Anonymous asked this question on 3/10/2000:

Can someone tell me, when did school violence first begin and in what city or state? I am writing a research paper and need some history.

hollyhopes gave this response on 3/18/2000:

Twenty-six years ago, I attended PS#11, Martin Luther King Jr. Junior High School in Jersey City, New Jersey. I was in the eighth grade. I attended that school for one year and seven children in that school died at school from the hands of other children. The school had armed security and secured entry. One of the biggest challenges was getting your knife or gun into the school. There is always a way. We were escorted to the locked bathrooms by security one at a time. It was a horrible experience. Most of us carried switchblades because they were easier to conceal and just as deadly as guns if you knew how to use one. Information on this topic is going to be difficult to find because schools covered up school violence for years. I would start with LA or NYC for statistics first. I would also like to point out that my generation had the Anarchists Cookbook. We loved to blow things up: not people or animals, but dumpsters were a big item. My generation is a hypocritical one. It won't be easy to get historical information. But I can promise you that school violence was not uncommon in 1970's. Good luck with your research! Holly