Table 229.20.

Rate of crime incidents at school per 1,000 students recorded by public schools and reported to sworn law enforcement by public schools, by school level, percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and type of crime: Selected years, 1999–2000 through 2019–20

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Type of crime recorded or reported to sworn law enforcement	Rate of crime incidents at school per 1,000 students1
	1999-2000			2003-04			2005-06			2007–08			2009–10			2015-16			2017-18			2019-202
																						Total			School level												Percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch
																									Elemen- tary3			Middle4			Secondary/ high5			Combined/ other6			0 to 25			26 to 50			51 to 75			76 to 100
1	2			3			4			5			6			7			8			9			10			11			12			13			14			15			16			17
Incidents recorded
Total	48.5		(2.52)	45.7		(1.65)	45.8		(0.96)	42.7		(1.34)	39.6		(1.04)	28.0		(0.90)	29.3		(1.18)	29.2		(1.16)	20.8		(1.91)	41.6		(2.50)	35.2		(1.63)	20.0		(2.92)	17.2		(1.70)	24.2		(1.18)	31.0		(1.83)	40.8		(3.26)
Violent incidents	31.5		(2.24)	33.3		(1.55)	31.2		(0.82)	27.9		(1.28)	25.0		(0.91)	17.5		(0.89)	19.6		(0.98)	19.2		(1.04)	17.5		(1.83)	28.4		(2.05)	16.4		(1.11)	12.5		(2.41)	9.9		(1.49)	13.9		(1.02)	19.8		(1.65)	30.2		(2.90)
Serious violent incidents	1.3		(0.15)	1.2		(0.10)	1.2		(0.14)	1.2		(0.14)	1.1		(0.12)	0.8		(0.07)	1.1		(0.16)	1.3		(0.08)	1.1		(0.14)	1.5		(0.15)	1.5		(0.15)	1.3		(0.33)	0.8		(0.09)	1.2		(0.12)	1.3		(0.18)	1.7		(0.21)
Rape or attempted rape	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	0.1		(0.01)	‡		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)
Sexual assault other than rape	0.1	7	(0.02)	0.1	7	(0.01)	0.1	7	(0.01)	0.1	7	(0.01)	0.1	7	(0.01)	0.1		(0.03)	0.1		(0.01)	0.2		(0.02)	0.1	!	(0.02)	0.2		(0.03)	0.3		(0.04)	0.4	!	(0.16)	0.1		(0.02)	0.2		(0.03)	0.2		(0.03)	0.1		(0.03)
Physical attack or fight with a weapon	0.3		(0.05)	0.3		(0.05)	0.1		(0.03)	0.3		(0.08)	0.3		(0.08)	0.1		(0.03)	0.2		(0.06)	0.3		(0.05)	0.4		(0.10)	0.2		(0.05)	0.3		(0.06)	0.5	!	(0.19)	0.2		(0.04)	0.3		(0.06)	0.3		(0.05)	0.6		(0.15)
Threat of physical attack with a weapon	0.5		(0.04)	0.4		(0.05)	0.5		(0.14)	0.4		(0.05)	0.4		(0.06)	0.4		(0.05)	0.5		(0.09)	0.4		(0.04)	0.4		(0.07)	0.6		(0.09)	0.4		(0.06)	0.2	!	(0.08)	0.2		(0.05)	0.5		(0.08)	0.5		(0.10)	0.5		(0.09)
Robbery with a weapon	‡		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)
Robbery without a weapon	0.4		(0.07)	0.3		(0.04)	0.5		(0.05)	0.4		(0.07)	0.3		(0.04)	0.2		(0.03)	0.2		(0.02)	0.3		(0.03)	0.1		(0.04)	0.5		(0.10)	0.4		(0.05)	0.3	!	(0.09)	0.2		(0.04)	0.2		(0.06)	0.3		(0.07)	0.4		(0.05)
Physical attack or fight without a weapon	17.3		(1.29)	20.0		(0.82)	18.8		(0.55)	17.0		(0.94)	15.3		(0.58)	11.5		(0.75)	12.2		(0.71)	11.9		(0.74)	10.6		(1.23)	19.1		(1.65)	9.9		(0.64)	6.0		(1.65)	6.7		(1.42)	8.1		(0.80)	12.5		(1.38)	18.7		(2.00)
Threat of physical attack without a weapon	12.9		(1.13)	12.1		(1.01)	11.1		(0.43)	9.7		(0.62)	8.6		(0.47)	5.2		(0.33)	6.3		(0.38)	6.0		(0.46)	5.9		(0.85)	7.8		(0.66)	5.0		(0.60)	5.2		(1.29)	2.5		(0.36)	4.6		(0.29)	5.9		(0.83)	9.9		(1.36)
Theft/larceny8	4.7		(0.20)	4.3		(0.15)	5.1		(0.13)	5.6		(0.20)	5.5		(0.18)	3.4		(0.11)	2.7		(0.13)	2.4		(0.11)	1.1		(0.14)	3.7		(0.37)	3.8		(0.20)	1.9		(0.33)	1.9		(0.21)	2.4		(0.15)	2.6		(0.17)	2.6		(0.32)
