Danger zones: Violence a daily fact of life in area schools
By: Leah Fabel
Examiner Staff Writer
May 7, 2009
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| (AP FILE PHOTO) |
Students get into a fight, commit a sexual offense or are caught with a deadly weapon an average of almost once a day at some area high schools, according to recent data compiled from suburban public school districts.
And surprisingly, middle schoolers are involved in even more violent episodes than students in high schools, according to the data.
At Suitland High School in Prince George’s County, nearly 250 suspensions were handed out for fighting in 2007-08 and a dozen for bringing weapons on campus. At Alexandria’s George Washington Middle School, officials reported 168 incidents of fights or serious personal offenses, such as bullying or sexual harassment, averaging nearly one incident per school day.
More than 140 suspensions were issued to students at Montgomery’s Francis Scott Key Middle School in Silver Spring for attacks, threats and fights — the most in the county. Following close behind was neighboring White Oak Middle School, with 123.
Both Key and White Oak feed into Springbrook High School, where last week two students were charged with arson and conspiracy to commit murder in an alleged plot against their principal and a guidance counselor.
“The reason kids assault other kids is because they think they can get away with it,” said Lisa Snell, director of education at the Reason Foundation. “There are places where that doesn’t happen because adults take seriously enforcing rules when things go wrong.”
In both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, attacks, threats and fights are concentrated at middle schools. Of eight schools with the highest number of incidences, only two were high schools. In Prince William County, middle schools made up eight of the district’s 10 schools with the most fights and personal offenses.
Schools in D.C. have traditionally been among the most violent in the region. A recent report by the D.C. Public Schools documented about 740 serious incidents ranging from fights to homicides. But the city failed to provide The Examiner with a school-by-school breakdown of violent episodes.
Weapons were a serious problem in suburban high schools. In Prince George’s, 10 high schools had six or more weapon-related suspensions, compared with two middle schools. Of Prince William’s 10 schools with the most weapons incidents, 55 happened at high schools while 34 were at middle schools.
“The situation at Springbrook points out that the most proactive thing we can do is establish relationships,” said Montgomery school board member Pat O’Neill, explaining that a friendship with Springbrook’s assigned police officer led one of the accused students to reveal the bomb plans.
While Montgomery County assigns police officers by high school “cluster,” meaning split time among several schools, most Virginia districts assign one officer at each middle and high school.
“We document everything,” said Cmdr. Daniel Townsend, who oversees the 52 school resource officers in Fairfax County. “There are 169,000 students in the district — that’s 20 percent of the county.”
In Arlington County schools, where violent incidents dropped from more than 400 to fewer than 200 between 2006-07 and 2007-08, middle schools form small student groups with teachers.
“And we’re constantly working to encourage participation in after-school activities so students can build relationships with coaches and mentors,” said Meg Tuccillo, an Arlington assistant superintendent.
David Sherfinski contributed to this article.
