Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools: Findings from the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2021-22. First Look. NCES 2024-043

Using data from the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), this report presents findings both on crime and violence in U.S. public schools and on the practices and programs schools have used to promote school safety. SSOCS is managed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences and collects data from public school principals about violent and nonviolent crimes in their schools. The survey also collects data on school security measures, school security staff, mental health services, parent and community involvement at school, and staff training on school discipline and safety policies and practices. SSOCS data can be used to study how violent incidents in schools relate to the programs and practices that schools have in place to prevent crime. In addition to collecting data on these core topics, SSOCS:2022 collected data on schools' responses to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during the 2021-22 school year. The national sample for SSOCS:2022 was made up of 4,800 U.S. public schools. Data collection began on February 15, 2022, and continued through July 19, 2022.