School violence

While schools that serve K-12 students are generally safe spaces, they can also contain violence. After all, they are places where a multitude of students converge for nearly eight hours (or more) per day, thus providing ample opportunities for interpersonal conflict that can turn violent. Physical and socio-cultural features of schools—such as crowdedness, presence of gangs and social disorganization—can exacerbate the opportunity for interpersonal violence. Moreover, a student's journey to school and their participation in school-sponsored activities each provide additional school-related settings in which violent encounters can emerge. Data support this potential for danger, with individuals aged 12–18 typically experiencing violent victimization in school or on the way to or from school more often than outside of school (Wang et al., 2020). This chapter reviews relevant scholarship on school violence in the United States, particularly work addressing demographic correlates of offenders and victims, theoretically rooted causes and approaches to school violence prevention.