.
.		.
	.

	.
.		.
	.

GOVERNMENT SURVEY REVEALS THAT CRIME IS ON THE RISE By : Kim Curtin

.	Getting good grades is not the only pressure facing students in the U.S. A recent government survey showed that violent crime within schools is rising. The Justice and Education departments surveyed 10,000 students ages 12 to 19, comparing government survey data from 1989 to 1995. The findings revealed that 13 percent of students say they know fellow students who bring guns to school. It also found that 15 percent of students say they are victims of crime and four percent say the offenses involved violence. In addition to the survey, a report issued this month by the Department of Education found that 10 percent of public schools reported one or more serious violent crimes during the 1996-1997 school year. These violent crimes include murder, rape, sexual battery, suicide, attacks with weapons, and robbery. The report also found that 6,093 expulsions occurred last year as a result of students bringing guns to school. As a result of the report, President Clinton addressed the Delaware General Assembly over their high number of expulsions due to students bringing guns to school. In a recent article in The Washington Post, Clinton voiced dismay over the particularly high figure for Delaware and Virginia stated that it was "bad news" about the nationís schools. Karen Johnson, criminal justice major specializing in juvenile delinquency at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass., said that these statistics are representative of children acting in response to what they see everyday. "When a child grows up with violence all around them-on the TV, in the news, and witnessing the acts themselves, how else can you expect them to act," said Johnson. "The Jonesboro incident is a prime example of children mimicking behavior they see; their parents were avid gun users and their lax attitude toward guns and violence had a direct effect on the behavior of those children." Johnsonís feelings concerning young people and violence, along with many others, has prompted the White House to spend billions more on juvenile crime and other programs. Recently, the White House sent 20.8 billion to Congress for a 10-year education proposal that would reduce the size of elementary school classes, provide federal funds for construction, and test teacherís competency. Karen Phannemiller, a sophomore psychology/special education major at Marist College, said she feels the new proposals should have a positive effect on students. "Making the classes smaller enables the teacher to develop a stronger relationship with their students and not let them slip through the cracks. I think that is whatís happening to many troubled students, theyíre just slipping through the cracks," said Phannemiller. " I definitely agree with testing a teacherís competency because there are so many teachers out there that shouldnít be." The government survey also pointed out that 65 percent of students said that they can purchase drugs at their school. Along with the alarming increase in violence, drugs are also on the rise. According to the CNN Interactive News Online, Steve Dnistrian of the Partnership For A Drug-Free America said that students are dealing with many pressures at school, including drugs. "Theyíre dealing with the pressure every day in making decisions about drugsÖTheyíre seeing drugs in their schools and in their neighborhoods," said Dnistrian. Johnson said the staggering figures in the new report makes her worry about the problems she will have to deal with when she enters the working world. "When I graduate and begin working with troubled children, Iím going to have a lot more issues to deal with concerning the mindsets of children, especially at the rate weíre going at now," said Johnson. " No one ever thought American kids would be killing other people; I donít even want to think about the future."	.