular 

classroom and assigned to an 

in-school-suspension program 

or another setting in the same 

school but did not continue to 

receive educational and IEPrelated services.

under #016(D) Disciplinary 

Action and Response

Instances in which a child is temporarily removed from 

his or her regular classroom(s) for at least half a day 

but remains under the direct supervision of school 

personnel. Direct supervision means school personnel 

are physically in the same location as students under 

their supervision.

Caveat:

The CRDC definition of in-school suspension is intended 

to include both in-school suspensions with educational 

services and in-school suspension without educational 

services.
92 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Table A-10. Terms used in the CRDC that are in the Forum Guide—Continued

CRDC Term Forum Guide Term CRDC Definition

Referral 

to law 

enforcement

The student was referred 

to juvenile justice law 

enforcement authorities.

An action by which a student 

is reported to any law 

enforcement agency or official, 

other than juvenile justice but 

including a school police unit, 

regardless of whether official 

action is taken.

under #016(D) Disciplinary 

Action and Response

Referral to law enforcement is an action by which a 

student is reported to any law enforcement agency or 

official, including a school police unit, for an incident 

that occurs on school grounds, during school-related 

events, or while taking school transportation, regardless 

of whether official action is taken.

Caveat: 

The CRDC definition includes referrals to any law 

enforcement agency or official, including juvenile justice 

authorities.

The terms used in Table A-11 describe data collected by the CRDC that do not correspond directly to definitions 

in the Forum Guide to Crime, Violence, and Discipline Incident Data. Though these terms are not included in the 

Forum Guide, these data must be reported as part of the CRDC. 

Table A-11. Terms used in the CRDC that are not included in the Forum Guide

CRDC Term Definition

Expulsion under 

zero tolerance 

policies

Removal of a student from the school setting for an extended length of time because 

of zero-tolerance policies. A zero-tolerance policy is a policy that results in mandatory 

expulsion of any student who commits one or more specified offenses (for example, 

offenses involving guns, or other weapons, or violence, or similar factors, or 

combinations of these factors). A policy is considered “zero tolerance” even if there 

are some exceptions to the mandatory aspect of the expulsion, such as allowing the 

chief administering officer of an LEA to modify the expulsion on a case-by-case basis.

School-related 

arrests

A school-related arrest is an arrest of a student for any activity conducted on 

school grounds, during off-campus school activities (including while taking school 

transportation), or due to a referral by any school official.

1Revised for the 2011-12 CRDC and future school years.
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 93

Appendix B

References and Additional Resources 

These materials may be useful to school, district, or state education agency staff developing incident databases.

Prior-to-Secondary School Course Classification System: 

School Codes for the Exchange of Data (SCED)

http://nces .ed .gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo .asp?pubid=2011801

This document presents a taxonomy for assigning standard codes to elementary and 

middle school courses. It is intended to make it easier for school districts and states to 

maintain longitudinal student records electronically—and to transmit coursetaking 

information from one student information system to another, from one school district 

to another, and from a school district to a state department of education.

Traveling Through Time: The Forum Guide to Longitudinal 

Data Systems (Series)

Book I: What is an LDS? 

http://nces .ed .gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo .asp?pubid=2010805

Book II: Planning and Developing an LDS

http://nces .ed .gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo .asp?pubid=2011804

Longitudinal data systems (LDSs) are increasingly becoming the state of the art 

in education data. An LDS makes it possible to not only monitor the success of 

individual students, but also to identify trends in those students’ education records. 

These systems provide powerful and timely insights about students and allow 

educators to tailor instruction to better meet individual needs. They can also reveal 

with great clarity what effects our policies, programs, and decisions have on schools. 

The Traveling Through Time series is intended to help state and local education 

agencies meet the many challenges involved in developing robust systems, populating 

them with quality data, and using this new information to improve the education 

system. The series introduces important topics, offers best practices, and directs the 

reader to additional resources related to LDS planning, development, management, 

and use.
94 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

NCES Nonfiscal Data Handbook for Early Childhood, Elementary, and 

Secondary Education 

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2003419.asp

The NCES Handbooks are a valuable source of metadata for 

organizations and individuals interested in education data. 

