School safety issues: What to know and best practices

The growing issue of safety at school

Since 2020, safety issues in schools have become more common. Active assailant incidents reached an all-time high in 2023, over 25% of schools received threats of violence during the 2024/25 school year and the proportion of schools reporting hate crimes rose from 1%-3.5%.

While many unique factors can contribute to school security issues, the growing use of social media may be aggravating concerns. Most threats targeting schools were posted online between 2023 and 2025, affecting 51% and 40% of U.S. middle and high schools in the last year.

How is school safety measured?

Educators and school security staff reference multiple internal and external sources to gain insight into school safety concerns. Leaders work with law enforcement to review local crime reports, analyze internal reporting systems and reference student, staff and teacher surveys.

• Crime records: Incidents like theft, assault and hate crimes that occur on or around school property are often reported to local authorities. Leaders will request to review data alongside local police to get a clearer understanding of safety issues in schools.
• Internal security data: School camera footage, access records and written reports of security events will be reviewed and investigated by school leaders. Data may be compared to previous school years to identify trends related to school safety issues.
• Perception surveys: Local and national surveys, including the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, RAND school safety surveys and projects performed by local charities, provide insight into emerging trends and guidance on ways to improve school safety.

Common types of school safety issues

Modern educators face several school safety issues across both physical and digital environments. Alongside physical threats like assaults, theft and bullying, contemporary school safety issues related to cyberbullying and data misuse are increasing in commonality.

The latest available data states that 67% of public schools report at least one violent incident in an average school year, totaling around 857,500 individual incidents across K‑12 schools.

Data from the same school year reveals that over 21% of grade 6 – 12 students received hurtful messages online or via SMS, while 46% of teens claimed to have been cyberbullied.

Common physical school safety issues

• Assault: Assault is the most commonly reported crime in U.S. schools; FBI data indicates over 650,000 incidents were reported in K‑12 schools between 2020 and 2024.
• Bullying: Bullying is a serious school safety issue that affects around 1 in 5 students; bullying is linked to decreased learning outcomes and increased levels of depression.
• Sexual harassment: Data published by the nonprofit Stop Sexual Assault in Schools reveals 56% of girls and 40% of boys in grades 7 – 12 are sexually harassed annually.
• Vandalism: Acts of vandalism, including the defacement and intentional damage of school property, can cost educators millions of dollars to address each year.
• Theft: A lack of security in schools can introduce risks associated with property theft and damage; almost 235,000 thefts occurred in schools from 2020 to 2024.
• Substance misuse: Smoking, vaping and the consumption of THC and alcohol are serious school safety hazards, with over 244,000 cases reported in the last 5 years.

Common digital school safety issues

• Data theft: The theft and misuse of sensitive data stored on school computers can introduce safeguarding risks and lead to costly breaches of federal data privacy laws.
• Cyberbullying: Uncontrolled social media access can negatively affect safety at school, with incidents of cyberbullying having more than doubled in the last 15 years.
• Social engineering: Social engineering tactics like phishing are used to steal data and money from school children; 46% of 8 – 17-year-olds have been scammed online.
• Data breaches: The education sector is a prime target for cyberattacks globally, with cyberattacks leveraged against schools rising by 31% year-over-year.
• Exposure to harmful content: A UK study found that 45% of children aged 8 – 17 have been exposed to inappropriate material online that made them worried or upset.
• Online grooming: Online safety must be treated as a school safety concern, with research suggesting over 300 million children globally are exploited online each year.

Why it’s important to address school safety concerns

Identifying and addressing school safety concerns is a top priority for teachers and parents, with caregivers of all kinds becoming increasingly worried about physical and digital safety.

Failure to address school safety problems and implement practical solutions can negatively affect many aspects of teachers’, parents’ and students’ lives, causing undue physical and mental distress and making it more difficult for educators to create focused learning spaces.

How school safety issues impact teachers

In a previously mentioned report published by RAND in 2025, over 25% of teachers reported having received threats of violence in recent years, 21% claimed to be actively concerned about being attacked at school and 50% said they’re worried about students being attacked.

If left unaddressed, school safety concerns can contribute to teacher shortages, with threats and acts of violence in schools linked to an 8% increase in resignations between 2020 and 2024.

How school safety issues impact parents

While figures have fluctuated slightly, data suggest school safety issues have become more common since schools reopened post-pandemic. Active assailant incidents rose from 124 in 2019 to a high of 351 in 2023, with over 300 events reported in three of the five years between 2020 and 2025.

School safety issues like this are causing undue stress to parents. Gallup reports that 41% of K‑12 parents fear for their oldest child’s physical safety at school, up 7% from 2019, while wider research suggests that 90% of parents are worried about their children’s online safety.

How school safety issues impact students

84% of K‑12 teachers believe school safety has a direct impact on learning outcomes, with worries about school safety issues like active assailant events, bullying and cyberbullying potentially causing students to drop grades and suffer the breakdown of close relationships.

Unaddressed school safety concerns can also lead to increased absenteeism. Studies have shown that over 14% of students avoid school due to feeling unsafe on campus, with fears around school safety cited as a leading cause of chronic absenteeism among 6 – 12 graders.

