2025 SCS OMB Supporting Statement A_final

School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey

OMB Control Number 1121-0184

OMB Expiration Date: 11/30/2024

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR

SCHOOL CRIME SUPPLEMENT TO THE

NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY

1. JUSTIFICATION

Overview

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) request clearance to conduct the 2025 School Crime Supplement (SCS) as a supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) to collect information about school-related victimization. The NCVS and all related contacts and protocols have been previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (OMB Control No: 1121-0111) and this request is specifically for a supplemental data collection instrument that will be added to the approved NCVS core from January 2025 through June 2025 (see Attachment 1). The last SCS was administered from January 2022 through June 2022. It was approved under OMB Control No. 1121-0184, which expires November 30, 2024. The SCS is the only national data collection that provides reliable person-level information on school-related victimization. Data are collected from persons ages 12 to 18 who complete an NCVS interview. Typically, the SCS is administered every two years. However, the SCS was postponed from 2021 to 2022 as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on in-person learning. Due to implementation of the redesigned core NCVS instrument, 2025 was chosen for the next SCS data collection. Minor revisions were made to the 2022 SCS questionnaire for the 2025 administration. Certain items specifically related to COVID-19 and its impact on schooling were removed from the questionnaire. In addition, changes were made to the series of questions on drug and alcohol availability, such as adding a question on tobacco and updating examples of drugs available within existing questions.

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information.

BJS is authorized to collect statistics on victimization under Title 34, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 10132 of the Justice Systems Improvement Act of 1979 (see Attachment 2). The data collection allows BJS to fulfill its mission of collecting, analyzing, publishing, and disseminating information on victims of crime. Title 1 of the Education Sciences Reform Act (ESRA) mandates that NCES collect, report, analyze, and disseminate statistical data regarding education in the United States. These data include the nature of criminal incidents at school and other indices of school safety. Specifically, information is required on the incidence, frequency, seriousness, and nature of violence affecting students, school personnel, and other individuals participating in school activities. Furthermore, other indices of school safety are to be detailed, including information regarding the relationship between victims and perpetrators and demographic characteristics of the victims.

The primary purpose of the SCS is to obtain information about school-related victimizations. This information helps policymakers; academic researchers; practitioners at the federal, state, and local levels; and special interest groups, who are concerned with crime in schools, make informed decisions about policies and programs. The SCS is the only data collection on school-related victimization that is representative of the national youth population of students ages 12 to 18.

To study the relationships between victimization at school and the school environment, and to monitor changes in student experiences with victimization, accurate information regarding its incidence must be collected. The SCS includes questions related to students' experiences with, and perceptions of, crime and safety at school. The questions focus on preventive measures used by schools; students' participation in after school activities; students’ perceptions of safety and belonging in schools; students' perception of school rules and enforcement of these rules; the presence of weapons, illegal and prescription drugs (including opioids), alcohol, and gangs in school; student bullying; hate-related incidents; and attitudinal questions relating to the fear of victimization at school. The 2025 supplement will continue to provide critical information about the overall environment of safety in schools to understand the context in which school-related victimizations occur on a national level.

NCVS data indicate that crimes that occurred at school are less likely to be reported police than crimes that occurred in other locations. In addition, police-based statistics are not organized in a manner to properly identify crimes that occurred at school or during school hours. Therefore, police statistics on school crime are not adequate to address the issue of the nature and prevalence of school victimization.

The U.S. Census Bureau has administered and collected the SCS as part of the NCVS administration 14 times since 1989 and administered the supplement biennially between 1999 and 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted students’ ability to attend school in person, and therefore, NCES and BJS decided to delay the SCS data collection from 2021 to 2022. Due to implementation of the redesigned NCVS instrument, 2025 was chosen for the next SCS data collection.

We are requesting a two-year clearance from OMB that will cover the 2025 SCS data collection. The SCS will be conducted from January 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025. During this 6-month period, the supplement will be administered to all NCVS respondents ages 12 to 18, following the completion of the NCVS screener and the NCVS crime incident report (if applicable NCVS crimes were reported).

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.

