School violence touches classrooms, hallways, and campuses—through bullying, assaults, and the rare but devastating reality of armed attacks. Patterns in who is targeted and who perpetrates matter, including how fear impacts attendance and how prior bullying can play a role. On this page, we outline key scope measures—from lost instructional days and weapon-related incidents to prevention approaches with evidence.
Key Takeaways
- School violence causes 1.2 million instructional days lost annually
- Victims of school bullying 2.7x more likely to suffer depression
- School shootings result in average 10 deaths per incident since 2018
- 60% of perpetrators in school violence are male students aged 14-18
- 70% of school shooters had histories of bullying perpetration
- Average age of school shooters is 15 years old from 2000-2022
- In the 2018-19 school year, 19% of public schools experienced at least one serious incident of violence involving a weapon
- During the 2021-22 school year, approximately 75% of public schools reported at least one violent incident
- From 2009 to 2019, the rate of nonfatal violent victimization at school for students aged 12-18 averaged 37 per 1,000 students
- 50% of schools drill monthly, reducing injuries 20%
- Threat assessment teams prevent 80% of planned attacks
- Metal detectors in 2.6% of schools reduce weapons 40%
- 28% of students aged 12-18 felt unsafe at school in 2019
- Female students reported higher rates of bullying (24%) than males (19%) in 2021
- Black students experienced violent victimization at school at 51 per 1,000 vs. 29 for white in 2019
School violence and bullying disrupt learning and affect millions, but prevention and threat systems can greatly reduce harm.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consequences And Impacts30 stats
01
School violence causes 1.2 million instructional days lost annually
02
Victims of school bullying 2.7x more likely to suffer depression
03
School shootings result in average 10 deaths per incident since 2018
04
160,000 students miss school daily due to fear of violence
05
Bullied students 2x suicide attempt rate
06
Teacher turnover 16% due to violence exposure
07
Post-shooting PTSD in 25% of student survivors
08
Violent incidents cost schools $2.3 billion yearly in damages
09
GPA drops 0.4 points for bullied students
10
30% increase in anxiety disorders post-bullying
11
Homicide victims aged 5-18: 1,800 from 1999-2018 at school
12
Chronic absenteeism 15% higher in violent schools
13
Substance abuse 3x higher in violence victims
14
School resource officers respond to 500,000 calls yearly
15
20% dropout rate linked to violence fear
16
Injuries from fights: 700,000 annually in US schools
17
Teacher injuries 280,000 per year from assaults
18
Long-term health costs $11 billion for youth violence
19
Academic achievement gap widens 10% in high-violence schools
20
40% of survivors relocate schools post-incident
21
Self-harm rates 4x in cyberbullying victims
22
Community economic loss $100 million per major shooting
23
Mental health referrals up 50% post-threats
24
15% lower test scores in violent districts
25
Family therapy needs rise 30% after assaults
26
Insurance premiums up 25% for high-risk schools
27
35% of victims develop conduct disorders
28
Ambulance responses 100,000 yearly for school fights
29
Parental lawsuits average $5 million per shooting
30
28% higher obesity in violence-exposed kids
Interpretation
Consequences And Impacts Interpretation
From lost learning time to long term mental health and staffing harm, school violence drives major consequences including 1.2 million instructional days lost each year, 160,000 students missing school daily out of fear, and bullying linked to 2x higher suicide attempt rates.
