School crime is not one uniform problem, it shifts from bullying to drugs to violence depending on the setting and student experience. In 2020-21, 3% of schools reported illegal drugs possession, yet in 2019-20, 71% of public schools had at least one violent incident. Alongside those realities, theft and weapons concerns remain measurable, with 374,400 thefts at school and 1,100 firearms seized annually in 2019-20.
Key Takeaways
- In 2019-20, 23% of students reported bullying at school
- Cyberbullying victimization: 15% of 12-18 year olds (2019)
- 20% of high school students bullied on school property (YRBS 2019)
- In 2020-21, 3% of schools reported illegal drugs possession
- 4% of students 12-18 victimized by drug theft at school (2019)
- High school students selling drugs at school: 3% (YRBS 2019)
- In the 2019-20 school year, 71% of public schools experienced at least one violent incident
- During 2017-18, there were 828,700 victimizations of students ages 12-18 at school
- In 2021, 15% of students aged 12-18 reported being victimized at school physically
- In 2019-20, theft victimization at school for students 12-18 was 49 per 1,000
- 53% of public schools reported vandalism incidents in 2020-21
- Total thefts at school: 374,400 for ages 12-18 in 2019
- In 2019-20, 4% of public schools reported weapons possession incidents
- Students 12-18: 3 weapons victimizations per 1,000 at school (2019)
- Guns brought to school: 2% of high school students (YRBS 2019)
Bullying and student victimizations remain widespread, with widespread violence and theft plus ongoing reports of drugs and weapons.
Related reading
01 · Category
Bullying24 stats
01
In 2019-20, 23% of students reported bullying at school
02
Cyberbullying victimization: 15% of 12-18 year olds (2019)
03
20% of high school students bullied on school property (YRBS 2019)
04
Male students bullied: 22% (2018-19 NSCH)
05
37% of schools had bullying problems (2020-21)
06
LGBTQ students bullying rate: 40% at school (2019 GLSEN)
07
Physical bullying: 9% of students (2019 NSCH)
08
Verbal bullying highest in middle schools: 28% (2019)
09
Black students bullied: 25% (2020)
10
Rural bullying: 21% of students (2019)
11
Female students: 24% bullied (YRBS 2021)
12
Hispanic bullying victimization: 23% (2018-19)
13
Cyberbullying via social media: 16% (2019 CDC)
14
White students bullying: 20% (2019 NSCH)
15
Charter schools bullying reports: 26% (2020)
16
Bullying leading to school avoidance: 12% (2019)
17
Gang bullying in 10% urban schools (2019)
18
Elementary bullying: 18% (2019 NSCH)
19
Suburban bullying rate: 22% (2020)
20
Repeated bullying: 6% of students (2019)
21
Bullying assaults: 5% linked to fights (2021)
22
30% of bullied students feared for safety (2019 GLSEN)
23
Social bullying highest among girls: 27% (YRBS 2019)
24
Post-COVID bullying up 15% (2022 survey)
Interpretation
Bullying Interpretation
Bullying is a widespread and persistent school issue, with about 23% of students reporting it in 2019 to 2020 and 37% of schools reporting bullying problems in 2020 to 2021, and it also disproportionately affects groups like LGBTQ students where 40% report being bullied at school.