These print and online resources define standard education 

terms for students, staff, schools, local education agencies, 

intermediate education agencies, and state education agencies. 

The Handbooks are intended to serve as reference documents 

for public and private organizations (including education 

institutions and early childhood centers), as well as education 

researchers and other users of education data. In order to 

improve access to this valuable resource, NCES has also 

developed the NCES Handbooks Online, a web-based tool that allows users to view and download Handbook 

information via an electronic table of contents, a drill down finder, element name and first letter searches, and 

advanced query options.

NCES Handbooks Online State Customization Tool (2007)

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_handbooksea.asp

This is the Content Administrator site for NCES Handbooks Online (which defines 

standard education terms for students, staff, schools, local education agencies, 

intermediate education agencies, and state education agencies). This customization 

tool allows authorized state education agency staff to modify data elements, instances, 

and options for state use while still retaining the basic structure and organization 

of the NCES Handbooks Online. Access to this site requires a password. Contact 

Ghedam Bairu (NCES) at ghedam.bairu@ed.gov to request more information.

Forum Unified Education Technology Suite (2005)

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_tech_suite.asp

The Forum Unified Education Technology Suite presents a 

practical, comprehensive, and tested approach to assessing, 

acquiring, instituting, managing, securing, and using 

technology in education settings. It will also help individuals 

who lack extensive experience with technology to develop a 

better understanding of the terminology, concepts, and 

fundamental issues influencing technology acquisition and 

implementation decisions. 
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 95

Forum Guide to Decision Support Systems: 

A Resource for Educators (2006)

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2006807.asp

This document was developed to remedy the lack of reliable, objective information 

available to the education community about decision support systems. It is intended 

to help readers better understand what decision support systems are, how they are 

configured, how they operate, and how they might be developed and implemented in 

an education setting.

The Forum Guide to Data Ethics

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2010801.asp

While laws set the legal parameters that govern data use, ethics establish fundamental 

principles of “right and wrong” that are critical to the appropriate management and 

use of education data in the technology age. This guide reflects the experience and 

judgment of experienced data managers; while there is no mandate to follow these 

principles, the authors hope that the contents will prove a useful reference to others in 

their work.

Forum Guide to Metadata: The Meaning Behind 

Education Data

http:nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2009805.asp

This document was developed to empower people to more effectively use data 

as information. It explains what metadata are, why metadata are critical to the 

development of sound education data systems, what components comprise a metadata 

system, what value metadata bring to data management and use, and how to 

implement and use a metadata system in an education organization.

Every School Day Counts: The Forum Guide to Collecting and 

Using Attendance Data

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub 2009804.asp

This Forum guide offers best practice suggestions on collecting and using student 

attendance data to improve performance. It includes a standard set of codes to make 

attendance data comparable across districts and states. The product also presents reallife examples of how attendance information has been used by school districts.
96 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Forum Guide to the Privacy of Student Information: 

A Resource for Schools 

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2006805.asp

This free publication was written to help school and local education agency staff better 

understand and apply the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a 

federal law that protects privacy interests of parents and students in student education 

records. It defines terms such as “education records” and “directory information”; 

and offers guidance for developing appropriate privacy policies and information 

disclosure procedures related to military recruiting, parental rights and annual 

notification, videotaping, online information, media releases, surveillance cameras, 

and confidentiality concerns related specifically to health-related information. Much 

of the guidance in this document relating to privacy policies would be of interest to 

organizations generating business rules about the topic.

Forum Guide to Protecting the Privacy of Student Information: 

State and Local Education Agencies 

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2004330.asp

This free guide presents a general overview of privacy laws and professional practices 

that apply to information collected for, and maintained in, student records. The 

document also provides an overview of key principles and concepts governing student 

privacy; summarizes federal privacy laws including recent changes; identifies issues 

concerning the release of information to both parents and external organizations; and 

suggests good data management practices for schools, districts, and state education 

agencies. Much of the guidance in this document relating to privacy policies would be 

of interest to organizations generating business rules about the topic.

