Students’ concerns about their own safety at school are increasing because of reports of violence in the news this school year.

Recently, a student from the Baltimore Civitas Middle/High School, age 14, was arrested for stabbing another student during a fight. Allegedly, they were fighting because the student was tired of being bullied.

The victim, a 10^th grade student, was injured in the lower abdomen and was last reported in stable condition at Sinai Hospital. 

In 2010, a 7-year-old girl was choked with a jump rope at Woodlawn Elementary school.  She survived but is scarred emotionally by the attack.

Students at Baltimore Polytechnical High, KIPP Ujima Village Academy, Lake Clifton High, and other schools around the City have been caught with weapons during the last two school years.  Though they were confiscated before incident, students are in general beginning to feel less safe.

In addition to these violent acts, students have also been victims of sexual assault in several city schools, according to local news outlets.

Unfortunately, sexual assaults and public sex acts in Baltimore City Public Schools, as well as in public schools in surrounding counties, have become somewhat commonplace in the news.  Students are growing concerned that the school boards are not taking such attacks seriously enough, as they continue to happen.

There are even reports of students being assaulted on their way home from school.  A 13-year-old girl was attacked and raped by an adult male.  Since the attack, the girl is too afraid to leave her home.

Students face danger in school daily, as well as traveling to and from school.  Baltimore City Public Schools needs to continue to aggressively address bullying, weapons, and student safety to avoid similar incidents in the future.