Some types of school violence are declining, along with overall youth violence in the nation. They also note that the percentages of such behaviors occurring on school property were much lower than the total percentages. Reductions in violence did not occur in all subgroups, however. For example, levels of fighting remained the same among Hispanic students, Berner and others report. Their study also found no significant decreases in the percentages of students who reported being victims of theft or deliberate damage of property at school, feeling too unsafe to attend school, and being threatened or injured with a weapon on school grounds.
Checklist surveys are helpful assessment tools.
Stephens recommends annually reviewing all aspects of a school-safety plan. A security assessment by an independent consultant has several advantages. An independent specialist brings objectivity and credibility as well as expertise, and can give professional validation to existing security measures as well as recommend improvements. To target security efforts where they are most needed, an analysis of school-crime data can identify patterns in crime types, locations, and perpetrators. Metal detectors are an expensive and controversial option.