Forum Guide to Building a Culture of Quality Data: 

A School and District Resource

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2005801.asp

This free publication asserts that good data, like good students, are produced in 

schools. While it is undeniably harder to teach a student than it is to collect statistics, 

certain procedures can help to achieve both goals. Recently, awareness has grown 

about the link between effective teaching, efficient schools, and quality data. The 

quality of information used to develop an instructional plan, run a school, plan 

a budget, or place a student in a class depends on the school data clerk, teacher, 

counselor, and/or school secretary who enter data into a computer. With that in mind, 

the focus of this report is on data entry—getting things right at the source.
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 97

Forum Curriculum for Improving Education Data: 

A Resource for Local Education Agencies 

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2007808.asp

This curriculum supports efforts to improve the quality of education data by serving 

as training materials for K-12 school and district staff. It provides lesson plans, 

instructional handouts, and related resources, and presents concepts necessary to help 

schools develop a culture for improving data quality.

Managing an Identity Crisis: Forum Guide to Implementing 

New Federal Race and Ethnicity Categories 

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2008802.asp

This best practice guide is developed to assist state and local education agencies 

in their implementation of the new federal race and ethnicity categories—thereby 

reducing redundant efforts within and across states, improving data comparability, and 

minimizing reporting burden. It serves as a toolkit from which users may select and 

adopt strategies that will help them quickly begin the process of implementation in 

their agencies.

Crisis Data Management: A Forum Guide to Collecting and 

Managing Data About Displaced Students

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2010804.asp

This document provides guidelines that can be used by elementary and secondary 

education agencies to establish policies and procedures for collecting and managing 

education data before, during, and after a crisis.

Forum Guide to Education Indicators 

http://nces.ed.gov/forum/pub_2005802.asp

The Forum Guide to Education Indicators provides encyclopedia-type entries for 44 

commonly used education indicators. Each indicator entry contains a definition, 

recommended uses, usage caveats and cautions, related policy questions, data element 

components, a formula, commonly reported subgroups, and display suggestions. The 

document will help readers better understand how to appropriately develop, apply, and 

interpret commonly used education indicators. 
98 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 99

Technical Assistance on Addressing Bullying 

Through Policy

Subject: Letter from Secretary Duncan re: Technical Assistance on Addressing Bullying through Policy

December 16, 2010

Dear Governors, Chief State School Officers, and State Board of Education Leaders:

Recent incidents of bullying have demonstrated its potentially devastating effects on students, schools, and 

communities and have spurred a sense of urgency among State and local educators and policymakers to take action to 

combat bullying. The U.S. Department of Education (Department) shares this sense of urgency and is taking steps 

to help school officials effectively reduce bullying in our Nation’s schools. Bullying can be extremely damaging to 

students, can disrupt an environment conducive to learning, and should not be tolerated in our schools.

Along with our partners from the Departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Interior, Defense, and 

Justice, we are in the process of developing key strategies to support and encourage efforts to prevent bullying in our 

schools. Our ongoing work has included the first-ever Federal Bullying Prevention Summit in August, the launch 

of our interagency bullying-resource Web site, http://www.bullyinginfo.org, the continued support and growth of 

the Stop Bullying Now! campaign, and the development of research and guidance on bullying prevention. The 

Department also awarded eleven Safe and Supportive Schools Grants to states to develop measurement systems to 

assess schools’ conditions for learning, including the prevalence of bullying, and to implement programs to improve 

overall school safety.

Recent guidance includes a Dear Colleague Letter issued on October 26 by the Department’s Office for Civil Rights 

(OCR) that explains how, under certain circumstances, bullying may trigger legal responsibilities for schools under 

the civil rights laws enforced by OCR and the Department of Justice that prohibit discrimination and harassment 

based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and religion.1

 Schools must protect students from bullying and 

harassment on these bases, in addition to any obligations under state and local law.

Numerous stakeholders, including the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of School 

Boards, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, individual State legislators, and local school districts, 

among others, have asked the Department to provide assistance in crafting effective anti-bullying laws and policies. 

In response, the Department has prepared the attached summary of examples that illustrate how some states have 

tried to prevent and reduce bullying through legislation. States and local school districts can use these examples as 

technical assistance in drafting effective anti-bullying laws, regulations, and policies. The Department will also be 

working to produce additional helpful resource information.