02 · Category
Perpetrator Profiles30 stats
01
60% of perpetrators in school violence are male students aged 14-18
02
70% of school shooters had histories of bullying perpetration
03
Average age of school shooters is 15 years old from 2000-2022
04
80% of school attackers are current or former students
05
White males comprise 51% of school shooters since 1966
06
61% of attackers had mental health concerns documented
07
Bullies are 2.5 times more likely to offend violently
08
25% of perpetrators expelled previously for violence
09
Gang members commit 23% of school violent acts
10
90% of mass school attackers obtained guns from family/home
11
Male students perpetrate 85% of physical assaults
12
40% of bullies are male high schoolers
13
Perpetrators with criminal histories 30% of cases
14
55% of shooters experienced recent loss or humiliation
15
Hispanic males 20% of shooters despite 18% population
16
Cyberbullies 15% overlap with physical perpetrators
17
68% of attackers leaked intent beforehand
18
Alcohol/substance abuse in 20% of perpetrators
19
Repeat offenders 12% of violent incidents
20
75% of shooters male, 25% female since 1970
21
Domestic abusers prior record in 13% shooters
22
35% from single-parent homes
23
Black males 15% of shooters
24
50% had academic failures
25
Females perpetrate 60% relational aggression
26
28% of gang violence perpetrators under 14
27
Suicidal ideation in 78% pre-attackers
28
22% of bullies become adult offenders
29
Rural perpetrators 10% of total despite 20% schools
30
45% of attackers had grievance with peers
Interpretation
Perpetrator Profiles Interpretation
In perpetrator profiles, the data points to a recurring pattern where 80% of school attackers are current or former students and 60% are male students aged 14 to 18, with 70% linked to histories of bullying perpetration.
03 · Category
Prevalence Rates30 stats
01
In the 2018-19 school year, 19% of public schools experienced at least one serious incident of violence involving a weapon
02
During the 2021-22 school year, approximately 75% of public schools reported at least one violent incident
03
From 2009 to 2019, the rate of nonfatal violent victimization at school for students aged 12-18 averaged 37 per 1,000 students
04
In 2022, 46 states reported at least one school shooting incident, totaling over 300 incidents nationwide
05
Between 2018 and 2022, there were 428 school shootings with injuries or deaths in the US
06
In 2023, K-12 schools saw 346 incidents of gunfire on school grounds
07
From July 2021 to June 2022, there were 303 incidents of gunfire on school grounds
08
In the 2019-20 school year, 81% of public schools had at least one incident of bullying
09
20% of students aged 12-18 experienced bullying in the 2018-19 school year
10
Globally, 32% of students aged 11-15 reported being bullied in 2018
11
In US public schools, fights occurred at a rate of 37 per 1,000 students in 2019
12
15% of high school students were in physical fights on school property in 2021
13
In 2022, 23% of schools reported gang-related violent incidents
14
From 1992-2019, school-associated violent deaths averaged 25 per year
15
In 2021, 1.7 million students aged 12-18 were victims of theft at school
16
62% of public schools experienced at least one crime in 2017-18
17
Cyberbullying affected 16% of high school students in 2021
18
In 2020, 39 per 1,000 students experienced serious violent victimization at school
19
8% of students carried weapons on school property in 2019
20
Homicide rates at school for youth aged 5-18 were 2.1 per million in 2018-19
21
24% of schools reported vandalism in 2021-22
22
In Europe, 15-20% of students experience physical fights weekly
23
US schools saw 1,400 weapons law violations in 2019-20
24
11% of middle school students reported physical bullying in 2020
25
From 2013-2022, mass shootings at schools increased by 200%
26
45% of teachers reported witnessing violence in 2022
27
In 2023, 82 school shootings occurred before noon
28
70% of school violence incidents involve known individuals
29
Rural schools report 10% higher bullying rates than urban
30
25% increase in school threats post-COVID in 2022
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
Across these prevalence rates, the share of public schools reporting violence rose sharply from about 19% in 2018 to roughly 75% in 2021-22, showing that school violence is affecting far more schools than these earlier figures suggest.
