School violence

The concept of school violence is not new and despite increased media attention and dramatic headlines, school violence is not increasing. Facts surrounding school violence are frequently misrepresented and distorted, leading to false perceptions surrounding the prevalence and pervasiveness of school violence. Although mass tragedies resulting from extreme acts of violence are exceedingly rare, the fact that violence does occur within school settings necessitates an understanding of how and why this violence occurs and what can be done to prevent these acts in the future. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, at the start of the fall 2014 school year there were approximately 54.8 million students attending both public and private elementary and secondary schools, with an additional 21 million students attending postsecondary institutions (2014). Therefore, due to the fact that the majority of American youth attend school each day, it is essential that they are provided with a safe and secure learning environment.