The SCS data yield numerous types of information that are used by school administrators, resource officers and educators, as well as other individuals and groups that are generally interested in school crime and student safety.

General Uses

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) NCES and Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) and designed with BJS, the SCS collects the data to address the reporting authorizations of both NCES and BJS. Since its first collection in 1989, the SCS has been NCES's primary data source on student victimization. In addition to collecting characteristics related to various types of student victimization at school, the SCS also asks students about perceptions of school safety; alcohol and drug availability; fighting, bullying, and hate-related behaviors; fear and avoidance behaviors; gun and weapon carrying; and gangs at school.

To meet its obligation to Congress under the ESRA, NCES works with its diverse customer groups and relies on their feedback to determine how to meet their information demands for timely, comprehensive, and useful information that maintains high statistical standards. Table 1 displays the types of estimates that can be produced from the 2025 SCS.

Table 1: Types of estimates that can be drawn from the 2025 SCS

Estimates1	Relevant questions
Percentages of students ages 12 to 18 who reported presence of selected security measures at school	Q10
Percentage of students ages 12 to 18 who reported being bullied during school by type of bullying and by selected student and school characteristics	Q22
Number and percentage of students ages 12 to 18 who reported being bullied during school, by the frequency of bullying and whether an adult was notified, and selected student characteristics	Q22, 23, 30
Percentage of students ages 12 to 18 who reported being bullied during school and the effect it had on them, by selected student and school characteristics	Q22, 31
Percentage of students ages 12 to 18 who reported being targets of hate-related bullying, hearing hate-related words or seeing hate-related graffiti during the school year, by selected student and school characteristics	Q33, 34, 35
Percentage of students ages 12 to 18 who reported being afraid of attack or harm or avoidance behaviors because of fear of attack or harm during the school year, by location and urbanicity	Q36, 37, 38
Percentage of students ages 12 to 18 who reported that gangs were present at school during the school year, including gang fights and drug sales by gangs	Q42
Percentage of students ages 12 to 18 who reported being bullied during school, by student reports of negative school conditions such as the presence of gangs and availability of drugs and alcohol at school	Q19, 20, 22, 42
Percentage of students ages 12 to 18 who reported being bullied during school, by presence of indicators of school attachment, performance, and future orientation	Q9, 14, 15, 22, 43, 44, 45
Percentage of students ages 12 to 18 who reported being bullied during school, by student reports of personal fear, avoidance behaviors, fighting, and weapon carrying at school, and type of bullying	Q21, 22, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41

¹ Some data that refer to student characteristics like sex, race, and household income are administered to respondents in the core NCVS interview and not in the SCS. School characteristics for the schools of attendance reported by respondents are taken from NCES’s Common Core of Data (CCD) and Private School Universe Survey (PSS).

Use by Federal Stakeholders

NCES and BJS use the SCS data to meet the reporting authorizations of both agencies. NCES is mandated to disseminate statistics on school crime. BJS is authorized to disseminate statistics on the attributes of crime, which includes the location that the crime occurred and the population it affects. Together they issue a joint annual report, Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety. The latest report is available at https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/report-indicators-school-crime-and-safety-2023-and-indicator-2-incidence. Eight of the 22 indicators in this report include SCS data:

• Prevalence of Victimization at School

• Students’ Reports of Gangs at School

• Students’ Reports of Being Called Hate-Related Words and Seeing Hate-Related Graffiti

• Bullying at School and Cyber-Bullying Anywhere

• Students Carrying Weapons on School Property and Anywhere and Students’ Access to Firearms

• Students’ Perceptions of Personal Safety at School and Away from School

• Students’ Reports of Avoiding School Activities or Specific Places in School

• Students’ Reports of Safety and Security Measures Observed at School

In addition, one of the indicators, “Incidence of Victimization at School and Away from School,” is the primary mechanism for releasing annual estimates from the NCVS for violence and theft against students ages 12 to 18.

