According to data compiled by Slate.com, there have been 137 school shootings and 297 deaths since 1980. The overall school violence rate has remained relatively constant, but bullying is increasingly a problem in schools. DoSomething.org reports that 20 percent of high school students were bullied in 2011, and 33 percent report a physical altercation in the last year. Seven percent of students in ninth through twelfth grades have been threatened with a weapon, and a startling 6 percent of high schoolers report staying home because they feel unsafe at school.
Although school violence can seem sudden and unprovoked, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that several factors reliably correlate with student violence. Students who have been in a fight at school, carried a weapon to school at least once or who have made threats of violence are more likely to become violent. When students report feeling fearful at school, being bullied or being threatened with a weapon, this indicates an increased risk of school violence.
Students who are either directly exposed to or fearful of violence may avoid school altogether. School violence can lower academic achievement, according to a 2013 study published in "Sociology of Education." Students can also suffer from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder if they directly witness violence. These disorders may disrupt sleeping and eating schedules and cause physical illnesses. Some students may even turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with uncomfortable and painful emotions related to violence.
Schools are increasingly adopting zero-tolerance bullying policies, in addition to providing students with educational seminars on the effects of violence. The debate about how to stop gun violence, however, rages on. Some schools have opted to install metal detectors and hire security officers, while others have instituted counseling programs for troubled students. The federal Safe Schools, Healthy Students initiative offers five key objectives for preventing violence: improving the quality of early childhood education and interventions, adopting policies designed to improve student health, maintaining strong communication ties between schools and families, preventing the use of alcohol and other drugs and stopping bullying and other forms of violence.