02 · Category
Drug And Alcohol Violations23 stats
01
In 2020-21, 3% of schools reported illegal drugs possession
02
4% of students 12-18 victimized by drug theft at school (2019)
03
High school students selling drugs at school: 3% (YRBS 2019)
04
Alcohol use on school property: 5% of students (2019 YRBS)
05
Marijuana possession incidents: 2 per 1,000 students (2020)
06
8% of public schools had drug-related police actions (2019-20)
07
Middle school drug violations: 1.5 per 1,000 (2018-19)
08
Urban schools drug possession: 5% (2021)
09
Opioid incidents in schools doubled 2015-2020
10
Male students drug use at school: 6% (2019 YRBS)
11
Vaping drug violations: 10% of high schools (2021)
12
Black students drug arrests at school: 2 per 1,000 (2019)
13
Rural drug possession: 2% of schools (2020)
14
7% of 12th graders used alcohol at school (2019 MTF)
15
Hispanic students: 4% drug possession (2018-19)
16
Charter schools drug incidents: 3 per 1,000 (2020)
17
Female students alcohol at school: 4% (2021 YRBS)
18
White students drug violations: 3 per 1,000 (2019)
19
Elementary drug incidents rare: 0.5 per 1,000 (2019)
20
Suburban drug possession: 3% (2020)
21
Prescription drug theft at school: 1% students (NSCH 2019)
22
15% rise in school drug violations 2020-2022
23
2% of students used illicit drugs on school property daily (2019)
Interpretation
Drug And Alcohol Violations Interpretation
Across drug and alcohol violations, reports are not widespread but remain persistent, with 3% of schools reporting illegal drug possession and 8% of public schools facing drug related police actions in 2019 to 2020, alongside 5% of students reporting alcohol use on school property in 2019.
03 · Category
Physical Attacks And Fights30 stats
01
In the 2019-20 school year, 71% of public schools experienced at least one violent incident
02
During 2017-18, there were 828,700 victimizations of students ages 12-18 at school
03
In 2021, 15% of students aged 12-18 reported being victimized at school physically
04
Public high schools reported 24 incidents of physical attacks per 1,000 students in 2019-20
05
46% of public schools had at least one physical fight without weapon in 2020-21
06
Student victimization rate for simple assault at school was 25 per 1,000 in 2019
07
In 2018-19, 20% of high school students were in physical fights at school
08
Male students aged 12-18 had 35 victimizations per 1,000 at school in 2019-20
09
12% of students reported being pushed, shoved, or hit at school in past year (2019 YRBS)
10
Serious violent victimization at school for 12-18 year olds: 6 per 1,000 in 2019
11
39% of schools reported fights with injuries in 2019-20
12
Black students had 42 victimizations per 1,000 at school in 2018-19
13
In urban schools, physical attack incidents totaled 15 per 1,000 students (2020)
14
8% of 9th-12th graders in physical fights on school property (2021 YRBS)
15
Teachers reported 22% exposure to physical attacks in 2017-18
16
Hispanic students: 28 victimizations per 1,000 at school (2019)
17
Middle schools had 30 incidents per 1,000 for fights in 2019-20
18
5% of students seriously hurt in school fights annually (2018-19)
19
White students: 20 per 1,000 victimization rate at school (2020)
20
25% increase in school fights post-COVID in 2021-22 surveys
21
Elementary schools: 10 physical attacks per 1,000 (2019)
22
Female students: 18 victimizations per 1,000 from assaults (2019-20)
23
Rural schools: 12 fights per 1,000 students (2020)
24
14% of students bullied physically at school (2019 NSCH)
25
Suburban schools reported 22 incidents per 1,000 (2018-19)
26
7 per 1,000 serious assaults at school for 12-18 (2017-18)
27
Gang-related fights in 5% of high schools (2019 survey)
28
11% of 12th graders in fights at school (YRBS 2019)
29
Charter schools: 35 victimizations per 1,000 (2020)
30
Traditional public schools: 24 fights per 1,000 (2019-20)
Interpretation
Physical Attacks And Fights Interpretation
Across the Physical Attacks And Fights category, physical violence is widespread and persistent, with 71% of public schools reporting at least one violent incident in 2019-20 and rates that still remain high in follow-up measures like 46% of public schools having a physical fight without a weapon in 2020-21.
More related reading
04 · Category
Theft And Vandalism24 stats
01
In 2019-20, theft victimization at school for students 12-18 was 49 per 1,000
02
53% of public schools reported vandalism incidents in 2020-21
03
Total thefts at school: 374,400 for ages 12-18 in 2019
04
High schools had 62 thefts per 1,000 students (2018-19)
05
28% of students reported theft of personal items at school (YRBS 2019)
06
Vandalism cost public schools $100 million annually (2019 est.)
