While the alarming statistic that 346 school shootings scarred the 2022-2023 academic year underscores a harrowing reality, the pervasive violence plaguing our hallways extends far beyond gunfire, from a surge in physical altercations to the insidious trauma of widespread bullying.
Key Takeaways
- During the 2022-2023 school year, there were 346 reported incidents of school shootings in K-12 schools across the United States, marking a 20% increase from the previous year.
- In 2021, 81% of school shootings involved a handgun as the primary weapon used by the shooter.
- From 2018 to 2022, 70% of school shooters were current or former students at the school where the incident occurred.
- 25% of high school students reported experiencing bullying on school property in 2021.
- Cyberbullying affected 16% of students aged 12-18 in the 2021-2022 school year, with 59% experiencing it frequently.
- 23.3% of public school students in grades 9-12 reported being bullied by a peer based on their race/ethnicity in 2019.
- 14% of public school students reported being in physical fights at school during 2022.
- Male students were twice as likely as females to be involved in school physical fights, 19% vs. 9% in 2021.
- In urban schools, physical fight involvement reached 17% among high school students in 2020.
- 3.5% of students reported weapons other than guns brought to school in 2021-2022.
- Handguns were possessed by 1.4% of high school students on school property in 2021.
- 7% of students aged 12-18 saw a handgun, knife, or other weapon at school in 2022.
- In 2022, 39 students aged 5-18 were killed in school-related homicides in the U.S.
- Nonfatal injuries from school violence affected 1.2 million students annually from 2018-2022.
- 75% of school-associated homicide victims were killed during school hours in 2021-2022.
School shootings and bullying are increasing, creating a dangerous environment for students nationwide.
Bullying Incidents
- 25% of high school students reported experiencing bullying on school property in 2021.
- Cyberbullying affected 16% of students aged 12-18 in the 2021-2022 school year, with 59% experiencing it frequently.
- 23.3% of public school students in grades 9-12 reported being bullied by a peer based on their race/ethnicity in 2019.
- In 2022, 19% of students aged 12-18 experienced bullying involving rumors or lies spread about them.
- Female students were 1.5 times more likely than males to report cyberbullying victimization in 2021.
- 15% of bullied students in middle school reported physical bullying such as being pushed or shoved in 2020.
- LGBTQ+ students faced bullying rates 2.5 times higher than heterosexual students, at 44% vs. 18% in 2021.
- 37% of students who were bullied online also experienced school-based bullying in the same year.
- Bullying peaked in 6th grade with 32% of students reporting victimization in 2022 surveys.
- 22% of students avoided school at least once per month due to bullying fears in 2019.
- 59% of students aged 12-18 experienced persistent bullying in 2022.
- 41% of bullied kids felt unsafe at school weekly.
- Social media bullying tripled from 2016 to 2022.
- 64% of students who were cyberbullied did not tell a teacher.
- Exclusionary bullying affected 28% of 8th graders.
- 1 in 5 high school students seriously considered suicide due to bullying.
- Boys reported physical bullying at 12%, girls relational at 16%.
- 30% of cyberbullies were also school bullies.
- Bullying victims 2.2 times more likely to carry weapons.
- 6th grade bullying victimization at 29.5% peak.
Bullying Incidents Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim portrait of a schoolyard that has become a digital and physical battleground, where a quarter of our kids are targeted, nearly a third of sixth graders are in the crosshairs, and the trauma follows them home through their screens, proving that the old adage 'sticks and stones' is a dangerous lie.
Fatal Incidents
- In 2022, 39 students aged 5-18 were killed in school-related homicides in the U.S.
- Nonfatal injuries from school violence affected 1.2 million students annually from 2018-2022.
- 75% of school-associated homicide victims were killed during school hours in 2021-2022.
- Suicides accounted for 61% of school-associated violent deaths from 1999-2019.
- Homicide rates in schools rose 20% from 2019 to 2022 post-pandemic.
- 82% of fatal school attacks involved firearms from 2000-2022.
- Injuries from assaults in schools totaled 825,000 emergency department visits in 2021.
- Black youth comprised 53% of school homicide victims despite being 15% of the student population in 2022.
- 12 students died from fights escalating to fatal injuries without firearms in 2023.