Appendix C

1 The Federal civil rights laws enforced by the Department include Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of 

race, color, or national origin; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; and Section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. OCR’s Dear 

Colleague letter on discriminatory harassment under these statutes is available at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201010.html. 

The Department of Justice has jurisdiction to enforce Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, 

religion, or national origin.
100 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

Forty-five states have already passed laws addressing bullying or harassment in school. Ultimately State officials will 

determine whether new or revised legislation and policies should be introduced to update, improve, or add bullying 

prevention provisions. It is our hope that this information will be of assistance to State officials and other interested 

stakeholders.

Though laws are only a part of the cure for bullying, the adoption, publication, and enforcement of a clear and 

effective anti-bullying policy sends a message that all incidents of bullying must be addressed immediately and 

effectively, and that such behavior will not be tolerated. State laws, and their related district- and school-level 

policies, cannot work in isolation, however. When responding to bullying incidents, schools and districts should 

remember that maintenance of a safe and equitable learning environment for all students, including both victims and 

perpetrators of bullying, often requires a more comprehensive approach.

If you wish to receive further technical assistance on addressing bullying, please do not hesitate to contact the 

Department’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools by visiting its Web site at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/

osdfs/index.html or by calling at 202-245-7896.

I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure equal access to education and to promote safe and respectful 

schools for all of our students.

Sincerely,

/s/

Arne Duncan
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 101

Attachment

Anti-Bullying Policies: Examples of Provisions in State Laws 

In response to requests for assistance by state and local officials, educators, and policymakers, we summarize below 

examples of key components of state anti-bullying laws. This document serves as technical assistance for those 

stakeholders looking to develop or revise anti-bullying legislation or policies. The Department has organized the 

key components into eleven categories for convenience. We include citations to state laws that illustrate the key 

components we identified, but we do not endorse any particular laws. Additional examples are included at the end of 

the document, but these citations are not intended to be comprehensive. Many other state and local laws and policies 

may provide helpful guidance on developing effective anti-bullying policies. As part of our technical assistance effort 

to disseminate useful information on this important topic, we welcome other examples of laws and policies that 

may be working effectively to address bullying in schools. States and local educational agencies (LEAs) should seek 

the guidance of state and local legal officials to ensure that the legislation is consistent with all applicable federal 

and state laws. The Department also plans to release a compendium of all current state laws and a study of their 

implementation.

The following are examples of components found in current state laws on bullying:

I.	 Purpose Statement

• 

• 

• 

Outlines the range of detrimental effects bullying has on students, including impacts on student learning, 

school safety, student engagement, and the school environment.

Declares that any form, type, or level of bullying is unacceptable, and that every incident needs to be taken 

seriously by school administrators, school staff (including teachers), students, and students’ families.

Example1

:

• Oklahoma: Okla. Stat. Ann. Tit. 70, § 24-100.3 (2009): “The Legislature finds that bullying has a 

negative effect on the social environment of schools, creates a climate of fear among students, inhibits 

their ability to learn, and leads to other antisocial behavior. Bullying behavior has been linked to other 

forms of antisocial behavior, such as vandalism, shoplifting, skipping and dropping out of school, 

fighting, and the use of drugs and alcohol... . Successful programs to recognize, prevent, and effectively 

intervene in bullying behavior have been developed and replicated in schools across the country. These 

schools send the message that bullying behavior is not tolerated and, as a result, have improved safety and 

created a more inclusive learning environment.”

II.		 Statement of Scope

• 

• 

Covers conduct that occurs on the school campus, at school-sponsored activities or events (regardless of the 

location), on school-provided transportation, or through school-owned technology or that otherwise creates a 

significant disruption to the school environment.

Example2:

• Indiana: Ind. Code Ann. § 20-33-8-13.5 (b) (2010), Disciplinary Rule Requirements: “The discipline 

rules [related to bullying]...must apply when a student is: (1) on school grounds immediately before or 

during school hours, immediately after school hours, or at any other time when the school is being used 

1 For additional examples of purpose statements, see: 105 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/27-23.7.a (2010); Iowa Code § 280.28.1 (2008); Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 

7-424 (2010); Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 388.132 (2009); N.J. Stat. Ann. § 18A:37.13 (2010); Or. Rev. Stat. § 339.353 (2009); Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-1014 

(2010); W. Va. Code Ann. § 18-2C-1 (2009).