NCES also uses the SCS data to produce other publications, such as The Condition of Education, a congressionally mandated annual report that summarizes developments and trends in education using the latest available data. Some of the other federal stakeholders and the ways in which they use SCS data are as follows:

Congress uses these data to evaluate the prevalence and extent of school crime to help support federal, state, and local agencies in reducing student victimization, develop new or improved initiatives or laws aimed at ensuring the safety of America's students, and monitor the effectiveness of school policies and programs. In 2021, the U.S. Government Accountability Office published K-12 EDUCATION: Students’ Experiences with Bullying, Hate Speech, Hate Crimes, and Victimization in Schools, which featured data from the 2015, 2017, and 2019 SCS.

Within the Department of Education, the OESE and the Office of Safe and Healthy Students (OSHS) use the data to communicate and understand the current trends in school crime and to allocate resources to assist states and local agencies to meet the needs of school officials, administrators, teachers, and parents to assess conditions within their own schools/jurisdictions relative to those at the national level, as well as determine needs and budgetary requirements.

Use by Non-Federal Stakeholders

Non-federal users include state and local officials who, in conjunction with researchers and planners, need to analyze the current trends in victimization and school safety. For example –

State and local governments use the data to assess conditions within their own jurisdictions relative to those at the national level and to determine needs and budgetary requirements for local school districts.

Researchers and practitioners often reanalyze the data to estimate the prevalence and impact of student victimization, and correlate school crime to design prevention programs. A few examples of secondary data analysis include –

• Michael Heise & Jason P. Nance (2024) Student Race, School Police, and the School-To-Prison Pipeline: Mixed Evidence of Indirect Pathways, Journal of School Violence.

• Kurpiel, A., Hullenaar, K. L., & Ruback, R. B. (2023). Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Fear-Victimization Gap at School: An Examination of School Context and Trends Over Time. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 38(3-4), 2534-2565.

• Seo, C., Kruis, N., & Park, S. (2022). School Violence and Safety Policies and Practices in Urban and Rural Communities: Does Location Matter?. International Journal of Rural Criminology, 6(2), 273–297.

• Betancourt, Anthony. Understanding Gender Differences in Traditional and Cyberbullying: An Evaluation of Construct Validity of the 2013 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. Dissertation, City University of New York.

• Bills, K.L. The direct relationship between bullying rates and extracurricular activities among adolescents and teenagers with disabilities. Journal of Evidence‐Based Social Work, 17(2): 191‐202.

• Hu, X., Wu, J., DeValve, M., & Fisher, B. Exploring Violent Crime Reporting among School-Age Victims: Findings from NCVS SCS 2005-2015. An International Journal of Evidence-based Research, Policy, and Practice, 15(2): 141-158.

The media disseminates findings from the survey to inform the public about issues related to school crime and safety.

In addition to principal-, district-, or state-level data sources, students' reports of victimization and perceptions of crime, violence, and school climate are important factors in providing a comprehensive picture of school crime and safety. Currently, the SCS is the only recurring national data source that provides nationally representative student-level data detailing victimization and other school characteristics related to crime and disorder.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also, describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.

Respondents to the NCVS and SCS are individuals living in households. The Census Bureau collects the data using in-person and telephone interviews. The SCS will be conducted in a fully automated interviewing environment using computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) methods. In this method, field representatives use a laptop computer to read questions and record answers. The use of CAPI technologies reduces data collection costs as well as respondent and interviewer burden. Furthermore, automated instruments afford the opportunity to implement inter-data item integrity constraints which minimize the amount of data inconsistency. More consistent data, in turn, reduces the need for extensive post-data collection editing and imputation processes which significantly reduces the time needed to release the data for public consumption. The use of technology results in more accurate data products that are delivered in a timelier fashion giving data users access to information while it is still relevant.

3. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Item A.2 above.

Two contemporary surveys collect information about school-related crime and safety from the students’ perspective. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and Monitoring the Future (MTF) are national collections that target various populations and substantive areas. However, neither of these studies provides a comprehensive picture of school crime from the students’ perspective from both the public and private sectors.

Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) administers the YRBS. The YRBS collects information on risky behaviors and offending, but there is minimal overlap of YRBS content with that of the SCS. The YRBS is a school-based survey and interviews students in grades 9 through 12. Most of the questions ask about all experiences, not just those confined to school.