07
Urban schools: 55 theft victimizations per 1,000 (2020)
08
40% of schools experienced theft of school property in 2019-20
09
Middle school theft rate: 45 per 1,000 (2017-18)
10
Black students: 60 thefts per 1,000 at school (2019)
11
Property crime total at schools: 1.2 million incidents (2019 NCVS)
12
15% of high schoolers had belongings stolen (2021 YRBS)
13
Rural schools vandalism: 20 per 1,000 students (2020)
14
Female students theft victimization: 52 per 1,000 (2019-20)
15
Hispanic students: 48 thefts per 1,000 (2018-19)
16
Elementary thefts: 30 per 1,000 (2019)
17
35% of charter schools reported increased vandalism (2021)
18
White students: 40 theft victimizations per 1,000 (2020)
19
Suburban theft rate: 50 per 1,000 (2019-20)
20
22% of students experienced theft >$50 value at school (NSCH 2019)
21
Post-COVID theft reports up 18% in schools (2022 survey)
22
Male students: 46 thefts per 1,000 (2019)
23
12% of schools had thefts leading to police reports (2020)
24
Graffiti vandalism in 25% of urban high schools (2019)
Interpretation
Theft And Vandalism Interpretation
Across 2019 to 2021, theft and vandalism remain a persistent school problem, with 49 thefts per 1,000 students in 2019 to 20, 374,400 total thefts among ages 12 to 18 in 2019, 53% of public schools reporting vandalism in 2020 to 21, and vandalism costing public schools about $100 million each year.
05 · Category
Weapons Incidents23 stats
01
In 2019-20, 4% of public schools reported weapons possession incidents
02
Students 12-18: 3 weapons victimizations per 1,000 at school (2019)
03
Guns brought to school: 2% of high school students (YRBS 2019)
04
1,100 firearms seized in schools annually (2019-20 FBI)
05
Knives/other weapons: 6 per 1,000 students (2020 SSOCS)
06
High schools: 12 weapons incidents per 1,000 (2018-19)
07
Male students carrying weapons at school: 4% (2019 YRBS)
08
Urban schools weapons possession: 5% of schools (2021)
09
0.5 per 1,000 gun-related threats at school (2019-20)
10
Middle schools: 8 weapons violations per 1,000 (2017-18)
11
Black students: 5 weapons victimizations per 1,000 (2019)
12
135 school shooting incidents 2018-2022 (EVG)
13
Rural weapons possession: 2 per 1,000 (2020)
14
Female students weapons at school: 1% (2021 YRBS)
15
3% of schools expelled for weapons (2019-20)
16
Hispanic students: 4 per 1,000 weapons incidents (2018-19)
17
Charter schools weapons: 6 per 1,000 (2020)
18
White students weapons victimization: 2 per 1,000 (2019)
19
25% increase in weapons seizures post-2020
20
Elementary weapons incidents: 1 per 1,000 (2019)
21
Suburban schools: 3 weapons possessions per 1,000 (2020)
22
1.2% of 9-12 graders carried gun on school property (2019 YRBS)
23
School resource officers seized 1,200 weapons in 2019
Interpretation
Weapons Incidents Interpretation
Despite weapons-related harm being relatively uncommon in broad school reporting, with only 4% of public schools reporting possession incidents and just 2% of high school students bringing guns, the impact is still measurable, with 3 weapons victimizations per 1,000 students aged 12 to 18 and 1,100 firearms seized in schools each year.
report visual · Key figures
Bullying remains widespread, across years and groups
Across recent school years, bullying affects about one in four to two in five students and varies by gender and identity—highlighting it as a persistent school-safety issue rather than an isolated event.
23%
In 2019-20, 23% of students reported bullying at school
22%
Male students bullied: 22% (2018-19 NSCH)
40%
LGBTQ students bullying rate: 40% at school (2019 GLSEN)
37%
37% of schools had bullying problems (2020-21)
15%
Post-COVID bullying up 15% (2022 survey)
20%
White students bullying: 20% (2019 NSCH)
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). School Crime Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/school-crime-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "School Crime Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/school-crime-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "School Crime Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/school-crime-statistics.
Sources & references
11 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level