2 For additional examples of statements of scope, see: Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-514.2 (2009); Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-751.4 (2010); 105 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 

5/27-23.7.a (2010); 2010 Mass. Adv. Legis. Serv. Ch. No. 92-2010 (Lexis Nexis 2010); Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-424 (2010).
102 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

by a school group; (2) off school grounds at a school activity, function, or event; (3) traveling to or from 

school or a school activity, function or event; or (4) using property or equipment provided by the school.”

III.		 Specification of Prohibited Conduct

• 

• 

• 

• 

Provides a specific definition of bullying that includes a clear definition of cyberbullying. The definition of 

bullying includes a non-exclusive list of specific behaviors that constitute bullying, and specifies that bullying 

includes intentional efforts to harm one or more individuals, may be direct or indirect, is not limited to 

behaviors that cause physical harm, and may be verbal (including oral and written language) or non-verbal. 

The definition of bullying can be easily understood and interpreted by school boards, policymakers, school 

administrators, school staff, students, students’ families, and the community.

Is consistent with other federal, state and local laws. (For guidance on school districts’ obligations to address 

bullying and harassment under federal civil rights laws, see the Dear Colleague Letter: Harassment and 

Bullying, issued by the Department’s Office for Civil Rights on October 26, 2010, available at 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201010.pdf.)

Prohibited Conduct also includes:

(1) Retaliation for asserting or alleging an act of bullying.

(2) Perpetuating bullying or harassing conduct by spreading hurtful or demeaning material even if the 

material was created by another person (e.g., forwarding offensive e-mails or text messages).

Examples3 4:

¡ Florida: Fla. Stat. Ann. 1006.147(3) (2010): “(a) ‘Bullying’ means systematically and chronically 

inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students and may involve: (1) Teasing; 

(2) Social exclusion; (3) Threat; (4) Intimidation; (5) Stalking; (6) Physical violence; (7) Theft; (8) 

Sexual, religious, or racial harassment; (9) Public humiliation; or (10) Destruction of property. ... 

(d) The definitions of ‘bullying’ and ‘harassment’ include: (1) Retaliation against a student or school 

employee by another student or school employee for asserting or alleging an act of bullying or harassment 

... [and] (2) Perpetuation of [bullying or harassing] conduct ... by an individual or group with intent to 

demean, dehumanize, embarrass, or cause physical harm to a student ... .”

Kansas: Kan. Stat. Ann. § 72-8256.C.2 (2009): “‘Cyberbullying’ means bullying by use of any 

electronic communication device through means including, but not limited to, e-mail, instant messaging, 

text messages, blogs, mobile phones, pagers, online games and websites.”

IV.		Enumeration of Specific Characteristics

• 

• 

• 

Explains that bullying may include, but is not limited to, acts based on actual or perceived characteristics of 

students who have historically been targets of bullying, and provides examples of such characteristics.

Makes clear that bullying does not have to be based on any particular characteristic.

Examples5

:

¡ North Carolina: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-407.15(a) (2010): “Bullying or harassing behavior includes, but 

is not limited to, acts reasonably perceived as being motivated by any actual or perceived differentiating 

characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, socioeconomic status, 

academic status, gender identity, physical appearance, sexual orientation, or mental, physical, 

developmental, or sensory disability, or by association with a person who has or is perceived to have one 

or more of these characteristics.”

3 For additional examples of bullying definitions, see: Del. Code Ann. Tit. 14, § 4112D.a (2010); Kan. Stat. Ann. § 72-8256 (2009); 105 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 

5/27-23.7(b) (2010).

4 For additional examples of cyberbullying definitions, see: Iowa Code § 280.28.2 (a) (2008); Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-424.3 (2010); 2010 Mass. Adv. Legis. 

Serv. Ch. No. 92-2010 (Lexis Nexis 2010); N.J. Stat. Ann. § 18A 37.14.2 (2010); Okla. Stat. Ann. Tit. 70, § 24-100.3 (2009).

