Slight Rise in Drugs, Violence in Schools

Levels of violence and drug availability in U.S. schools rose slightly from 1989 to 1995, a government study concludes. In 1995, 14.6% of students ages 12 to 19 reported violence against people or property at school, compared with 14.5% in 1989, according to a joint study by the Justice and Education departments. But the report, based on interviews with a nationally representative sample of 10,000 students, showed that 4.2% of students in that age group experienced a violent crime, such as a physical attack or robbery, up from 3.4% six years earlier. In addition, the percentage of students reporting street gangs in their schools nearly doubled, and drugs remained too easily available in schools, Atty. Gen. Janet Reno and Education Secretary Richard W. Riley said in a letter on the study to President Clinton.