ABSTRACT
In the past 10 years, many communities were shaken by well-publicized shootings that resulted in multiple student deaths. Discussions about the problem of school violence increased. Fears of students as “super predators” were on the rise. While the events were certainly tragic, heightened concerns have not been grounded in the reality of declining violent crime in school settings over the past decade (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2004). The chances of serious violent crime occurring in school are statistically quite low. During the school year 1999–2000, 16 of the 2,124 homicide victims who were school-aged children occurred in the school setting (NCES).
