FBI Report Shows More Than 1M Crimes at Public Schools

The FBI’s latest report on crime in U.S. public schools paints a shocking picture of danger where children should feel safe.

Between 2020 and 2024, law enforcement agencies reported nearly 1.3 million criminal incidents occurring on school property. That staggering total includes approximately 540,000 assaults and 45,000 sex offenses, crimes directly targeting students.

“The real number of crimes in America’s schools is undoubtedly much higher,” the report warns, as only about half of law enforcement agencies nationwide submitted data.

Out of roughly 18,000 agencies, just 9,000 reported, meaning hundreds of thousands of incidents may have gone uncounted.

Parents expect schools to be safe havens for learning. Yet the FBI data shows hallways and classrooms have become battlegrounds, with assaults making up the bulk of reported crimes and sexual offenses highlighting a chilling risk from predators within the system.

President Donald Trump’s Department of Education has already issued guidance encouraging states to provide school choice options for students trapped in “persistently dangerous” schools.

Proponents say alternatives like charter or private schools create safer environments, per Fox News.

A 2022 peer-reviewed study published in Educational Review found that private and charter schools consistently show lower rates of violence and stronger discipline standards than traditional public schools.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program provides a clear example. Students who won the lottery to attend private schools were 34% more likely to report being in a “very safe” school compared to peers who remained in public schools. This randomized controlled trial demonstrates that school choice can literally save lives.

The crisis goes beyond physical safety. The FBI’s report, alongside 2024 data from Illinois, showed that not a single student in 80 public schools was proficient in math. Zero.

The failures of public schools, coupled with teachers unions blocking reform, leave children trapped in environments that prioritize adult jobs over student safety and success.

Sexual abuse is another horrifying element of the system’s failures. A 2004 Department of Education report estimated one in 10 children will experience educator sexual misconduct by the time they graduate.

A 2023 study found 11.7% of recent graduates reported experiencing sexual misconduct during their K-12 years.

Texas has taken steps to address this, with state Rep. Mitch Little (R) sponsoring a bill to remove immunity for public schools and employees in sex abuse cases, signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).

Author and podcaster Michael Malice summarized the crisis bluntly: “Public schools are literal prisons for children and the only time many people will ever encounter physical violence in their lives.” For countless students, school has become a daily ordeal of survival rather than a place for education or growth.

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