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	Dear K-12 School Professional: Will you kindly help us to develop useful national knowledge about gang and related problems in K-12 schools, to help perhaps bring more attention to the resource needs of public schools, and to help, perhaps to find ways to solve some of these very serious problems? We are carrying out a small research project that examines gang and hate group and related factors as these factors do or do not impact upon your school, and we need your help. We would like to get one survey research instrument completed for each school. Can you help? The survey will only take a couple of minutes. We guarantee to protect the privacy of your survey response and we will only be using the data for aggregate statistical analysis (see the 2006 Survey Report at this website). Unlike surveys carried out by government agencies, your individual survey responses cannot be obtained by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), as the NGCRC is not funded by federal monies. So when we promise you anonymity, we can really fulfill that promise. But if you want to remain totally anonymous, fine, just leave any question blank that you believe is identifying (e.g., zip code for your school would be identifying if there was only one school in your zip code). The NGCRC has a long positive history of honoring the confidentiality of research respondents, see our website for examples of a variety of research reports. We are not new to this business. The NGCRC is a private non-profit agency, providing service to America since1990. We hope we can count on your help in this very important and timely piece of research that will help you, your school, and your students in the long run through the positive impact on social policy that NGCRC research has. One other thing the NGCRC does is really work hard to make sure that when we promise you that you will receive a copy of the preliminary research findings, we really do deliver on that kind of promise. We need people who are knowledgeable about their local public school or who can gather that information voluntarily. Our ideal respondent is the principal, or an associate or assistant principal, or a School Resource Officer (SRO), or a school counselor, or a teacher, or anyone who works with the school or has sufficient knowledge of the school to be able to answer the kinds of questions we face when dealing with problems posed by gangs and hate groups. The focus of the survey is on gang-related issues (gangs and hate groups). The research project examines gang and hate group and related factors as these factors do or do not impact upon your school, and we need your help. We would like to get one survey research instrument completed for each school (one and only one survey for each school is the rule). Can you help? The survey will only take a couple of minutes. For a limited time offer, if you complete the survey and mark on the bottom of it “completed and submitted before July 31, 2008 so please send me a free copy of the NGCRC journal”, we will send you a free complimentary copy of the Journal of Gang Research. The Journal of Gang Research is now in its 15th year as a professional quarterly journal and is the official publication of the NGCRC. Please take a couple minutes to complete and return the survey. If you have any questions, feel free to call the NGCRC (708) 258-9111. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have. We need your response in by July 31st, 2008. Thanking you in advance for your help. Cordially, George W. Knox, Ph.D. Director, NGCRC The 2008 School Survey of Gang-Related Issues 1. During the last year, did your school experience an increase or decrease in the number of its security staff such as School Resource Officers (SRO's)? ___Added security staff such as SRO's ___Lost security staff such as SRO's. ___Remained about the same 2. During the last year, has your school experienced an increase or decrease in student enrollment? ____Enrollment increased ___Enrollment decreased ___Remained about the same 3. Does your school prohibit the wearing of gang symbols on the clothing that students wear to school? ___Yes ___No 4. In your opinion, are students safer with a policy that requires them to wear a uniform mode of dress to school? ____Yes ___No 5. In your opinion, do you believe that a policy requiring students to wear uniforms can reduce gang activities in the school setting? ___Yes ___No 6. Does your school have a written policy that prohibits gang activity on campus? ___Yes ___No (If yes, will you please mail us a copy of it attached to this survey response. Thank you in advance for this help.) 7. Are there any abandoned buildings located nearby the location of your school's campus? ___Yes ___No 8. Does your school have a written policy that prohibits bullying behavior? ___Yes ___No (If yes, will you please mail us a copy of it attached to this survey response. Thank you in advance for this help.) 9. Does your school have a written policy that prohibits race/ethnic/religious "hate group" activity? ___Yes ___No (If yes, will you please mail us a copy of it attached to this survey response. Thank you in advance for this help.) 10. During the last year, have there been any gang shootings nearby the geographical location of your school? ___Yes ___No 11. During the last year, have there been any drug shootings nearby the geographical location of your school? ___Yes ___No 12. What is the total number of students officially enrolled at your school?