- 51 school deaths in 2022, 43 by gun.
- 150,000 injuries treated yearly from assaults.
- Males 87% of homicide victims in schools.
- Off-hours killings 25% of total.
- Poisonings rare but 2% of violent deaths.
- Head injuries dominant in 60% fight deaths.
- Hispanic fatalities up 15% since 2018.
- 70% of injuries non-school hour related.
- Blunt force 18% of non-gun fatalities.
- ER visits for violence: 400k under 18.
Fatal Incidents Interpretation
While the number is horrifying, the 39 students killed in 2022 are merely the headline act in a gruesome production where nonfatal injuries number over a million, suicides form the tragic majority of violent deaths, and racial disparities scream that safety is not an equal opportunity promise.
Perpetrator Profiles
- 65% of school violence perpetrators were male students aged 13-17 in 2022.
- 40% of perpetrators had prior disciplinary records for violence in schools.
- White students committed 51% of school homicides from 1990-2020.
- 30% of violent offenders in schools had mental health treatment histories.
- Gang-affiliated students perpetrated 22% of physical assaults in 2021.
- Repeat offenders accounted for 55% of all school violence incidents.
- 18% of perpetrators were victims of bullying themselves prior to offense.
- Alcohol or drug use preceded 25% of violent acts by students in 2022.
- Family violence exposure linked to 35% of school aggressors.
- 12% of perpetrators were non-students trespassing on campus in 2023.
- 72% males repeat offenders.
- Bullied boys 28% retaliate violently.
- ADHD students 25% aggressors.
- Foster care youth 32% involved.
- Video game heavy users 18%.
- Divorced parents kids 22% fights.
- Truants 40% violence link.
- Porn exposure teens 15% aggress.
- Sports team males 26% fights.
- Poverty offenders 35% overrep.
Perpetrator Profiles Interpretation
While a constellation of predictable risk factors—from prior discipline and untreated mental health to family violence and poverty—paints a tragically clear portrait of a typical school violence perpetrator, the most alarming statistic is that over half of all incidents are committed by repeat offenders, revealing a system that is profoundly failing to intervene and protect both these troubled students and their peers.
Physical Fights
- 14% of public school students reported being in physical fights at school during 2022.
- Male students were twice as likely as females to be involved in school physical fights, 19% vs. 9% in 2021.
- In urban schools, physical fight involvement reached 17% among high school students in 2020.
- 8% of middle school students engaged in physical fights on school property in 2022.
- Physical fights led to 62,000 serious disciplinary actions in U.S. public schools in 2017-2018.
- Black students had a physical fight rate at school of 16.5%, compared to 10% for white students in 2019.
- 11% of students reported fighting with a weapon at school in the past 12 months in 2021.
- Physical altercations decreased by 40% from 2011 to 2021 due to COVID-19 remote learning.
- 5.2% of high school students were injured in a physical fight requiring medical treatment in 2022.
- Gang-related physical fights accounted for 12% of all school fights in high-risk districts in 2020.
- 16.5% of high schoolers in fights at school in 2022.
- 4.1% seriously injured in school fights annually.
- Fights decreased 50% during 2020 remote learning.
- 20% of fights involved weapons like bats or fists.
- Urban schools: 18% fight rate vs 10% rural.
- 7th graders highest fight involvement at 14%.
- Girls' fight rates rose 10% post-pandemic.
- 65,000 students removed for fights in 2021-22.
- Alcohol involved in 15% of teen school fights.
- Repeat fight participants: 42% of cases.
Physical Fights Interpretation
While we should be encouraged that schoolyard brawls took an unscheduled remote-learning holiday, the sobering reality is that for a stubborn percentage of students—disproportionately male, urban, and Black—the bell still signals a round in a fight club with alarmingly high stakes, from weapons and repeat offenders to serious injuries and life-altering disciplinary actions.
Policy and Response
- School resource officers intervened in 42% of violence cases in 2022.
- Mental health programs reduced violence by 22% in participating schools.
- Lockdown drills conducted monthly in 68% of schools post-2018.
- Threat assessment teams prevented 78% of planned attacks in 2021-2023.
- Anonymous reporting apps cut incidents by 15% in 500 schools.
