Do PA high schoolers feel safe at school? This study takes into account bullying, crime rates, school safety measures, and other factors.
PENNSYLVANIA – Pennsylvania is among the worst states for high school students’ safety because of its rates of cyberbullying, the number of students carrying weapons at school, and past incidents of gunfire on campuses, a new study said.
The recent study by Schoolaroo, a scholarship search platform, compared high schools in all 50 states by crime statistics, school safety indicators, and how safe students feel at school.
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“Ensuring a secure environment not only fosters a conducive atmosphere for learning but also allows young individuals to focus on their studies and personal growth without unnecessary concerns,” the study authors said.
The study included rates of bullying and cyberbullying, exposure to illegal drugs, threats of physical attacks at school and physical fights, and students carrying weapons to school. The Schoolaroo study also takes into account school shootings, school safety plans, and the percentage of students who feel safe.
By these metrics, Pennsylvania was fourth-worst for high school student safety in the nation, the study found. The state had a low rank for its school safety plans, and for incidents of gunfire on high school campuses in the past 10 years.
Pennsylvania was also one of the states where students are most likely to bring some kind of weapon to school (such as a gun, knife, or club), the study found. Despite this, a high rate of Pennsylvania high school students said they felt safe at school, and the state statutes related to school resource officers were ranked the second-best in the nation.
Here is how Pennsylvania ranked in the 11 categories Schoolaroo included in this analysis (a lower number is a better rank):
- Overall rank: 47
- Bullying: 15
- Cyberbullying: 35
- Exposure to illegal drugs: 24
- Feeling safe at school: 7
- School shootings: 43
- School safety plans: 45
- School resource officers: 2
- Students forced to have sexual intercourse: 29
- Weapons carried at school: 42
- Threat of physical attack with a weapon: 27
- Physical attack or fight with a weapon rate: 13
Click here to see the full rankings by state:
