Violence in Our Schools

South Carolina Students Speak Out Against Gun Violence

On October 22, 2015, members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local, state, and federal law enforcement met with students from across the Palmetto State as part of the
14th Annual Student Pledge Against Gun Violence. Close to 28,000 students from 60 different schools in the area took part in the event, which is part of a national campaign aimed at drawing awareness to and reducing gun violence. The State Attorney General’s office worked with school staff, administrators, and law enforcement to facilitate discussion of school violence, and encourage students to take a pledge not to bring weapons to school and to report it to a teacher or school staff if they see or hear of a weapon on school grounds. Over the years the program has been in place, millions of students in the area have signed the pledge. Unfortunately, despite these efforts incidences of violence within schools continues to rise.

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The Facts About School Violence

School violence refers to any kind of violent altercation that occurs on or near school grounds, before, during, or after the school day. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), statistics on school violence show that students ages 12-18 experienced over 1.4 million non-fatal victimizations at school, such as thefts, vandalism of personal property, bullying, fights and physical assaults, sexual assaults, and weapons threats. Over 80 percent of schools nationwide report some form of violent crime affecting students and occurring on school property each year.

According to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Justice, school administrators have responded to increasing rates of violence by taking extra safety measures and precautions to prevent school violence, including:

• Requiring students to enter school through metal detectors
• Requiring all visitors to sign in and wear a photo ID badge when visiting
• Having school staff and administrators supervising hallways and lunchrooms
• Hiring armed security guards and having local police handle infractions
• Wiring security cameras to monitor activity
• Keeping entrances and exits locked during the day

Despite these additional and often extreme precautions, episodes of school violence have continued to climb steadily, causing untold heartache and pain for students and their families.

Reach Out to an Experienced South Carolina Personal Injury Attorney

Contact Anastopoulo Law Firm if you or a loved one has been injured or hurt as the result of school violence. Our experienced South Carolina personal injury attorneys will fight to hold responsible parties accountable and help your family receive the compensation you deserve. Contact our firm today and arrange a free consultation!