Region at a Glance
Safety Problems and Safety Practices by Richard Greenough
During the 2003–2004 school year, the National Center for Education Statistics conducted a Schools and Staffing Survey that included questions relating to school safety. NWREL staff analyzed that information to pull out specific data for our region. The following data are based on a sample of 699 public school principals in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, excluding principals of alternative and special programs schools. How do the safety problems and safety-related practices at your school compare?
How Northwest Public School Principals Rate the Frequency of Safety-Related Problems
(Question asked: To the best of your knowledge, how often do the following types of problems occur at this school?)
| Daily | Once a week | Once a month | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student bullying | 6.5% | 16.4% | 33.6% | 56.5% |
| Physical conflicts among students | 4.3% | 23.8% | 16.6% | 44.7% |
| Student acts of disrespect for teachers | 1.9% | 8.6% | 13.0% | 23.5% |
| Student verbal abuse of teachers | 1.5% | 3.9% | 12.0% | 17.4% |
| Robbery or theft | 0.1% | 3.8% | 11.7% | 15.6% |
| Vandalism | 0.6% | 3.8% | 10.0% | 14.4% |
| Student use of alcohol | 1.0% | 2.7% | 3.9% | 7.6% |
| Student use of illegal drugs | 0.5% | 2.7% | 4.1% | 7.3% |
| Student racial tensions | 0.3% | 0.4% | 4.0% | 4.7% |
| Widespread disorder in classrooms | 0.1% | 1.0% | 1.9% | 3.0% |
| Gang activities | 0.1% | 0.5% | 1.4% | 2.0% |
| Student possession of weapons | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Physical abuse of teachers | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Northwest Public School Principals Reporting on the Use of Safety-Related Practices
(Question asked: This school year [2003–04], is it the practice of this school to do the following?)
| Require that all or most students stay on campus during lunch | 77.9% |
|---|---|
| Control access to school buildings during school hours | 69.1% |
| Enforce a strict dress code | 38.5% |
| Control access to school grounds during school hours | 32.3% |
| Use random dog sniffs to check for drugs | 20.3% |
| Use one or more security cameras to monitor the school | 19.4% |
| Maintain a daily presence of police or security personnel | 15.8% |
| Perform random sweeps for contraband, but not including dog sniffs | 8.1% |
| Require students to wear badges or picture IDs | 1.5% |
| Require clear book bags or ban book bags on school grounds | 1.1% |
| Require students to wear uniforms | 0.5% |
| Perform random metal detector checks on students | 0.3% |
| Require students to pass through metal detectors each day | 0.1% |