Almost 1.3 million criminal incidents occurred at schools across the nation from 2020 to 2024, a new FBI report finds.
Crime in Schools: 2020-2024 reports there were 1.5 million offenses against people and property, 1.5 million victims of crimes and 1.25 million known offenders associated with those incidents.
Here’s a look at the incidents listed by the FBI for each year covered by the report:
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In a Fox News opinion piece on the FBI report, school choice activist Corey DeAngelis explained why the actual number of crimes is probably much higher than 1.3 million.
“The kicker is that this figure is almost certainly an undercount. In 2024, only about 9,000 law enforcement agencies submitted data to the FBI for the report, even though there are roughly 18,000 of these agencies nationwide.”
“That under reporting means we’re only getting a partial picture that likely misses hundreds of thousands more incidents from excluded jurisdictions. The real number of crimes in America’s schools is undoubtedly much higher, painting an even grimmer portrait of the system.”
In addition, some schools handle minor offenses internally, without reporting to law enforcement officials.
DeAngelis, author of The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools, noted the crime analysis is an important argument for educational freedom, “Competition forces schools to prioritize safety to attract and retain families.”
He explained:
Kids shouldn’t be trapped in dangerous schools. Every day, children are exposed to violence, abuse and chaos in these government-run institutions. …
The evidence overwhelmingly indicates that school choice helps children attend safer schools. My peer-reviewed analysis of the literature, published in Educational Review in 2022, found that private and charter schools are consistently safer than traditional public schools.
These choice options foster environments with less violence, fewer disruptions, and stronger discipline standards.
“Crime in Schools” gives details about the types of offenses:
- Assaults were the most reported offenses in the Crimes Against Persons category.
- Larceny/thefts were the most reported crimes in the Crimes Against Property category.
- Drug/narcotic offenses were the most reported crimes in the Crimes Against Society category.
- When a weapon was involved in a crime, it was most often personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.).
When weapons were involved in crimes, assailants used “personal weapons” 411,192 times, knives or cutting instruments 33,470 times, and guns 21,338 times.
The FBI also listed characteristics of victims, including their age, stating, “The age group with the highest number of victims over the 5-year period was 19 or older. For ages 18 or under, victims were most frequently reported in the 13 to 15 age group.”
This chart details the number of victims by age:
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Focus on the Family has long advocated for educational freedom. Parents need greater freedom as they raise their children and guide them toward academic success. In numerous articles, the Daily Citizen has described the capture of our educational system by radical idealogues; the sexualization and confusion of children through inappropriate sexual education, classroom instruction and school library books; and the failure of many schools to educate children in basic subjects.
Thankfully, many states are offering educational freedom, and the Trump administration is encouraging this trend.
But the FBI “Crime in Schools Report” shows the need for more states to move in that direction in order to protect all students.
Download Equipping Parents for Back-to-School to find out more about what’s happening in schools and how to advocate for your children. This free resource empowers parents to make a difference in their children’s schools.
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