The SCS is a household-based sample and interviews youth ages 12 to 18 who have attended school during the current school year (grades 6 through 12). All of the questions are about experiences at school. Areas of overlap include asking if the student carried a weapon on school property, if the student was in a fight on school property, if the student was bullied either at school or online (cyberbullied), and if the student skipped (or did not attend) school because of safety concerns. In 2011, two questions on bullying and cyber-bullying were added to the YRBS. Unlike the SCS, the questions do not go into detail about the type of bullying behavior, number of incidents, or results (notification of adults, avoidance, etc.). Additionally, because the YRBS is a self-administered survey, the responses are not directly comparable to the SCS.

Monitoring the Future (MTF). The National Institute on Drug Abuse publishes survey results from MTF. This survey, like the YRBS, is a self-administered form. It is also a school-based survey population. The population surveyed does not completely overlap with the SCS as the survey is not administered to students below grade 8 and uses different forms for grades 8, 10, and 12; it includes college students; and is not restricted by age. More importantly, the sampling procedures are representative of schools, not the general population. MTF does not look at bullying or cyber-bullying, and only overlaps in the areas of drug and alcohol use and availability. Like the YRBS, MTF does not restrict responses to experiences on school property. Thus, the SCS does not duplicate existing data collections.

3. If the collection of information impacts small businesses or other small entities, describe any methods used to minimize burden.

N/A. The NCVS and SCS are household-based surveys and do not impact small business or small entities.

3. Describe the consequence to federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

Regular data collection is required to produce timely statistics on school crime victimization. The SCS is the only data collection on school victimization and school characteristics that is representative of the national youth population of students ages 12 to 18. Less frequent collection would limit the ability to present timely statistics and assess trends in student victimization both reported and not reported to police. Additionally, less frequent collection would limit the ability to assess students’ experiences with bullying, drug and alcohol availability, and students’ access to weapons over time. Stakeholders, including policymakers, school administrators, researchers, and the media, rely on the timely and frequent collection of these data to make comparative assessments that document the changing demands on schools, community mental health agencies, and law enforcement. Additionally, these entities would not have the necessary data to obtain resources for personnel and services to ensure school safety (e.g., security, personnel, and programmatic efforts) and other demands for tax dollars.

3. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner:

• requiring respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly;

• requiring respondents to prepare a written response to a collection of information in fewer than 30 days after receipt of it;

• requiring respondents to submit more than an original and two copies of any document;

• requiring respondents to retain records, other than health, medical, government contract, grant-in-aid, or tax records for more than three years;

• in connection with a statistical survey, that is not designed to produce valid and reliable results that can be generalized to the universe of study;

• requiring the use of statistical data classification that has not been reviewed and approved by OMB;

• that includes a pledge of confidentially that is not supported by authority established in statute or regulation, that is not supported by disclosure and data security policies that are consistent with the pledge, or which unnecessarily impedes sharing of data with other agencies for compatible confidential use; or

• requiring respondents to submit proprietary trade secret, or other confidential information unless the agency can demonstrate that it has instituted procedures to protect the information's confidentially to the extent permitted by law.

There are no special circumstances.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publication in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

Describe efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.

The research under this clearance is consistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6 and 5 CFR 1320.8(d). The 60-day notice for public commentary was published in the Federal Register, Volume 89, Number 118, pages 51550-51551 on June 18, 2024 (Attachment 3). BJS advertised this notice on its webpage and social media feeds. The comment period ended on August 19, 2024. In response to the 60-day notice, BJS received one letter from GLSEN, a national organization supporting LGBTQI+ youth, with several comments (see Table 2; Attachment 4). The 30-day notice for public commentary was published in the Federal Register, Volume 89, Number 169, page 70669, on August 30, 2024.

