Gangs and Victimization at School Gangs and Victimization at School July 1995 The NCES Education Policy Issues series is designed to provide the best statistical information available on important policy questions. The series primarily provides responses grounded in statistical findings, but also, as appropriate, provides some information based on smaller scale research and case studies. Public concern over violent juvenile behavior has intensified in recent years, especially in regard to safety inside schools. Included among the National Education Goals is a strong commitment to providing children with learning environments that are free of violence. Yet there are very limited data about the causes of either juvenile street violence or school-related crime.
Journalists frequently blame street violence on the influence of gangs.
This issue brief looks at the relationship between gang presence in schools and students' reports of victimization and fear. Similar numbers of white students and minority students report gangs in their schools. Also, similar numbers of students living in suburban neighborhoods and students living in urban neighborhoods report gangs in their schools. Gang presence in schools is strongly associated with increased student reports of victimization and fear. When gang presence is taken into account, differences in victimization and fear levels decrease between students living in rural, suburban, and urban areas.