Poll Finds Fear of Crime Alters Student Routines

By Jessica Portner

Fear of crime and violence leads many young people to miss school, get lower grades, and carry weapons, according to a nationwide poll of teenagers released last week.

A substantial number of the more than 2,000 students surveyed reported that crime has had a significant effect on their daily routines, curtailing their freedom of movement and encroaching on schoolwork.

Researchers interviewed 2,023 students in grade 7 and higher in public, private, and parochial schools nationwide. The Louis Harris and Associates survey, which was conducted last fall, also included a nationally representative sample of...