Table 2. Public Comments on the 2025 School Crime Supplement

Comment from:	Comment:	Implementation of public comment and BJS response:
Brain Dittmeier and Shweta Moorthy, GLSEN	If BJS is only able to include one measure of gender-related bullying and hate speech, GLSEN recommends that BJS revise questions 32e, 33, and 34e to make clear that the questions are intended to capture the experiences of all students with bullying and hate speech based on their gender identity, regardless of whether they are transgender, nonbinary, or cisgender. GLSEN recommends the following language: 32e. G_BULLYING_GENDER Your gender identity, for example, boy, girl, or nonbinary? 33. G_HATE During this school year, has anyone called you an insulting or bad name at school having to do with your race, religion, ethnic background or national origin, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation? We call these hate-related words. 34e. G_HATE_GENDER Your gender identity, for example, boy, girl, or nonbinary?	Comment will not be implemented. Proposed additions would require cognitive testing to ensure that respondents understand the revised item and what we are trying to measure. These changes also have potential to significantly change the interpretation of the question by respondents compared to its current wording.
Brain Dittmeier and Shweta Moorthy, GLSEN	GLSEN recommends that BJS retain the language used in the 2022 SCS: 32f. G_BULLYING_ORIENTATION Your sexual orientation – such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or straight? 34f. G_HATE_SEXUAL_ORIENTATION Your sexual orientation – such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or straight? The above measures mirror the nonexclusive language BJS proposes to use in questions 32c and 34c, with regard to ethnic background or national origin, and questions 32d and 34d, with regard to disability.	Comment will be implemented. Changes are minor enough to not require cognitive testing and language is more inclusive of other sexual orientations. Similar language was used in the 2022 SCS, so incorporating this change is not an update compared to the 2022 SCS.
Brain Dittmeier and Shweta Moorthy, GLSEN	GLSEN further urges SCS to revise measures 28a, 28b, and 28c to replace binary gendered relationship language with language that is inclusive of nonbinary individuals. For example: 28a. G_RELAT_SIBLING What was your relationship to the student when they bullied you? Were they… Your brother, sister, or sibling? 28b. G_RELAT_DATING A person you were dating at the time, for example, your boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner? 28c. G_RELAT_EX_DATING A person you had dated in the past, for example, an ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, or ex-partner?	Comment will be implemented with modifications. The term sibling in 28a will be incorporated to be more inclusive to students. Revised question is below. 28a. What was your relationship to the student when they bullied you? Were they… Your sibling, such as a brother or sister? Additional language proposed for 28b and 28c would require cognitive testing to ensure that respondents understand the revised item and what we are trying to measure.

The U.S. Census Bureau, BJS, and NCES coordinated to develop the questionnaire and procedures used to collect this supplemental information. Those persons consulted from the Census Bureau included John Gloster, Edward Madrid, Megan Ruhnke, and Christopher Seamands. Principal consultants from BJS were Dr. Rachel Morgan and Alexandra Thompson. Principal persons from NCES were Dr. Michael McGarrah, Dr. Deanne Swan, and Andrew Zukerberg.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payments or gifts to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

No government funds will be used as payment or for gifts to respondents.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

BJS, its employees, and its data collection agents will use the data it collects only for statistical or research purposes, consistent with 34 U.S.C. § 10134, which states “data collected by the Bureau shall be used only for statistical or research purposes, and shall be gathered in a manner that precludes their use for law enforcement or any purpose relating a private person or public agency other than statistical or research purposes.” BJS is required to protect information identifiable to a private person from unauthorized disclosure and may not publicly release data in a way that could reasonably identify a specific private person, consistent with the confidentiality requirements in 34 U.S.C. § 10231 and 28 CFR Part 22.

By law, the Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release survey responses in a way that could identify survey respondents or their households. Census Bureau employees who may see the survey responses are sworn to preserve this confidentiality. Even BJS, as the sponsor of the survey, is not authorized to see or handle the data in its raw form. All unique and identifying information is scrambled or suppressed before it is provided to BJS to analyze. Data are maintained in secure environments and in restricted access locations within the Census Bureau. All data provided to BJS must meet the confidentiality requirements set forth by the Disclosure Review Board at the Census Bureau.

