Skip to main content
Log in

School crime policy changes: The impact of recent highly-publicized school crimes

  • Published:
American Journal of Criminal Justice Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Highly-publicized school shootings have heightened concern over school safety. This study examines the impact of school crimes on campus policy. The administrators of 336 Texas middle and high schools were surveyed. Policy changes were related to parental complaints about school crime policies and administrator perceptions that students felt less safe. School administrators should base safety policies on strategies that have been evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing school crime and fear.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agron, J. (1999). Safe havens: Preventing violence and crime in schools.American School & University, 71(6), 18–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agron, J., & Anderson, L. (2000). School security by the numbers.American School & University, 72(9), 6–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bastian, L. D., & Taylor, B.M. (1991).School crime: A national crime victimization survey report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borsuk, A. J., & Murphy, M. B. (1999, April 30). Idle or otherwise, threats bring severe discipline: Where area students once faced a principal, now they face the police.Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, p. 8.

  • Brooks, K., Schiraldi, V., & Ziedenberg, J. (1999).School house hype: Two years later. San Francisco: Justice Policy Institute and Children’s Law Center, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bursik, R. J., Jr., & Grasmick, H. G. (1993).Neighborhoods and crime: The dimensions of effective community control. New York: Lexington Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Capozzoli, T. K., & McVey, R. S. (2000).Kids killing kids: Managing violence and gangs in schools. New York: St. Lucie Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiricos, T., Eschholz, S., & Gertz, M. (1997). Crime, news and fear of crime: Toward an identification of audience effects.Social Problems, 44, 342–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, A. H., & Lewis, M. (1982). Fear of crime among the elderly.British Journal of Criminology, 22, 49–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crews, G. A., & Montgomery, R. (2001).Chasing shadows: Confronting juvenile violence in America. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dorfman, L., & Schiraldi, V. (2001).Off balance: Youth, race and crime in the news. Washington, DC: Building Blocks for Youth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, D. S., Hamburg, B. A., & Williams, K. R. (1998).Violence in American schools: A new perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferraro, K. F. (1995).Fear of crime: Interpreting victimization risk. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferraro, K. F., & LaGrange, R. (1987). The measurement of fear of crime.Sociological Inquiry, 57, 70–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garofalo, J. (1979). Victimization and the fear of crime.Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency, 16, 80–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garofalo, J. (1981). Crime and the mass media: A selective review of research.Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency, 18, 319–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaustad, J. (1999).The fundamentals of school security (ERIC Digest No. 132). Eugene, OR: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, University of Oregon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gebotys, R., Roberts, J., & DasGupta, B. (1988). News media use and public perceptions of crime seriousness.Canadian Journal of Criminology, 30, 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gomme, I. (1986). Fear of crime mounting among Canadians: A multivariate analysis.Journal of Criminal Justice, 14, 249–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, M., & Heath, L. (1981). The news business, crime, and fear. In D. Lewis (Ed.),Reactions to crime (pp. 227–250). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunter, B. (1987).Television and the fear of crime. London: Libbey.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heath, L. (1984). Impact of newspaper crime reports on fear of crime: Multimethodological investigation.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 263–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heath, L., & Gilbert, K. (1996). Mass media and fear of crime.American Behavioral Scientist, 39, 379–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heaviside, S., Rowand, C., Williams, C., & Farris, E. (1998).Violence and discipline problems in U.S. public schools: 1996–1997. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hylton, J. B. (1998). Security in motion.American School & University, 70(8), 21–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, C. (1999, May 21). ACLU says that students’ rights violated in wake of Littleton.USA Today, p. 3B.

