The presence of weapons at school can create an intimidating and threatening atmosphere, making teaching and learning difficult. The percentages of students who report that they carry a gun or other weapon on school property is an indicator of how widespread the problem of weapons at school is.

• In 1997, 18 percent of students reported carrying a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club at any time in the past 30 days. About 9 percent reported they had carried a weapon on school property in the past 30 days (figures 12.1 and 12.2 and tables 12.1 and 12.2).
• Between 1993 and 1997, the percentage of students in grades 9 through 12 who reported carrying a weapon on school property at least 1 day within 30 days before the survey fell from 12 percent to 9 percent (a 25 percent reduction) (figures 12.1 and table 12.1).
• There was also a decline in the percentage of students in grades 9 through 12 who carried a weapon at any time during the past 30 days-from 22 percent in 1993 to 18 percent in 1997 (figures 12.2 and table 12.2).
• Males were about three times more likely than females to carry a weapon on school property. For example, in 1997, 13 percent of males carried a weapon on school property, compared with 4 percent of females (figures 12.1 and table 12.1).
• Students in lower grades were more likely to have carried a weapon anywhere in the previous 30 days than were students in higher grades (figures 12.2 and table 12.2). For example, in 1997, 23 percent of 9th graders had carried a weapon compared with 15 percent of 12th graders.
• Generally, students in lower grades were no more likely to carry a weapon to school than other students (figures 12.2 and table 12.1). The one exception to this general trend was in 1995, in which 12th graders were less likely to carry a weapon to school than were 10th or 9th grade students.