In a letter from the Director of the BJS (NCVS-572(L)) (Attachment 5), sent to all households in the survey, respondents are informed of these laws and assured that it requires the Census Bureau to keep all information provided by the respondent confidential. The letter also informs respondents that this is a voluntary survey. Furthermore, in addition to the legal authority and voluntary nature of the survey, the letter informs respondents of the public reporting burden for this collection of information, the principal purposes for collecting the information, and the various uses for the data after it is collected which satisfies the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

The SCS asks questions related to victimization, bullying victimization, drug availability at school, gang presence at school, and students’ access to weapons which may be sensitive to some respondents. These questions are of great interest for school administrators and personnel responsible for maintaining school safety and have been included in past SCS administrations.

Additional questions about whether bullying is related to personal characteristics such as sexual orientation or religious beliefs are carefully constructed to ask about perceptions of victims, rather than about actual personal characteristics. This information is necessary to meet ED’s commitment to provide information on school victimization among protected and vulnerable student groups.

NCVS interviewers receive training and guidance on how to ask sensitive questions, and the NCVS instrument training contains a distress protocol for interviewers to follow (OMB Control No. 1121-0111). All respondents have the option of refusing to answer any question.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information. The statement should:

• Indicate the number of respondents, frequency of response, annual hour burden, and an explanation of how the burden was estimated. Unless directed to do so, agencies should not conduct special surveys to obtain information on which to base hour burden estimates. Consultation with a sample (fewer than 10) of potential respondents is desirable. If the hour burden on respondents is expected to vary widely because of differences in activity, size, or complexity, show the range of estimated hour burden, and explain the reasons for the variance. General, estimates should not include burden hours for customary and usual business practices.

• If this request for approval covers more than one form, provide separate hour burden estimates for each form.

• Provide estimates of annualized cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collections of information, identifying and using appropriate wage rate categories. The cost of contracting out or paying outside parties for information collection activities should not be included here. Instead, this cost should be included in Item 14.

This burden estimate assumes that the total NCVS sample from January through June 2025 will be administered the survey. This is approximately 130,000 households yielding approximately 12,129 persons ages 12 to 18 in NCVS interviewed households.

Response rates and interview times for the 2025 SCS administration are based on actual times from the 2022 administration. Based on the 2022 SCS, we expect that about 45.6% (n=5,530) of the 12,129 NCVS persons ages 12 to 18, are expected to complete an SCS interview. Of the 5,530 SCS respondents, 87% (n = 4,811) are expected to complete the long SCS interview (entire SCS questionnaire), which takes an estimated 17 minutes to complete. The remaining 13% (n=719) of SCS respondents are expected to complete the short interview (i.e., will be screened out for not being in school), which takes an estimated 2 minutes to complete. The total respondent burden is approximately 1,387 hours. See Table 3 for calculation and item 15 below for explanation of the change in burden.

Table 3. 2025 SCS estimated burden hours

Activity	Number of Respondents	Participation Time (minutes)	Total Burden (hours)	Hourly Rate*	Monetized Value of Respondent Time
SCS Short Interviews	719	2	24	$7.25	$174.00
SCS Long Interviews	4,811	17	1,363	$7.25	$9,881.75
Total	5,530		1,387		$10,055.75

*The average hourly rate is based on the federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees, reported by the U.S. Department of Labor (accessed August 5, 2024).

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. (Do not include the cost of any hour burden shown in Items 12 and 14).

• The cost estimate should be split into two components: (a) a total capital and start up cost component (annualized over its expected useful life); and (b) a total operation and maintenance and purchase of service component. The estimates should take into account costs associated with generating, maintaining, and disclosing or providing the information. Include descriptions of methods used to estimate major cost factors including system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, the discount rate(s), and the time period over which costs will be incurred. Capital and start-up costs include, among other items, preparations for collecting information such as purchasing computers and software; monitoring, sampling, drilling and testing equipment; and record storage facilities.

• If cost estimates are expected to vary widely, agencies should present ranges of cost burdens and explain the reasons for the variance. The cost of purchasing or contracting out information collection services should be a part of this cost burden estimate. In developing cost burden estimates, agencies may consult with a sample of respondents (fewer than 10), utilize the 60-day pre-OMB submission public comment process and use existing economic or regulatory impact analysis associated with the rulemaking containing the information collection, as appropriate.