  • Kaufman, P., Chen, X., Choy, S. P., Ruddy, S. A., Miller, A. K., Fleury, J. K., Chandler, K. A., Rand, M. R., Klaus, P., & Planty, M. G. (2000).Indicators of school crime and safety. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, P., Chen, X., Choy, S. P., Peter, K., Ruddy, S. A., Miller, A. K., Fleury, J. K., Chandler, K. A., Planty, M. G., & Rand, M.R. (2001).Indicators of school crime and safety. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kenney, D. J., & Watson, T. S. (1998).Crime in the schools: Reducing fear and disorder with student problem solving. Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramen, A., Massey, K. R., & Timm, H. W. (1999).Guide for preventing and responding to school violence. Alexandria, VA: Security Research Center, Private Sector Liaison Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, A. (1999, December 28). Suit fights school alcohol policy.St. Petersburg Times, p.3b.

  • LaGrange, R. L., & Ferraro, K. F. (1989). Assessing age and gender differences in perceived risk and fear of crime.Criminology, 27, 697–719.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaGrange, R. L., Ferraro, K. F., & Supancic, M. (1992). Perceived risk and fear of crime: Role of social and physical incivilities.Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency, 29, 311–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, R. (1998).School crime and juvenile justice. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leffler, S., & Snow, S. T. (2001). School-based programs that reduce violence.Reclaiming Children and Youth, 9(4), 234–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liska, A., & Baccaglini, W. (1990). Feeling safe by comparison: Crime in the newspapers.Social Problems, 37, 360–374.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mather, V. (2001). Building a nonviolent culture for learning.Reclaiming Children and Youth, 9(4), 202–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nancrede, S. F. (1998, August 20). School to take foul mouth to task: Southport High will institute zero-tolerance policy for profanity.Indianapolis Star, p. Al.

  • Penrod, G. S. (2001). Operation cleansweep: The school safety program that earned an A+.Journal of California Law Enforcement, 35(1), 18–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, R. L., & Skiba, R. (2001). Creating school climates that prevent school violence.The Social Studies, 92(4), 167–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrillo, L. (1997, October 29). Eight-year-old may be expelled under zero-tolerance code.San Diego Union-Tribune, p. B-l.

  • Potter, W. (1986). Perceived reality and the cultivation hypothesis.Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 30, 159–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rountree, P. W. (1998). A reexamination of the crime-fear linkage.Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency, 35, 341–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rountree, P. W., & Land, K. C. (1996). Perceived risk versus fear of crime: Empirical evidence of conceptually distinct reactions in survey data.Social Forces, 74, 1353–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schlesinger, P., Tumber, H., & Murdock, G. (1991). The media politics of crime and criminal justice.British Journal of Sociology, 42, 397–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, T. (2001).Safer schools through environmental design. Eugene, OR: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, University of Oregon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skiba, R. J. (2000).Zero tolerance, zero evidence: An analysis of school disciplinary practice [On-line]. Available: http://www.indiana.edu/~iepc/welcome.html

  • Skiba, R. J., Peterson, R. L., & Williams, T. (1997). Office referrals and suspension: Disciplinary intervention in middle schools.Education and Treatment of Children, 20 (3), 295–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skogan, W. G. (1984).The fear of crime. The Hague: Research and Documentation Centre, Ministry of Justice.

  • Skogan, W. G., & Maxfield, M. (1981).Coping with crime. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, S. (1984). Crime in the news.British Journal of Criminology, 24, 289–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Surette, R. (1998).Media, crime, and criminal justice: Images and realities (2nd ed.). New York: Wadsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Underwood, J. (2000). Zero-tolerance policies: A legal reference for school leaders. National School Boards Association. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. -line. Available: http://home.earthlink.net/~jhholly/zerotolerance.html

  • U.S. Department of Education & U.S. Department of Justice. (2000).2000 annual report on school safety. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P., & Dickinson, J. (1993). Fear of crime: Read all about it?British Journal of Criminology, 33, 33–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, B., Kunkel, D., Linz, D., Potter, J., Donnerstein, E., Smith, S., Blumenthal, E., & Gray, R. (1997).National television violence study, vol. 1. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Clete Snell.

Additional information

The authors wish to thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Snell, C., Bailey, C., Carona, A. et al. School crime policy changes: The impact of recent highly-publicized school crimes. Am J Crim Just 26, 269–285 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02887831

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02887831

Keywords

Navigation