NEW YORK, March 7 (Xinhua) — There has been a 23.5 percent spike in crime and violence in high schools in the U.S. state of North Carolina, compared to the previous year, FOX 8 reported, citing the latest report released by the state\’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI).
These numbers are raising concerns among education officials, parents, and lawmakers, said FOX 8 in a recent report of the trend.
According to the DPI\’s consolidated data report, over the last year, North Carolina schools reported more than 11,000 acts of crime and violence. Possession of controlled substances was the highest reported crime, and closely following that was possession of a weapon, followed by assaulting staff.
Daniel Miles, a licensed clinical mental health counselor, thinks the COVID-19 pandemic plays a huge role in the sharp rise.
\”Whatever\’s going on as far as how stressed teachers are feeling, how stressed parents are feeling, kids are feeling that and don\’t know how to put words to that. And so that could lead to a lot of acting out in a classroom setting. And again, a classroom setting that may not have the resources to manage and support kids like we need,\” Miles said.
\”Schools mirror society. And we\’re seeing the same thing in our society with all the different stuff going on,\” North Carolina Representative Jeff McNeely was quoted as saying.
The school crime rate in the United States spiked by 28 percent from 2019 to 2020, according to the FOX 8 report.