Other incidents9	12.3		(0.45)	8.1		(0.20)	9.6		(0.24)	9.2		(0.23)	9.2		(0.23)	7.1		(0.22)	7.0		(0.20)	7.6		(0.24)	2.2		(0.17)	9.5		(0.42)	15.1		(0.61)	5.6		(0.79)	5.4		(0.41)	7.8		(0.43)	8.6		(0.49)	8.0		(0.58)
Possession of a firearm/explosive device	0.2		(0.05)	0.2		(0.01)	0.3		(0.04)	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.01)	0.2	!	(0.06)	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.01)	#		(†)	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.02)	‡		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	0.1		(0.03)	0.1		(0.02)
Possession of a knife or sharp object	1.8		(0.09)	0.6		(0.03)	1.9		(0.05)	1.6		(0.05)	1.5		(0.05)	1.4		(0.07)	1.4		(0.05)	1.1		(0.04)	0.7		(0.06)	1.5		(0.08)	1.4		(0.09)	0.9		(0.18)	0.5		(0.04)	1.2		(0.10)	1.2		(0.09)	1.2		(0.09)
Distribution of illegal drugs	0.6		(0.03)	0.7		(0.03)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)
Possession or use of alcohol or illegal drugs	2.5		(0.10)	2.8		(0.09)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)
Distribution, possession, or use of illegal     drugs	---		(†)	---		(†)	2.4		(0.09)	2.2		(0.08)	2.4		(0.10)	2.3		(0.09)	2.4		(0.09)	3.5		(0.15)	0.2		(0.05)	3.5		(0.26)	8.8		(0.44)	2.3		(0.49)	2.1		(0.20)	3.4		(0.25)	4.4		(0.36)	3.6		(0.36)
Inappropriate distribution, possession, or     use of prescription drugs	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	0.6		(0.04)	0.4		(0.03)	0.4		(0.03)	0.4		(0.03)	#		(†)	0.4		(0.06)	0.9		(0.07)	0.2	!	(0.10)	0.3		(0.05)	0.5		(0.07)	0.4		(0.06)	0.3		(0.05)
Distribution, possession, or use of alcohol	---		(†)	---		(†)	1.0		(0.05)	0.8		(0.03)	0.9		(0.04)	0.6		(0.03)	0.6		(0.03)	0.6		(0.03)	#		(†)	0.9		(0.09)	1.3		(0.08)	0.5		(0.14)	0.5		(0.06)	0.8		(0.08)	0.7		(0.06)	0.4		(0.05)
Sexual harassment	2.7		(0.13)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)
Vandalism	4.5		(0.29)	3.8		(0.14)	4.0		(0.15)	4.4		(0.19)	3.6		(0.15)	2.2		(0.14)	2.0		(0.12)	1.9		(0.10)	1.1		(0.13)	3.1		(0.22)	2.5		(0.20)	1.6		(0.41)	1.8		(0.25)	1.9		(0.17)	1.8		(0.11)	2.2		(0.24)
Incidents reported to sworn law enforcement
Total	14.1		(0.44)	16.4		(0.49)	16.0		(0.44)	14.7		(0.44)	14.6		(0.41)	9.1		(0.27)	8.6		(0.27)	9.9		(0.46)	2.0		(0.28)	14.0		(0.79)	20.0		(1.33)	7.3		(1.46)	6.5		(0.62)	10.2		(0.62)	10.5		(0.72)	11.4		(1.11)
Violent incidents	5.5		(0.30)	8.3		(0.38)	7.4		(0.28)	6.3		(0.28)	6.4		(0.28)	4.0		(0.20)	3.9		(0.17)	4.6		(0.28)	1.2		(0.21)	8.0		(0.61)	8.0		(0.79)	3.8		(1.05)	2.3		(0.23)	4.5		(0.39)	4.7		(0.43)	6.3		(0.74)
Serious violent incidents	0.7		(0.06)	0.7		(0.05)	0.7		(0.05)	0.6		(0.05)	0.5		(0.05)	0.4		(0.04)	0.5		(0.03)	0.7		(0.05)	0.3		(0.07)	1.0		(0.11)	1.0		(0.11)	0.9	!	(0.28)	0.4		(0.08)	0.7		(0.07)	0.7		(0.10)	0.8		(0.12)
Rape or attempted rape	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	0.1		(0.01)	‡		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)
Sexual assault other than rape	0.1	7	(0.01)	0.1	7	(0.01)	0.1	7	(0.01)	0.1	7	(0.01)	#	7	(†)	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.01)	#		(†)	0.2		(0.02)	0.2		(0.03)	‡		(†)	0.1		(0.02)	0.2		(0.03)	0.1		(0.02)	0.1		(0.03)
Physical attack or fight with a weapon	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.03)	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.03)	0.1		(0.02)	0.1	!	(0.02)	#		(†)	0.1	!	(0.03)	‡		(†)	0.1		(0.03)	0.1		(0.03)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	0.1		(0.02)	0.1		(0.02)	0.2	!	(0.09)