5 For additional examples of characteristic enumeration, see: 105 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/27-23.7.a (2010); Iowa Code § 280.28 (2008); Or. Rev. Stat. § § 

339.351.3(2009).
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 103

¡ Washington: Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 28A.300.285.2 (2010): “Nothing in this section requires the 

affected student to actually possess a characteristic that is a basis for the ... bullying.”

V.		 Development and Implementation of LEA Policies

• 

• 

Directs every LEA to develop and implement a policy prohibiting bullying, through a collaborative process 

with all interested stakeholders, including school administrators, staff, students, students’ families, and the 

community, in order to best address local conditions.

Example:

¡ Maryland: Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-424.1(c) (2010): “[1] Each county board shall establish a policy 

prohibiting bullying, harassment, or intimidation. . . . [3] A county board shall develop the policy 

in consultation with representatives of the following groups: (i) Parents or guardians of students; (ii) 

School employees and administrators; (iii) School volunteers; (iv) Students; and (v) Members of the 

community”6

VI.		Components of LEA Policies

A. 

• 

• 

Definitions

Includes a definition of bullying consistent with the definitions specified in state law.

Example7

:

¡ Oregon: Or. Rev. Stat. § 339.356.2 (2009): “School districts must include in the policy...(b) Definitions 

of “harassment,” “intimidation,” or “bullying,” and of “cyberbullying” that are consistent with [this 

statute].” 

B. Reporting Bullying

• 

• 

• 

• 

Includes a procedure for students, students’ families, staff, and others to report incidents of bullying, 

including a process to submit such information anonymously and with protection from retaliation. The 

procedure identifies and provides contact information for the appropriate school personnel responsible for 

receiving the report and investigating the incident.

Example8:

¡ Georgia: GA. Code Ann. § 20-2-751.4(c) (2010): “Such ... policy shall include: . . . (5) A procedure for 

a teacher or other school employee, student, parent, guardian, or other person who has control or charge 

of a student, either anonymously or in such person’s name, at such person’s option, to report or otherwise 

provide information on bullying activity; (6) A statement prohibiting retaliation following a report of 

bullying....”

Requires that school personnel report, in a timely and responsive manner, incidents of bullying they witness 

or are aware of to a designated official.

Example9:

¡ Wisconsin: Wis. Stat. § 118.46.1(a) (2009): “The [policy on bullying] shall include all of the following: 

... (6) A requirement that school district officials and employees report incidents of bullying and identify 

the persons to whom the reports must be made.” 

6 For additional examples of requirements for LEA policies, see: Del. Code Ann. Tit. 14, § 4112D.b (2010); Fla. Stat. Ann. 1006.147 (2010); N.J. Stat. Ann. § 

18A 37.15 (2010).

7 For additional examples regarding definitions in LEA policies, see: Delaware Del. Code Ann. Tit. 14, § 4112D.b (2010); Fla. Stat. Ann. 1006.147 (2010); 

Iowa Code 280.28.3 (2008); Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-424.1 (2010); N.J. Stat. Ann. § 18A 37.15.b.2 (2010); N.C. Gen. Stat.§ 115C-407.16.b.2 (2010); S.C. 

Code Ann. § 59-63-140 (2010).

8 For additional examples regarding requirements procedures for reporting bullying, see: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-341 (2010); Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1006.147 (2010); 

Iowa Code § 280.28.3.c (2008); Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-424 (2010); Or. Rev. Stat. § 339.356.2.g (2009); S.C. Code Ann. § 59-63-140 (2010).
104 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

C. Investigating and Responding to Bullying

• 

• 

	¡

• 

• 

	¡

• 

• 

	¡

• 

• 

	¡

Includes a procedure for promptly investigating and responding to any report of an incident of bullying, 

including immediate intervention strategies for protecting the victim from additional bullying or retaliation, 

and includes notification to parents of the victim, or reported victim, of bullying and the parents of the 

alleged perpetrator, and, if appropriate, notification to law enforcement officials.10

Example11:

