Click here to return to category. A number of school shootings over the last few years have raised awareness of violence in the nation's schools. The report is only an initial component of the AMA's pending project on youth violence. The literature reviewed for this report came from computer searches using violence and schools as the search term. In addition, recent books on the topic were surveyed.
School violence is a serious issue, with several hundred thousand incidents each year.
Although schools in this country are relatively safe, recent instances of multiple homicides in schools have raised public concerns that schools may be becoming less safe. The dramatic nature of these episodes requires investigation into the causes of such events as well as into programs that might prevent further tragedies. As such, efforts to address violence in the schools should not detract from efforts to address these other sources of injury morbidity among youths. The effect of media coverage of violent events in school is unknown. School-based violence prevention programs show some promise, particularly those that involve parents or engage whole communities, but few programs have been adequately evaluated.