Scope

This Research Guide is an introduction to sources of information about violence in U.S. public schools.

Overview

School Violence: A Reference Handbook
College Library Reference Collection: LB 3013.3 K68 1997

Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights
College Library Reference Collection: KF 3941 A68 U88 2000
Refer to"Schools and Guns," pages 262-264

Encyclopedia of American Crime
College Library Reference Collection: HV 6789 S54 2001
Refer to "School Killers," volume 2

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center 1990 - to date (updated daily)
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) includes the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources and provides viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

school* and violence
public school* and violence
school* and gangs
juvenile delinquen*
male delinquents
female delinquents
status offenders
juvenile gangs
school* and shooting*

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

Social Sciences Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 415 scholarly journals in economics, politics, public administration, public health, sociology, criminology, environmental and urban studies, psychology and anthropology. Basic instructions for Social Sciences Full Text

More Databases:

CQ Researcher November 1991 - to date (updated weekly)
Contains weekly reports from Congressional Quarterly that cover the most current and controversial issues. Basic instructions for CQ Researcher

Education Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 400 scholarly and trade periodicals and selected monographs in education, educational psychology, college life, teacher education and evaluation. Basic instructions for Education Full Text

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Dates Vary (updated daily)
Contains the full-text articles from U.S. and international newspapers (including the New York Times, June 1980 - to date), as well as some news and business magazines and trade journals. The truncation symbol is an exclamation point (!). Basic instructions for Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe

PsycINFO 1872 - to date (updated weekly)
Indexes 1,300 scholarly journals along with books and book chapters in psychology, educational psychology, and behavioral sciences. Basic instructions for PsycINFO

Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) 1972 - to date (updated quarterly)
Indexes journal articles, books, government documents, statistical compilations, committee reports, directories, serials, reports of public, intergovernmental and private organizations, and most other forms of printed literature from all over the world. The full-text of the articles is not available in the database. Basic instructions for PAIS

Readers' Guide Full Text and Retrospective 1890 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 240 popular magazines in a wide range of subject areas. Full-text coverage of 131 titles begins with 1994. Basic instructions for Readers' Guide Full Text

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on school violence can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

school violence and United States
"juvenile delinquency"
"juvenile justice"
"juvenile courts"
gang? and school?
"school safety"

Internet Sites

Gangs: A Reference Handbook (available through UW-Madison eContent Collection)
http://www.netlibrary.com/Details.aspx

National Center for Education Statistics: Crime and Safety Surveys
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/getpubcats.asp?sid=108
Site can be searched for statistics on school violence.

National School Safety Center
http://www.schoolsafety.us/
The National School Safety Center "serves as an advocate for safe, secure and peaceful schools worldwide." The site includes fact sheets and other materials on bullying in schools, the role of schools in homeland security and managing schools under threat of terrorism.

School Violence Resources
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/programs/ProgSummary.asp?pi=22
List from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

School Safety
http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Topics/Topic.aspx?topicid=153
Information from the United States Department of Justice.

Statistics

National Center for Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/
Site can be searched for statistics on school violence.

Statistical Universe 1973 - to date (updated monthly)
Contains the full text of more than 800 U.S. government statistical publications. Lexis-Nexis Statistical Universe is available to UW-Madison registered users.