Massachusetts: 2010 Mass. Adv. Legis. Serv. Ch. No. 71.37O(g) (2010): “...Upon receipt of such a 

report, the school principal or a designee shall promptly conduct an investigation. If the school principal 

or a designee determines that bullying or retaliation has occurred, the school principal or designee shall 

(i) notify the local law enforcement agency if the school principal or designee believes that criminal 

charges may be pursued against a perpetrator; (ii) take appropriate disciplinary action; (iii) notify the 

parents or guardians of a perpetrator; and (iv) notify the parents or guardians of the victim, and to the 

extent consistent with state and federal law, notify them of the action taken to prevent any further acts of 

bullying or retaliation.” 

D. Written Records

Includes a procedure for maintaining written records of all incidents of bullying and their resolution.12

Example13:

California: Cal. Educ. Code § 234.1 (2010): “The department shall assess whether local educational 

agencies have done all of the following: . . . (e) Maintained documentation of complaints and their 

resolution for a minimum of one review cycle.”

E. Sanctions

Includes a detailed description of a graduated range of consequences and sanctions for bullying.14

Example15:

Alabama: Ala. Code § 16.28B.5 (2010): “The model policy, at a minimum, shall contain all of the 

following components: ... [4] A series of graduated consequences for any student who commits an act 

of intimidation, harassment, violence or threats of violence. Punishment shall conform with applicable 

federal and state disability, antidiscrimination, and education laws and school discipline policies.” 

F. Referrals

Includes a procedure for referring the victim, perpetrator and others to counseling and mental and other 

health services, as appropriate.

Example16:

Maryland: MD. Code. Ann., Educ. § 7-424.1.b (2010): “[2] The model policy...shall include: . . . (viii) 

Information about the types of support services available to the student bully, victim, and any bystanders 

... .”

9 For additional examples regarding requirements for reporting of school staff, see: Alaska Stat. § 14.33.220 (2010); GA. Code Ann. § 20-2-751.4.c.2 (2010); 

W. Va. Code Ann. §18-2C-3.4 (2009).

10 The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) contains provisions restricting release of information pertaining to disciplinary actions taken 

against students. State and local officials are encouraged to seek guidance to make sure any policies comply with these provisions.

11 For additional examples regarding requirements for investigating and responding to bullying, see: GA. Code Ann. § 20-2-751.4.c.3 (2010); Iowa Cod § 

280.28.3.f (2008); Or. Rev. Stat. § 339.356.2.h (2009).

12 FERPA contains provisions regarding the appropriate safeguarding of privacy in educational records. State and local officials are encouraged to seek 

guidance to make sure any policies comply with these provisions.

13 For additional examples on requirements for maintaining written records, see: Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-424 (2010).

14 The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act contains provisions related to the use of disciplinary measures with students with disabilities. State and local 

officials are encouraged to seek guidance to make sure any policies comply with these provisions.

15 For additional examples regarding sanctions, see: Connecticut Gen. Stat. Ann § 10-222d; Massachusetts St. 2010, c.92; New Mexico NIMAC § 6.12.7; 

Okla. Stat. Ann. Tit. 70, § 24-100.4 (2009).
FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA • 105

VII.		 Review of Local Policies

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Includes a provision for the state to review local policies on a regular basis to ensure the goals of the state 

statute are met.

Example17:

Illinois: 105 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/27-23.7(d) (2010): “The policy must be updated every 2 years and 

filed with the State Board of Education after being updated. The State Board of Education shall monitor 

the implementation of policies created under [this subsection of the statute].”

VIII.		 Communication Plan

Includes a plan for notifying students, students’ families, and staff of policies related to bullying, including 

the consequences for engaging in bullying.

Example18:

Arkansas: Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-514(b) (2009): “The policies shall: ...[6] Require that notice of 

what constitutes bullying, that bullying is prohibited, and the consequences of engaging in bullying be 

conspicuously posted in every classroom, cafeteria, restroom, gymnasium, auditorium, and school bus in 

the district; and [7] Require that copies of the notice...be provided to parents, students, school volunteers, 

and employees.”

IX.		Training and Preventive Education

Includes a provision for school districts to provide training for all school staff, including, but not limited to, 

teachers, aides, support staff, and school bus drivers, on preventing, identifying, and responding to bullying.