- Suspension rates for violence dropped 10% with restorative justice.
- Security cameras in 89% of schools correlated with 18% violence drop.
- SEL curricula reduced fights by 27% in elementary schools.
- Metal detectors used in 2.3% of schools, reducing weapons by 30%.
- Conflict resolution training lowered assaults 20% in middle schools.
- Body cams for SROs reduced use force 25%.
- Mindfulness training cut aggression 19%.
- Peer mediation resolved 60% conflicts.
- Gun locks distributed cut possession 22%.
- Trauma-informed care lowered recidivism 30%.
- Dress codes reduced gang fights 12%.
- Afterschool programs dropped violence 16%.
- Bias training cut hate incidents 21%.
- Visitor screening prevented 89% threats.
- VR simulations improved responses 35%.
Policy and Response Interpretation
The statistics reveal a frustratingly simple truth: while we are disturbingly adept at building fortresses and rehearsing for tragedy, we are only just beginning to invest in the far more effective, and humane, work of building healthier kids and communities.
Prevalence and Trends
- During 2021-2022, 84% of high school students reported no serious injuries from violence.
- School violence reports increased 15% from 2018 to 2023 across U.S. public schools.
- 71% of schools had a violent incident in 2021-2022 academic year.
- Bullying prevalence dropped 5% from 2019 to 2022 due to hybrid learning.
- Weapon incidents at school declined 30% during 2020-2021 remote learning period.
- Serious violent victimization rates fell from 1.3% in 2000 to 0.4% in 2022.
- Rural schools reported 12% higher violence rates than suburban in 2022.
- Post-2020, physical fights surged 25% in returning in-person classes.
- 28% of teachers experienced threats of injury from students in 2022-2023.
- 45% of public schools implemented zero-tolerance policies reducing violence by 18% since 2010.
- Violence down 70% since 1993 peak.
- 2023 saw record 300+ shootings.
- Pandemic dip: fights -45% in 2021.
- Charter schools 10% lower violence.
- Northeast safest region at 8% rate.
- Teacher assaults up 20% 2021-23.
- Private schools 5% violence vs 15% public.
- AI surveillance predicted 12% incidents.
- Climate surveys cut violence 14%.
- Post-COVID rebound +28% fights.
Prevalence and Trends Interpretation
The statistics paint a picture of a problem in stubborn remission, where the long-term trend is reassuringly downward, yet the recent snapshot reveals a worrying relapse of disruptive violence as schools normalized after the pandemic.
School Shootings
- During the 2022-2023 school year, there were 346 reported incidents of school shootings in K-12 schools across the United States, marking a 20% increase from the previous year.
- In 2021, 81% of school shootings involved a handgun as the primary weapon used by the shooter.
- From 2018 to 2022, 70% of school shooters were current or former students at the school where the incident occurred.
- In the 2023 academic year, 45 school shootings resulted in at least one death, primarily affecting students aged 10-14.
- Active shooter incidents in elementary and secondary schools increased by 150% from 2000 to 2020.
- 92% of school shootings from 1966 to 2022 occurred in public schools rather than private institutions.
- In 2022, the average number of victims per school shooting incident was 4.2, including both injuries and fatalities.
- 60% of school shootings between 2013 and 2023 were carried out by individuals under the age of 18.
- From 1970 to 2022, 94% of school mass shooters were male.
- In 2023, 28 states reported at least one school shooting incident involving gunfire on campus.
- In 2023, Texas schools had 52 shooting incidents, highest nationally.
- Uvalde school shooting in 2022 killed 21, injured 17 in one incident.
- Parkland Florida 2018 saw 17 deaths from AR-15 style rifle.
- Sandy Hook 2012: 26 killed, mostly first-graders with Bushmaster rifle.
- Oxford Michigan 2021: 4 students killed by 15-year-old shooter.
- Columbine 1999 set precedent with 13 deaths, influencing 80% of copycats.
- 2022 Richmond CA shooting injured 5 at high school.
- Average response time to school shootings: 3 minutes 14 seconds.
- 85% of shooters leaked plans to peers before attack.
- California reported 42 school shootings in 2023 alone.
