During the 2008-09 school year, 3.9 percent of students ages 12 to 18 were victims of a crime at school, according to a survey of about 4,300 students by the National Center for Education Statistics.
In the survey, published this month, 2.8 percent of students reported being victims of theft, 1.4 percent reported a violent victimization, and 0.3 percent reported a serious violent victimization. A larger percentage of boys than girls were victims of crimes at school—4.6 percent compared with 3.2 percent.
In addition, the survey found that nearly 40 percent of students who were victims of a crime reported the presence of gangs at school, compared with 19.6 percent of nonvictims.