Threat of physical attack with a weapon	0.3		(0.03)	0.2		(0.03)	0.2		(0.02)	0.2		(0.02)	0.2		(0.02)	0.2		(0.02)	0.3		(0.03)	0.2		(0.03)	0.1		(0.03)	0.4		(0.07)	0.3		(0.05)	0.1	!	(0.05)	0.1	!	(0.04)	0.3		(0.05)	0.3		(0.05)	0.2		(0.06)
Robbery with a weapon	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	‡		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)
Robbery without a weapon	0.2		(0.04)	0.2		(0.02)	0.3		(0.04)	0.2		(0.03)	0.2		(0.02)	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.01)	0.2		(0.02)	0.1	!	(0.03)	0.3		(0.07)	0.3		(0.04)	0.2	!	(0.10)	0.1		(0.03)	0.1	!	(0.04)	0.2		(0.04)	0.2		(0.04)
Physical attack or fight without a weapon	3.0		(0.12)	5.3		(0.26)	4.3		(0.20)	3.6		(0.15)	4.1		(0.25)	2.5		(0.18)	2.2		(0.12)	2.7		(0.17)	0.5	!	(0.15)	4.8		(0.46)	4.8		(0.46)	1.3		(0.38)	1.3		(0.15)	2.6		(0.29)	2.8		(0.37)	3.6		(0.43)
Threat of physical attack without a weapon	1.8		(0.21)	2.3		(0.21)	2.4		(0.12)	2.1		(0.16)	1.8		(0.11)	1.1		(0.07)	1.2		(0.08)	1.3		(0.13)	0.4		(0.07)	2.2		(0.29)	2.2		(0.37)	1.6	!	(0.68)	0.6		(0.07)	1.3		(0.14)	1.2		(0.13)	1.9		(0.39)
Theft/larceny8	2.3		(0.12)	2.4		(0.10)	2.5		(0.09)	2.8		(0.14)	2.6		(0.09)	1.5		(0.07)	1.1		(0.06)	1.0		(0.06)	0.2		(0.05)	1.2		(0.08)	2.1		(0.16)	0.7	!	(0.23)	0.9		(0.14)	1.1		(0.09)	1.0		(0.11)	0.9		(0.14)
Other incidents9	6.3		(0.18)	5.6		(0.15)	6.1		(0.19)	5.6		(0.17)	5.5		(0.17)	3.7		(0.11)	3.6		(0.11)	4.3		(0.19)	0.7		(0.09)	4.8		(0.26)	9.8		(0.55)	2.8		(0.56)	3.2		(0.33)	4.6		(0.33)	4.8		(0.38)	4.3		(0.43)
Possession of a firearm/explosive device	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.01)	0.2		(0.04)	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.01)	0.2	!	(0.06)	#		(†)	#		(†)	‡		(†)	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.01)	‡		(†)	#		(†)	#		(†)	0.1		(0.01)	0.1		(0.01)
Possession of a knife or sharp object	1.0		(0.05)	0.5		(0.03)	1.1		(0.04)	0.9		(0.03)	0.8		(0.04)	0.6		(0.03)	0.6		(0.03)	0.5		(0.03)	0.3		(0.03)	0.8		(0.06)	0.8		(0.07)	0.4	!	(0.12)	0.3		(0.03)	0.5		(0.05)	0.6		(0.05)	0.7		(0.07)
Distribution of illegal drugs	0.5		(0.03)	0.7		(0.03)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)
Possession or use of alcohol or illegal drugs	1.9		(0.07)	2.3		(0.08)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)
Distribution, possession, or use of illegal     drugs	---		(†)	---		(†)	2.1		(0.09)	2.0		(0.08)	2.0		(0.07)	1.7		(0.07)	1.7		(0.07)	2.4		(0.12)	0.1		(0.03)	2.2		(0.15)	6.3		(0.38)	1.5		(0.27)	1.6		(0.15)	2.5		(0.21)	3.0		(0.30)	2.4		(0.28)
Inappropriate distribution, possession, or     use of prescription drugs	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	0.5		(0.04)	0.3		(0.03)	0.3		(0.02)	0.3		(0.02)	‡		(†)	0.3		(0.05)	0.7		(0.06)	‡		(†)	0.2		(0.04)	0.4		(0.05)	0.3		(0.04)	0.2		(0.04)
Distribution, possession, or use of alcohol	---		(†)	---		(†)	0.7		(0.05)	0.6		(0.02)	0.6		(0.03)	0.4		(0.03)	0.3		(0.02)	0.4		(0.02)	‡		(†)	0.6		(0.06)	0.9		(0.07)	0.3	!	(0.14)	0.3		(0.05)	0.5		(0.07)	0.4		(0.05)	0.2		(0.03)
Sexual harassment	0.7		(0.05)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)	---		(†)
Vandalism	2.0		(0.13)	2.0		(0.09)	1.9		(0.09)	2.1		(0.12)	1.6		(0.09)	0.6		(0.05)	0.6		(0.04)	0.6		(0.06)	0.3		(0.05)	0.8		(0.10)	1.1		(0.18)	0.4	!	(0.16)	0.8		(0.19)	0.6		(0.06)	0.4		(0.05)	0.8		(0.12)