• Generally, estimates should not include purchases of equipment or services, or portions thereof, made: (1) prior to October 1, 1995, (2) to achieve regulatory compliance with requirements not associated with the information collection, (3) for reasons other than to provide information or keep records for the government, or (4) as part of customary and usual business or private practices.

There are no costs to respondents other than that of their time to respond.

14. Provide estimates of the annualized cost to the Federal Government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information. Agencies also may aggregate cost estimates from Items 12, 13, and 14 into a single table.

There are no capital or start-up costs associated with the data collection.

The total estimated cost to the Federal Government for the 2025 SCS is $2,140,311. Table 4 details estimated costs for BJS, NCES, and the U.S. Census Bureau for the 2025 SCS. The U.S. Census Bureau will act as the data collection agent for the 2025 SCS. The Census Bureau will develop, test, and finalize the 2025 SCS survey instrument, develop all data collection support and training materials, train interviewers and support staff, and collect, process, and disseminate the 2025 SCS data.

Table 4. Estimated BJS, NCES, and Census costs for the 2025 SCS

BJS and NCES estimated costs
GS12 – Statistician, BJS (15%)	$15,872
GS15 – Supervisory Statistician, BJS (10%)	$18,582
GS-15/SES/SL leadership, BJS (3%)	$5,574
GS-14 Lead Technical Editor, BJS (5%)	$7,900
GS13 – Statistician, NCES (45%)	$60,161
Subtotal: Salaries	$108,089
Fringe benefits (30% of salaries)	$32,427
Subtotal: Salary and fringe	$140,516
Other administrative costs of salary and fringe (15%)	$21,077
Subtotal: Project management costs	$161,593
NCES support contracts	$650,000
Total BJS and NCES estimated costs	$811,593
Census estimated costs
DSMD (sample design and estimation)	$115,339
ADSD (instrument development)	$106,102
DSD (data processing)	$196,218
FLD (data collection)	$510,370
ADDP-SO (survey operations and project management)	$423,009
Total Census estimated costs	$1,351,038
Total 2025 SCS estimated cost	$2,162,631

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.

The decrease in the respondent burden from 1,728 hours to 1,387 hours is attributed to a decrease in expected persons and interviews. We expect a slight decrease in the response rates and minimal difference in the interview times between the 2022 SCS and 2025 SCS.

The number of persons in the household ages 12 to 18 that will be eligible for the supplement is decreasing by less than 1% from 12,156 respondents in 2022 to about 12,129 in 2025 because of the decrease in expected interviewed households and eligible persons as survey response rates decrease over time.

The SCS instrument is divided into eight primary parts (see Attachment 1). The specific rationale for each question can be found in Attachment 6. The sections include –

1. Screener questions – establishes eligibility of the respondent being interviewed.

2. Environmental (school environment) – asks students about their school’s name, type of school, how they attended school (in-person, virtual, etc.), grade levels, access to school and building, student activities, school organizational features related to safety, academic and teaching conditions, student-teacher relations, and drug availability.

3. Fighting, bullying, and hate behaviors – asks students about the number and characteristics of physical fights, bullying, and hate-related incidents.

4. Avoidance – asks students whether they avoided certain parts of the school building or campus, skipped class, or stayed home entirely because of the threat of harm or attack.

5. Fear – follows up with questions on how afraid students feel in and on their way to and from school.

6. Weapons – focuses on whether students carried weapons on school grounds for protection or know of any students who have brought a gun to school.

7. Gangs – asks students about their perception of gang presence and activity at school.

8. Student characteristics – asks students about their attendance and academic performance.

Minor edits were made to the 2022 SCS questionnaire for the 2025 administration (see Table 4 and Attachment 6). Some items were removed as they were not applicable in 2025. This included specific questions or responses related to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it impacted how students attended school. Changes were also made to the series of questions on drug and alcohol availability, based on language from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Below is a summary of changes to the 2025 SCS.