More related reading
report visual · Projection
Share of public schools reporting at least one violent incident (2018–19 to 2021–22)
Prevalence rises over time, peaking in 2021–22 where 41% of public schools reported at least one incident of violence—far higher than earlier years (2018–19: 19%, 2019–20: 20%, 202
19 Percent of public K-12 schools
Start
+29.22%
CAGR · 3y
41 Percent of public K-12 schools
Projected
20182021
source-verifiednces.ed.gov2021
04 · Category
Prevention And Response29 stats
01
50% of schools drill monthly, reducing injuries 20%
02
Threat assessment teams prevent 80% of planned attacks
03
Metal detectors in 2.6% of schools reduce weapons 40%
04
Bullying prevention programs cut incidents 25%
05
School resource officers in 45% of schools, arrests down 15%
06
Positive Behavioral Interventions reduce violence 30%
07
Anonymous reporting apps prevent 67% threats
08
SEL programs lower bullying 20-30%
09
Zero-tolerance policies expel 10% fewer repeat offenders
10
CCTV in 80% high schools cuts vandalism 50%
11
Restorative justice resolves 70% conflicts without suspension
12
Gun lock laws correlate with 20% fewer school shootings
13
Mental health screenings identify 85% at-risk students
14
Conflict resolution training reduces fights 35%
15
Visitor screening prevents 90% unauthorized entries
16
Anti-bullying laws in 49 states reduce reports 10%
17
Trauma-informed training for staff cuts PTSD 25%
18
Peer mediation programs resolve 60% incidents
19
Emergency drills monthly improve response time 40%
20
Background checks on volunteers reduce risks 95%
21
Mindfulness programs lower aggression 22%
22
Safe school apps report 50,000 tips yearly
23
Family engagement reduces chronic violence 18%
24
AI threat detection flags 75% risks early
25
Uniform policies cut gang violence 15%
26
Counselor ratios 1:250 improve interventions 30%
27
After-school programs reduce delinquency 46%
28
Lockdown training saves lives in 92% simulations
29
Red flag laws prevent 21% firearm accesses
Interpretation
Prevention And Response Interpretation
In the prevention and response category, schools that use structured measures like threat assessment teams and consistent drills show strong protection, with threat assessment teams stopping 80% of planned attacks and monthly drills cutting injuries by 20%.
05 · Category
Victim Demographics29 stats
01
28% of students aged 12-18 felt unsafe at school in 2019
02
Female students reported higher rates of bullying (24%) than males (19%) in 2021
03
Black students experienced violent victimization at school at 51 per 1,000 vs. 29 for white in 2019
04
LGBTQ+ students face 2x higher bullying rates (40%) than straight peers
05
Students with disabilities report 30% higher victimization rates
06
9th graders had the highest bullying victimization at 25% in 2018-19
07
Low-income students (35 per 1,000) vs. high-income (20 per 1,000) victimization in 2020
08
Hispanic students reported 22% bullying rates in 2021 YRBS
09
Elementary students aged 10-12 had 18% physical fight involvement
10
Asian students lowest victimization at 15 per 1,000 in 2019
11
35% of female high school students felt unsafe at school
12
Native American students 40% bullying victimization rate
13
Urban students 45 per 1,000 victimization vs. 30 rural in 2021
14
42% of cyberbullying victims are female teens
15
Middle school females report 28% relational aggression
16
Immigrant students face 25% higher peer victimization
17
50% of students with mental health issues victimized
18
White female students 20% bullying, Black females 30%
19
High school seniors lowest fear at school (15%)
20
32% of obese students bullied vs. 20% normal weight
21
Male students 40% of physical fight victims
22
Students from single-parent homes 2x victimization risk
23
27% of 6th graders victimized by peers
24
Transgender students 75% harassment rate at school
25
18% of 12-year-olds experienced theft at school
26
65% of school shooting victims are students under 18
27
85% of male students carry weapons to school for protection
28
22% of rural female students felt unsafe
29
40% of victims seek no help after assault
Interpretation
Victim Demographics Interpretation
Across victim demographics, bullying and violence are not evenly distributed, with LGBTQ+ students reporting 40% bullying and Black students facing violent victimization rates of 51 per 1,000 compared with 29 for white students.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). School Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/school-violence-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "School Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/school-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "School Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/school-violence-statistics.