_______Students 13. Does your school have a part-time or full-time School Resource Officer (SRO)? ___Part-time ___Full-time ____No SRO 14. Do the teachers or staff members in your school receive any mandatory training on or about gang issues? ___Yes ___No 15. Do you think more staff training is needed on gang issues for your school? ___ Yes ___No (if yes, what topics do you think need to be emphasized:_____________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 16. Has your school seen the pattern where a bully picks on a victim because of his/her race? ____Yes ___No



	17. In your opinion, do you think that some bullying behavior is related to racial or ethnic conflicts? ____Yes ___No 18. Has your school seen the pattern where a bully picks on a victim because the intended victim is gay or lesbian? ___Yes ___No 19. From your experience, where does most of the bullying behavior actually occur: ____In the Classroom ____Outside of the classroom ____Both 20. Does your school conduct "locker searches" at some point during the school year? ___Yes ___No 21. Does your school make use of drug sniffing dogs to conduct drug searches? ___Yes ___No 22. Does your school require all students to pass through a metal detector when they seek to enter the school building? ___Yes ___No 23. Does your school scan the Drivers License of visitors to your school building to see if they are sex offenders? ___Yes ___No 24. Were there any gang fights between rival gang members in and around your school during the last one year period? ___Yes ___No 25. Were there any complaints of gang recruiting going on in and around your school during the last one year period? ___Yes ___No 26. Were there any students arrested for drug sales or drug use at your school during the last one year period? ___Yes ___No 27. In your opinion, do you think your school needs more "bully prevention" program services? ___Yes ___No 28. In your opinion, would it be good public policy to implement a gang prevention program in your jurisdiction? ___Yes ___No 29. Do you feel gang training should be required for certain types of school administrators? ___Yes ___No 30. In your opinion, do school uniforms eliminate a lot of the problems associated with gang colors and gang symbols? ___YES ___NO 31. In your opinion is the DARE program an effective program for preventing drug abuse among students? ___Yes ___No 32. What percentage of the students at your school do you feel are regularly using illegal drugs? ________% 32. If you had to estimate, how many of the students at your school do you feel are active gang members? ________Active gang members 33. What percentage of the students at your school do you feel are in a social network consisting of one or more persons who regularly use illegal drugs? _______% 34. If you had to estimate, how many of the students at your school do you feel are associating with gang members? _______Associating with gang members 35. Are there periodically any gang conflicts between students in your school? ___Yes ___No



	36. In the area surrounding your school location, is it possible to find examples of "gang graffiti" in the neighborhood (e.g., where a gang marks its turf or puts down another gang)? ___Yes ___No 37. Are there any colors or symbols that are commonly "represented" at your school that probably have a secondary meaning with regard specifically to the gang that uses such colors and symbols? ___Yes ___No 38. How many teachers or staff members of your school were assaulted by students during the last one year (12 month) period? ______ teachers or staff members 39. What are the names of the largest three (3) gangs that are represented among the students in your school? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 40. What are the names of the largest three gangs that operate in and around the location of your school address? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 41. Are there any all female gangs that operate in and around the location of your school address? ___Yes ___No 42. Does your school enforce specific types of "grooming" codes for hair, make-up, etc? ___Yes ___No (if yes, please provide a copy of this policy ) 43. Does your school prohibit gang and hate group slogans on clothing and apparel (shirts, belts, shoes, socks, etc)? ___Yes ___No 44. How many teachers are employed in your school?