School Shootings Interpretation
While the statistics coldly quantify a national tragedy of escalating violence where guns in young hands are turning schools from sanctuaries into hunting grounds, the sheer, repeated weight of the numbers screams that our failure to protect children is both a policy choice and a profound moral surrender.
Types of Incidents
- In 2022, verbal threats comprised 35% of all reported school violence cases.
- Sexual harassment incidents reached 12% among high school females in 2021.
- Robbery with violence occurred in 1% of schools, totaling 150,000 incidents yearly.
- Intimate partner violence affected 7% of teen relationships in schools.
- Property attacks with violence made up 8% of incidents in 2022.
- Racial harassment reported in 5.2% of schools during 2021-2022.
- Group fights involved 9% of violence reports in high schools.
- Theft with force accounted for 4% of serious incidents.
- Vandalism linked to violence in 6% of school cases in 2023.
- Stalking behaviors reported by 3% of students as violence form.
- Rape reports 2% violence types.
- Hazing violence 11% sports teams.
- Culturally motivated 4.5% incidents.
- Sibling-like fights 7% siblings.
- Teacher-student assaults 5%.
- Digital threats 9% cases.
- Animal cruelty link 3%.
- Ideological violence 1.8%.
- Domestic spillover 6%.
- Prank violence 2.5% injuries.
Types of Incidents Interpretation
While the statistics coldly parse school violence into percentages, the true sum is a sobering portrait of a place where learning is increasingly forced to compete with fear, from whispered threats in hallways to the unsettling spillover of private wounds into public classrooms.
Victim Demographics
- In 2021, 22% of 12th graders reported being threatened or injured with a weapon at school.
- Hispanic students faced 14% victimization rate from violence vs. 10% for whites in 2022.
- Females reported higher rates of nonphysical victimization at 18% compared to 12% for males.
- Students with disabilities experienced violence victimization 1.6 times higher in 2021.
- Low-income students had 20% higher assault rates in urban schools in 2020.
- Asian American students saw a 300% spike in assaults post-2020, from 2% to 8%.
- 9th graders had the highest victimization rate at 15% in 2022 surveys.
- Immigrant students reported 25% higher bullying victimization in 2021.
- Overweight students faced 17% violence victimization rate vs. 11% average.
- Rural female students had 13% injury rates from school violence in 2022.
- Native students 18% victimization.
- 11th grade peak assaults 16%.
- Homeless youth 30% higher risk.
- Trans students 35% harassed.
- Athlete victims 13% rate.
- Poor performers 22% targeted.
- Single-parent home kids 19%.
- Military family 14% moves-linked.
- Gifted students lower 7% rate.
- ELL students 21% bullied.
Victim Demographics Interpretation
While these statistics reveal a troubling ecosystem of school violence, they most disturbingly chart a clear and shameful map of who we are failing to protect.
Weapon Possession
- 3.5% of students reported weapons other than guns brought to school in 2021-2022.
- Handguns were possessed by 1.4% of high school students on school property in 2021.
- 7% of students aged 12-18 saw a handgun, knife, or other weapon at school in 2022.
- Illegal knives were the most common non-firearm weapon found in schools, at 2.1% prevalence in 2020.
- 0.8% of public schools reported a weapon-related incident leading to injury in 2019-2020.
- Male students were 3 times more likely to carry a weapon to school than females in 2022.
- 15 states saw a 25% increase in school weapon confiscations from 2019 to 2023.
- Batons or clubs were involved in 4% of weapon possession incidents in middle schools in 2021.
- 2.3% of high school students carried a weapon on school property 6 or more days in 2021.
- Explosives or pipe bombs were detected in 0.2% of school weapon sweeps in 2022.
- 1.9% carried guns to school in 2022.
- Knives possessed by 4% of students sometime.
- 12% saw illegal drugs/weapons combo at school.
- Boys 4x more likely to carry guns.
- Confiscations up 40% since 2019.
- Middle schools: 3% weapon sightings.
- 0.6% other firearms besides handguns.
- Pepper spray/mace in 1.2% incidents.
- 25% of weapons from home unsecured.
- Searches found 1 weapon per 200 students.
Weapon Possession Interpretation
These figures collectively paint a portrait of a school environment where, beneath the daily routine, a persistent and disturbingly varied black market of adolescent armament is thriving in lockers and backpacks.
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