---Not available.

†Not applicable.

#Rounds to zero.

!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

1 The number of incidents of crime at school per 1,000 students enrolled.

2 The coronavirus pandemic affected the 2019-20 data collection activities, while the change to virtual schooling and the adjusted school year may have impacted the data collected by SSOCS. Readers should use caution when comparing 2019-20 estimates with those from earlier years. For more information, see Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools in 2019–20: Findings From the School Survey on Crime and Safety (NCES 2022-029).

3 Elementary schools are defined as schools that enroll students in more of grades K through 4 than in higher grades.

4 Middle schools are defined as schools that enroll students in more of grades 5 through 8 than in higher or lower grades.

5 Secondary/high schools are defined as schools that enroll students in more of grades 9 through 12 than in lower grades.

6 Combined/other schools include all other combinations of grades not specified in the Elementary, Middle, and Secondary/high categories, including K-12 schools.

7 Prior to 2015-16, the wording of the survey item was "sexual battery other than rape."

8 Theft/larceny is taking things worth over $10 without personal confrontation.

9 Caution should be used when making direct comparisons of "Other incidents" between years because the survey questions about alcohol and drugs changed and because sexual harassment was only included in 1999-2000.

NOTE: Responses were provided by the principal or the person most knowledgeable about crime and safety issues at the school. "At school" was defined to include activities that happen in school buildings, on school grounds, on school buses, and at places that hold school-sponsored events or activities. Respondents were instructed to include incidents that occurred before, during, and after normal school hours or when school activities or events were in session. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and because schools that recorded or reported more than one type of crime incident were counted only once in the total percentage of schools recording or reporting incidents.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 1999-2000, 2003-04, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2015-16, 2017-18, and 2019-20 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2018, and 2020. (This table was prepared October 2021.)