_________teachers 45. Estimate how many of the teachers employed in your school have been trained in gang awareness. ________teachers 46. Estimate how many teachers employed in your school have been trained in gang identification. _______Teachers 47. Estimate how many teachers employed in your school have been trained in dealing with hate group issues. ________Teachers 48. Does your school currently have any type of gang prevention program? ___Yes ___No If yes, what is it called:_______________________________(e.g., GRIP, GREAT, etc). 49. Does your school currently have any type of drug prevention program? ___Yes ___No If yes, what is it: ________________________(e.g., DARE, etc, the name of the program) 50 (a). During the last one year period, were there any threats of violence against your school delivered by means of an email threat? ____Yes ____No 50. (b) During the last one year period, were there any threats of violence against your school delivered by means of a written paper threat? ____Yes ____No 50. (c) During the last one year period, were there any threats of violence against your school reported as verbal threats made and reported by one or more partie who may have been present during the verbal threat? ____Yes ____No 50. (d) During the last one year period, were there any threats of violence aganst your school made in some other fashion than a, b,or c above? ____Yes ____No If yes, describe:______________________________________________________________



	51 (a). During the last one year period, were any firearms discovered and taken into custody at your school? ___Yes ____No 51 (b) During the last one year period, were any students expelled for having firearms in or on the grounds of your school? ____Yes ____No 51 (c). During the last one year period, were there any bomb threats directed at your school? ___Yes ____No 51 (d) During the last one year period, did your school have to cancel a school event because of the threat of gang violence? ____Yes _____No 52. Are there any groups or organizations that espouse a radical Islamic philosophy that operate in or on the grounds of your school? ____Yes ____No 53. Are there any groups of skinheads or others who espouse a white racist philosophy that operate in and around the location of your school address? ___Yes ___No 54. Have there been any arrests for possession, distribution, or sales of methamphetamines among the students in your school during the last year? ___Yes ___No 55. Do you predict the methamphetamine problem for your students will grow, decrease, or remain the same in 2009? ____Expect a growing problem with illegal methamphetamine drugs in 2009 ____ Expect a decreasing problem with illegal methamphetamine drugs in 2009 ____Problem will not change or will remain the same 56. Were there any "gang disturbances" or fights involving gang members inside your school during the last year? ___Yes ___No 57. Do you believe that some politicians or officials in your jurisdiction want public school personnel to "downplay" or even deny the gang problem? ___Yes ___No 58. Have there been any reports of occult-type activities among students in your school during the last year (e.g., dabbling in satanism, witchcraft, odinism, etc). ___Yes ___No 59. Do you believe parents should be held financially responsible for the crimes committed by their children who are juveniles? ___Yes ___No 60. In terms of public expenditures, please estimate the per capita cost per pupil in your school during the last year. $______________dollars per pupil per year 61. Have you noticed an increase or decrease in gang graffiti during the last year? ___increased ___decreased ___no change ___no gang graffiti during last year 62. What kind of "Report Card" grade would you give your city government officials for addressing the gang problem during the last year? ___A ___B ___C ___D ___F 63. What "Report Card" grade would you give elected federal government officials for addressing the gang problem during the last year? ___A ___B ___C ___D ___F 64. A zero-tolerance policy is the best approach for controlling the outbreak or spread of the gang problem. ___Strongly Agree ___Agree ___Uncertain ___Disagree ___Strongly Disagree 65. Are females also involved in the gangs that operate in or around your school jurisdiction? ___Yes ___No



	66. If yes, please estimate what percentage of the total gang member population in your area are females: _______% are females 67. If gang wannabe's start in a school, the best thing to do is to ignore them (don't do anything about it), as the problem might go away on its own. ___Strongly Agree ___Agree ___Uncertain ___Disagree ___Strongly Disagree 68. To what extent do elected officials in your school district deny the gang problem? (Check one rating, higher the number, higher the denial, lower the number, the lower the level of denial). No denial ___0 ___1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___5 ___6 ___7 ___8 ___9 ___10 High Denial 69. During the last year, do you think your school became safer, less safer, or about the same? ___During the last year my school