Federal health officials report that more high school students are absent from school because they feel unsafe. Concerns about school safety have prompted approximately five percent of students to stay home from school at least one day per month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is an increase from similar reports from the early 1990s. CDC researchers also reported that the number of students who reported being threatened with weapons on school property had increased during the same period of time.

The National School Safety Center (www.nssc1.org) publishes an in-depth, valuable survey of articles, studies, and other research information on aspects of school safety and school climate.

In July, 2004, it was reported that more than 4.5 million children in e public schools are subject to sexual misconduct by school personnel, ranging from inappropriate comments to acts of physical abuse.

An August 1999 study by Alfred University establishes that 79 percent of male and female athletes playing for NCAA team are being hazed as a condition of joining college athletic teams. Of those hazed in college, 5 percent said they were first hazed in middle school; another 42 percent reported that they experienced their first hazing initiation in high school sports.

I hope that some of the references on this site help you understand the compelling need to take action now to protect students and make schools safer.

Douglas E. Fierberg is a trial lawyer and partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Bode & Grenier, L.L.P.