Five ways to combat safety issues in schools 

1. Create a well-defined school safety policy

Every school should have a comprehensive, actionable and regularly updated school safety policy that outlines practical and repeatable responses to common school safety issues. An effective policy will contain detailed plans for responding to and mitigating security incidents.

To help prevent school violence and improve safety for students, teachers and visitors, step-by-step instructions for addressing and containing incidents, such as fights, vandalism, unauthorized access, substance misuse and active assailant events, must be created and made easily accessible.

An effective safety policy will also make it clear to community members that common school safety issues, such as violence, bullying and theft, will not be tolerated. Students must be informed that breaches of policies will result in severe repercussions, including suspension and expulsion. 

2. Maintain clear visibility over high-risk areas

The sooner teachers and security staff are made aware of potential school safety problems, the more efficient and effective their response will be. Leaders should review security data to discover where incidents occur and plan to ensure these areas are safeguarded.

To help improve safety at school, high-risk and secluded areas, including playgrounds, stairwells and computer rooms, should be regularly observed by staff. Teachers and security staff should also be provided with communication devices to help keep everyone informed of events.

On-premise and cloud-based video security solutions enable staff to observe high-risk areas at all times, with teams receiving alerts and viewing live feeds via secure smart devices. Video security data from video management systems can be used to inform in-person patrols, helping staff efficiently combat emerging school safety issues.

3. Address school safety issues in private facilities

Some common school safety issues are challenging to address because they often occur in private areas, such as washrooms and changing rooms. The privacy afforded by these areas can turn them into hotspots for issues like smoking, vaping, fighting and vandalism on campus.

To address these types of school safety concerns, staff must ensure students know the school has a zero-tolerance policy towards such actions. In addition, smoking and vaping cessation resources should be provided to all students struggling with addiction.

Teachers should also consider installing smart sensors in bathrooms to help identify school safety issues without endangering privacy. Devices can remotely warn staff of vaping, THC use, smoking and raised voices to help improve responses and deter dangerous behavior.

4. Closely control access to school grounds

The ability to accurately and consistently manage access to school grounds is an essential aspect of threat prevention. 97% of schools use some form of campus access control to help security and reception staff deter intrusion events, but not all schools have comprehensive protection.

Credential-based access systems, such as those from Avigilon, can be used to secure main entrances and help staff to address school safety issues by preventing unknown persons from entering school buildings. Doors will only open for credential-holding persons, with all events logged to support investigations.

Access control can be further enhanced via integration with school visitor management systems. Modern systems enable reception staff to screen visitors against watchlists, create and print ID badges and instantly alert police of threats to help address school safety issues promptly.

5. Implement robust cybersecurity measures

Robust cybersecurity practices and technologies can help protect students from harmful content and prevent sensitive data from being stolen. Students should be taught never to share and to regularly change passwords, as well as report suspicious messages to trusted adults.

With around 55% of school-aged children having experienced cyberbullying at some point in their lives, regular online safety talks should be held to help tackle school safety issues. Staff should also make cyber-awareness resources available to students via accessible platforms.

Finally, educators should collaborate with IT and security teams to help ensure all computer systems are cyber-secure. Teams must ensure that all software is regularly updated to defend against new exploits, with firewalls and endpoint detection and response tools used to resist attacks.

Free resources to help improve safety at schools

Identifying school security problems and solutions is a top priority for modern educators, with the above-mentioned physical safety measures helping to create positive learning spaces for schools.

To help enhance safety and security, several school safety grants are available for educational organizations. School leaders can apply for funds from these programs to procure technologies, such as access control, smart sensors and cameras, to meet their security needs and requirements.

To provide additional support to students and staff, here are further resources to explore.

Targeted violence

• Department of Homeland Security: Active Shooter Exercise Kits
• Department of Justice: Critical Incident Response Preparedness Toolkit
• Responding to Gangs in Schools: A Collaborative Approach to School Safety

Substance use

• Protecting Youth From the Harms of Vaping
• Get Smart About Drugs: A DEA Resource for Parents, Educators and Caregivers
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: National Helpline

Mental health

• Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory
• Department of Health and Human Services: How to Talk About Mental Health
• Department of Health and Human Services: 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline

Cyberbullying

• How to Prevent Cyberbullying: A Guide for Parents, Caregivers and Youth
• Stop. Think. Connect: A Guide to Online Safety for Youth
• How to Report Cyberbullying

Cybersecurity 

• How to Safeguard K‑12 Organizations from Cybersecurity Threats
• Department of Education: Top 10 Cybersecurity Tips for Teachers
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: Cyber Resources Hub

Strengthen school safety measures with smart security systems

Concerns about school safety have grown in recent years, causing undue stress to many teachers, parents and students. To support the practical measures discussed above, school leaders should consider the benefits of upgrading security systems to meet novel needs.

Integrated remote-access school security systems help staff to identify and address safety issues from a single platform. View camera, access control and sensor data in real-time from secure smart devices to drive swift, proactive responses to common school security issues.

Visit our education industry page to see how Avigilon security systems help create safer schools.