became safer ___During the last year my school became less safer and more dangerous ___During the last year my school's level of safety/danger did not change 70. Do you expect an increase or decrease in gang-related problems in the next year? ____Increase in gang-related problems ____Decrease in gang-related problems ____No change or will remain the same 71. Please estimate the percentage of disciplinary problems at your school during 2007 that were caused by gang members or gang associates. ________% 72. Please estimate the percentage of disciplinary problems at your school during 2007 that were caused by persons with racist extremist group affiliations (neo-nazi, skinheads, etc). ____% 73. During the last year, did you receive any reports or periodicals from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) about topics such as gangs, gang prevention, etc? ___Yes ___No 74. If yes to question #73 above, please rate the level of satisfaction you had with these materials: Not Satisfied ___0 ___1 ___2 ___3 ___4 ___5 ___6 ___7 ___8 ___9 ___10 Very Satisfied 75. Please estimate the average daily attendance (ADA) for students attending your school during the most recent year? _________% 76. Do you feel that if less attention was given to gangs on television, in newspapers, and in movies, video games, etc, that fewer people would join a gang? ___Yes ___No 77. If they could be offered at your school, would you like to see faith-based gang prevention services integrated into the K-12 curriculum? ___Yes ___No 78. Do you feel some level of "gang awareness training" should be required for K-12 public school teachers? ___Yes ___No 79. During the last year did your school experience an increase or decrease in security related problems (gangs, drugs, fights, etc)? ____Problem increased during last year ___Problem decreased during last year ___remained same 80. Please estimate, what percentage of the security problems in your school last year were caused by or involved gang members or gang associates? ____% 81. Please estimate, what percentage of the threats of violence in your school last year were caused by or involved gang members or gang associates? ____%



	82. Hypothetically, if one of your students is expelled and banned from a local area mall (assume for disruptive conduct, etc), does this information get formally transmitted to your school guidance counselor or other school official in a routine fashion and on a timely basis? ___Yes ___No 83. Our school has no formalized liaison policies and procedures for receiving information on student conduct at malls in the area from security staff who may work there. ___Yes ___No 84. During the last year, did your school have to increase its security for an athletic event because of gang-related problems? ____Yes ____No 85. During the last year, did your school have any negative exposure through students on the Internet site known as "YouTube"? _____Yes _____No 86. As a staff or faculty member, have you personally been threatened or victimized by gang members where you work or teach? _____Yes _____No 87. What one thing would you do (if you had the power and resources to do it) to make your school a safer place for children? (feel free to attach statement) __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 88. Are there any movies, videos, or types of music that are prohibited or banned at your school? ___Yes ___No (If yes, describe briefly:__________________________________________) 89. Based on current trends, what is your expectation for next year, in the school year 2008-2009 will your school experience an increase or decrease in security-related problems (gangs, drugs, fights, etc): ___Increased security related problems ___Decreased security related problems ___Security problems will remain about the same 90a What is the zip code for your school's address:_________________ 90b. What state are you located in?______________________________ 91. What is the name of your city, township, village, or jurisdiction in which your school is located? ___________________________________________________________ 92. What is the type of your school: ____elementary school ____middle school ____high school ___other (Please describe:_________________________________) (EXAMPLE: combined middle and high school 7-12) (EXAMPLE: lower elementary K-3) 93. Do you want a full copy of the preliminary research report that will be available in a couple months sent to you at no charge by the National Gang Crime Research Center? ___Yes ___No (If YES, print below who and where we should send the report. Or attach, tape, enclose, a business card which has the full mailing address information including zip code). You can remain totally anonymous if you would like to: just leave blank any question you feel would be identifying. When you are finished please mail back the survey on or before July 31st, 2008 to: The 2008 K-12 School Survey Project National Gang Crime Research Center Post Office Box 990 Peotone, IL 60468-0990