Violence-related attitudes and behaviors of high school students - New York City, 1992

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Oct 15, 1993

Homicide is the leading cause of death among New York City (NYC) youth aged 15-19 years (1) and the second leading cause of death among this age group nationally (2). During the 1980s, the rate of firearm-related homicide increased more rapidly among this age group than did any other cause of death (2). The 1991 national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated that 26% of students in grades 9-12 reported carrying a weapon at least once during the 30 days preceding the survey (3). To more effectively target violence-prevention programs for youth in NYC, in 1992 the NYC Department of Health (NYCDOH), the NYC Public Schools (NYCPS), and CDC conducted a survey of violence-related attitudes and behaviors among a representative sample of NYC public high school students. This report summarizes the results of the survey.

A self-administered questionnaire was given to a representative sample of 9th-12th grade students in the NYCPS during June 1992. The sampling frame included all academic, vocational, and alternative NYC public high schools stratified by presence (n=19) or absence (n=96) of a school-based metal detector program. Schools in the metal detector program were visited approximately weekly by a team of security officers with hand-held metal detectors who scanned randomly selected students as they entered the building. Self-reported data were collected from 100% (n=15, three with and 12 without metal detectors) of sampled schools and 67% (n=1399) of sampled students.

During the 1991-92 school year, 36.1% of all 9th-12th grade NYC public school students surveyed reported being threatened with physical harm, and 24.7% were involved in a physical fight anywhere (including home, school, and neighborhood) (Table 1). Overall, 21% of students reported carrying a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club anywhere 1 or more days during the 30 days preceding the survey; 16.1% of students reported carrying a knife or razor; and 7.0% reported carrying a handgun. In comparison, rates for violent and potentially dangerous behaviors were substantially lower inside the school building (being threatened, 14.4%; carrying a weapon, 12.5%; carrying a knife or razor, 10.0%; being involved in a physical fight, 7.7%; and carrying a handgun 33%) and when going to or from school.

[TABULAR DATA 1 OMITTED]

Students who attended schools with metal detector programs (18% of students) were as likely as those who attended schools without metal detector programs to have carried a weapon anywhere (21.6% versus 21.2%) but were less likely to have carried a weapon inside the school building (7.8% versus 13.6%) or going to and from school (7.7% versus 15.2%) (Table 2). The decrease in school-related weapon-carrying reflected reductions in the carrying of both knives and handguns. Presence of school-based metal detector programs had no apparent effect on the prevalence of threats and physical fights in any location.

[TABULAR DATA 2 OMITTED]

Compared with all 9th-12th grade students, students who were involved in a physical fight in school during the 1991-92 school year were less likely to believe that apologizing (38.1% versus 19.0%) and avoiding or walking away from someone who wants to fight (55.5% versus 35.5%) were effective ways to avoid a physical fight, and they were more likely to believe their families would want them to hit back if someone hit them first (56.9% versus 77.9%) (Table 3). Compared with all 9th-12th grade students, students who carried a weapon inside the school building during the 30 days preceding the survey were more likely to believe that threatening to use a weapon (21.4% versus 43.9%) and carrying a weapon (19.9% versus 47.9%) were effective ways to avoid a physical fight; were more likely to believe their families would want them to defend themselves from attack even if it meant using a weapon (43.6% versus 67.5%); and were more likely to feel safer during a physical fight if they had a knife (29.6% versus 64.2%) or a handgun (26.5% versus 60.5%).

[TABULAR DATA 3 OMITTED]

Reported by. C Ginsberg, New York City Dept of Health, L Loffredo, New York City Public Schools. Div of Adolescent and School Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Div of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC.

Editorial Note: The findings in this report indicate that violent behaviors and weapon-carrying among youth are substantial problems in both school and community settings. The rates for physical fighting and weapon-carrying among NYC public high school students reported here are consistent with national surveys (3,4). The national health objectives for the year 2000 target reductions in homicide rates (objective 7.1), assaultive injuries (objective 7.6), physical fighting (objective 7.9), and weapon-carrying (objective 7.10) among adolescents and for increasing violence-prevention education and intervention programs in schools (objective 7.16) and communities (objective 7.17) (5). In addition, National Education Goal 6 for the year 2000 is for all schools to be free of drugs and violence and to offer a disciplined environment conducive to learning (6).