School Violence; a Problem of Today – Kennedy Torch | #schoolsaftey #kids #parents #children

Schools are intended to be a safe place for students to learn and grow, but in recent years, studies show students are more safe outside of school buildings.

Since the post-pandemic reopening of schools in 2020, roughly 46% of U.S. schools have reported an increase in student fights and aggression. Violence and behavioral issues in schools cause various problems to arise- not only is learning disrupted, but student and staff safety is challenged.
Schools are intended to be a safe place for students to learn and grow, but in recent years students are safer outside of school buildings. 
“Students ages 12 to 18 experienced higher rates of reported crime at school than away from school…” Iowa Capital Dispatch said.
In Iowa, an increase in violence and behavioral issues, serious injury or not, creates problems in classrooms and stalls learning. Over the last twenty years, removals for disruptions have risen by 1,900.
“For the 2024–2025 school year, the state tracked 6,255 fights without injury, 1,115 fights with injury, and 31 that resulted in a serious injury,” KCCI said. “It [removals for disruptions] goes from more than 3,600 statewide 20 years ago to more than 5,500 in the 2024-25 school year.”
Kennedy hasn’t been spared from student violence. On September 23, 2026, the school faced a 35-minute hold after a multi-student altercation during lunch. 
“A fight broke out, and school staff responded. Police and an ambulance were called to the school,” Kennedy Principal Jason Kline said in an email to families after the incident. 
The Oskaloosa Community School District has also faced challenges with student behavior this school year. Upon reports of student misconduct, vandalism, and racial slurs, the Oskaloosa homecoming football game was permanently canceled. The homecoming dance was later rescheduled after over 80 students reported their involvement in the numerous events. 
“Students involved in simple toilet papering to more serious behaviors had until noon Monday to self-report,” KCCI Des Moines said. 
For Oskaloosa, this isn’t the first time student behavior has gone out of hand during the homecoming season.
“This is the second year students took homecoming activities too far, ” Oskaloosa Superintendent Mike Fisher said. “But the behavior escalated in 2025 when a district staff member’s yard was spray-painted.”
The problem with student violence and behavioral issues may stem from technology, social media, and the sharing of fight videos.
“Across the United States, technology centered on cellphones — in the form of text messages, videos and social media — has increasingly fueled and sometimes intensified campus brawls, disrupting schools and derailing learning. The school fight videos then often spark new cycles of student cyberbullying, verbal aggression, and violence” Times tech reporter Natasha Singer said.
The fallout from school violence extends beyond the student body. Teachers frequently find themselves caught in the crossfire of student altercations, driving a growing number of educators to abandon their classrooms or exit the profession entirely.
“65 percent of teachers in the first wave reported at least one incident of verbal harassment or threatening behavior from a student prior to the pandemic…Those numbers decreased to 33%…during the pandemic, when remote and hybrid schooling were common, but rebounded to 80% [post-pandemic]” American Psychological Association said. (Tenley Hamer)
The American Psychological Association reported that post-pandemic physical violence against school personnel reached 56%, and verbal harassment hit 80%, which ultimately drove up teacher resignations.
The question still arises: what can we do to make a change? Safe+Sound Iowa provides a way for students, school staff, parents and community members to anonymously report school threats.
“Promoting proactive measures and community involvement, our school safety program helps schools create environments where students can learn, grow and thrive without fear,” Safe+Sound Iowa said. “Launched in March 2023, Safe+Sound Iowa continues to gain momentum, teaching school communities how to spot warning signs of violence- including when and how to get help.”
Safe+Sound Iowa can be a partial solution, but it doesn’t fully combat the issue at hand. Students will still be involved in altercations, especially if both parties are planned perpetrators, and it’s not an aggressor and victim situation. 
Changes have been implemented, however the problem of student violence and behavioral issues still stands. Violence is an issue that puts the safety of students and staff at risk. 

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