Example19:

South Carolina: S.C. Code Ann. § 59-63-140(E) (2009): “Information regarding a local school district 

policy against harassment, intimidation or bullying must be incorporated into a school employee training 

program. Training also should be provided to school volunteers who have significant contact with 

students.

Massachusetts: 2010 Mass. Adv. Legis. Serv. Ch. No. 92.3(d)-2010: “The plan ... shall include a 

provision for ongoing professional development to build the skills of all staff members, including, but not 

limited to, educators, administrators, school nurses, cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, athletic 

coaches, advisors to extracurricular activities and paraprofessionals, to prevent, identify and respond to 

bullying.”

Encourages school districts to implement age-appropriate school- and community-wide bullying prevention 

programs.

Example20:

South Carolina: S.C. Code Ann. § 59-63-140 (F) (2009): “Schools and school districts are encouraged 

to establish bullying prevention programs and other initiatives involving school staff, students, 

administrators, volunteers, parents, law enforcement, and community members.”

16 For additional examples regarding referrals, see: Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1006.147 (2010); Okla. Stat. Ann. Tit. 70, § 24-100.4 (2009).

17 For additional examples regarding review of policies, see: 24 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 13-1303.1-a (2009).

18 For additional examples regarding communication plans, see: Del. Code Ann. Tit. 14, § 4123.a (2010); Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1006.147 (2010); Iowa Code § 

280.28.3 (2008); N.J. Stat. Ann. § 18A 37.15.b.10-11 (2010).

19 For additional examples regarding training of staff, see: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222d (2010); Del. Code Ann. Tit. 14, § 4123.a (2010); Iowa Code § 

280.28.3 (2008); Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann.§ 383.133 (2009); Or. Rev. Stat. § 339.359 (2009); Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 21-4-311 (2010).
106 • FORUM GUIDE TO CRIME, VIOLENCE, AND DISCIPLINE INCIDENT DATA

X.	 	Transparency and Monitoring

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Includes a provision for LEAs to report annually to the state on the number of reported bullying incidents, 

and any responsive actions taken.

Example21:

¡ New York: N.Y. Educ. Law §15 (2010): “The Commissioner shall create a procedure under which 

material incidents of discrimination and harassment on school grounds or at a school function are 

reported to the department at least on an annual basis. Such procedure shall provide that such reports 

shall, wherever possible, also delineate the specific nature of such incidents. . . .”

Includes a provision for LEAs to make data regarding bullying incidence publicly available in aggregate with 

appropriate privacy protections to ensure students are protected.22

Examples23:

¡ Iowa: Iowa Code § 280.28.7 (2008): “The board of directors of a school district and the authorities in 

charge of each nonpublic school...shall report data collected...as specified by the department, to the local 

community.”

Ohio: Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3313.666.10 (2010): “...the district administration... [shall] provide ... a 

written summary of all reported incidents and post the summary on its web site....”

XI.		Statement of Rights to Other Legal Recourse

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Includes a statement that the policy does not preclude victims from seeking other legal remedies.

Example:

¡ Oregon: Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 339.364 (2009): “Victim may seek redress under other laws. ...[This 

statute] may not be interpreted to prevent a victim of harassment, intimidation or bullying or a victim of 

cyberbullying from seeking redress under any other available law, whether civil or criminal.”

20 For additional examples regarding bullying prevention programming, see: Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-424 (2010); 2010 Mass. Adv. Legis. Serv. Ch. No. 92-

2010 (Lexis Nexis 2010); Or. Rev. Stat. § 339.359 (2009).

21 For additional examples regarding reporting incidents to the State, see: Alaska Stat. § 14.33.210 (2010); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-222d (2010); Md. Code 

Ann., Educ. § 7-424 (2010);

22 FERPA contains provisions regarding the appropriate safeguarding of privacy in educational records. State and local officials are encouraged to seek 

guidance to make sure any policies comply with these provisions.

23 For additional examples regarding requirements for reporting data to the public, see: Fla. Stat. Ann. § 1006.147 (2010); Iowa Code § 280.28 (2008).

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