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Attorney General's School Violence Awareness Program
To address the problem of violence in our schools -- which exists in virtually every community in our state and nation -- the South Carolina Attorney General's Office has developed a School Violence Awareness Program, staffed by an attorney, a coordinator, and support personnel. This staff is available to assist law enforcement agencies, school officials, and concerned citizens in understanding the dimensions of this problem and to confront specific incidents of school violence in their own communities.
A Nationwide Problem
Over the past decade, violent crime has increased substantially nationwide -- particularly among young people. A shocking number of such acts have occurred at school. According to the National School Safety Center, juveniles commit more than 3 million crimes in our schools each year. That's an average of about 1,700 per day. While the majority of these are thefts and other less-serious offenses, many are violent -- aggravated assault, rape, and even murder.
- One in five students has taken a weapon to school, and one out of 22 has carried a gun.
- One in eleven has been the victim of a crime.
- Forty-three percent of public school students avoid rest rooms because of fear.
- Fifteen percent of students report the presence of gangs in their schools.
- One hundred forty-seven (147) people were killed on public school grounds from 1993 to 1996.
- Over 5,000 teachers are attacked at school every month.
School Crime and South Carolina
South Carolina is not exempt from this disturbing trend.
In our state, the number of juvenile arrests for violent crimes (i.e., murder, robbery, rape, aggravated assault) has increased 337 percent from 1985 to 1996.
During the 1997/98 school year, South Carolina schools reported 9,005 crimes committed on school property. These included: 969 weapons offenses, 586 incidents of aggravated assault, 42 forcible-sex offenses, 532 threats against school officials or family members, 930 drug offenses, 361 burglary offenses, and two cases of kidnapping or abduction. Also, 76 handguns were taken to school.
The Attorney General's Program
In an effort to reduce such incidents of violence, the School Violence Awareness Program was established to do the following:
- improve the collection of data on school violence,
- increase public awareness of this problem through the dissemination of information,
- maintain a toll-free line to receive reports of violent incidents on school grounds and to advise victims,
- develop a resource center dedicated to the prevention of school violence,
- establish and maintain channels of communication among educators, law enforcement officers, and prosecutorial offices,
- and gather information on gang activity and its effects on schools.
Toll-Free Info Line (1-888-NO-BULLY)
The South Carolina Attorney General's Office was the first agency in the nation to establish a toll-free telephone line to receive reports on school violence and to give out useful information. An experienced staff maintains this line during school hours, and members handle a number of calls during an average day. Most calls are from parents, school officials and law enforcement officers.
Reporting School Crimes
South Carolina law (Section 59-24-60) requires school officials to contact the appropriate law enforcement agency when someone commits a crime on school grounds or at a school-sponsored event or activity. Another statute (Section 59-63-350) requires law enforcement officials to contact the Office of the Attorney General when a school-related incident report is filed. From these reports, the Office continues to develop a database that complements the School Crime Incident Report compiled quarterly by the S.C. Department of Education. The Attorney General reports school crime statistics to the general public on a quarterly basis. These reports have considerably increased the public's awareness of the problem.
A Problem for Everybody
If we are to eliminate school violence, everyone in the community must join the effort -- parents, religious leaders, community officials, and concerned citizens. Each of these groups must send the same message to the young people of South Carolina: We won't tolerate violence in any form, and most importantly, we won't tolerate it in our schools.
By coordinating the efforts of law enforcement officers, education officials, and prosecutors, the South Carolina Attorney General's Office is working to diminish violence among our young people and to ensure that South Carolina schools once again become safe places in which to teach and learn.
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