Table 4: Edits between the 2022 SCS and the 2025 SCS

2022 SCS	Rationale	2025 SCS
1e. E_REMOTE_SCHOOLING_COVID [IF E_ATTENDSCHOOL_VIRTUAL = “Yes” and/or E_ATTENDSCHOOL_HOMESCHOOL = “Yes”] Did you receive [online schooling or virtual learning/homeschooling instead of being enrolled in a public or private school/online schooling or virtual learning or homeschooling instead of being enrolled in a public or private school] because of the Coronavirus pandemic?	Removed question because we anticipate it not being as applicable to schooling in 2025.	N/A
1f7. E_HOMESCHOOL_WHY_SCHCLOSED Because of your county’s decision to close the schools?	Removed question because we anticipate it not being as applicable to schooling in 2025.	N/A
3. E_WHATMONTH In what month did your current school year begin? 1 = July 2 = August 3 = September 4 = Other	Changed option 4 from ‘Other’ to ‘a different month’ and added a probe. Based on reports from the 2022 SCS, some respondents mistook January as the beginning of the school year, rather than when they started that grade. These changes are to help combat possible confusion.	3. E_WHATMONTH In what month did your current school year begin? 1 = July 2 = August 3 = September 4 = a different month If E_WHATMONTH=4, Probe: What month did you start your current grade?.
SCS_INTRO_3 READ SCS_INTRO_3 only if E_ATTENDSCHOOL_VIRTUAL = “Yes”	Introductory language was originally added to the 2022 SCS to probe virtual students to think of schools they normally would attend in person (for cases where schools may be closed due to COVID-19). This introduction in the 2025 SCS will only be read to students who both attended school in person and virtually, rather than any student who is virtual. This is to not confuse students who are normally fully virtual and only read to students who are virtual as a substitute for being in person.	SCS_INTRO_3 READ SCS_INTRO_3 if E_ATTENDSCHOOL_VIRTUAL = “Yes” and E_ATTENDSCHOOL_INPERSON= “Yes”
N/A	Added question on availability of tobacco or nicotine products since it has not previously been included in the SCS and is likely a commonly used and accessible drug. Maintained the same formatting as other questions in series, but used examples from NSDUH, as they’ve been tested with youth.	19a. F2_TOBACCO Is it possible for students to get any of the following while at school… Tobacco or nicotine products, such as cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes or vaping devices, chewing tobacco, and dip?
19b. F2_MARIJUANA Marijuana, also known as pot or weed?	Since marijuana can be used in different forms, language was added incase a respondent wanted more information on what is included in the question. This note is not automatically read to the respondent. Examples used were based on NSDUH, as they’ve been tested with youth.	19c. F2_MARIJUANA Marijuana, also known as pot or weed? Marijuana that can be smoked (such as in joints, pipes, bongs, blunts, or hookahs), vaped (such as in vape pens, dab pens, tabletop vaporizers, or portable vaporizers), dabbed, eaten, drunk, or applied as a lotion.
19c. F2_OPIODS Heroin or prescription painkillers illegally obtained without a prescription, such as Codeine, Percocet, or fentanyl? These are also known as opioids.	Un-capitalized codeine since it is not a brand name and added additional examples based on common opioids. Examples used were based on NSDUH, as they’ve been tested with youth.	19d. F2_OPIODS Heroin or prescription painkillers illegally obtained without a prescription, such as codeine, Percocet, fentanyl, OxyContin, or Vicodin? These are also known as opioids.
19e. F2_OTHER_ILLEGAL Other illegal drugs, such as cocaine, uppers, or crystal meth?	Replaced uppers with LSD and Ecstasy, since uppers is not a specific substance like other examples in this question. Examples used were based on NSDUH, as they’ve been tested with youth.	19f. F2_OTHER_ILLEGAL Other illegal drugs, such as cocaine, LSD, Ecstasy (MDMA), or crystal meth?
28a. G_RELAT_SIBLING What was your relationship to the student when they bullied you? Were they… Your brother or sister? 1 = Yes 2 = No 28b. G_RELAT_DATING Your boyfriend or girlfriend at the time? 1 = Yes 2 = No 28c. G_RELAT_EX_DATING Your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend at the time? 1 = Yes 2 = No 28d. G_RELAT_OTH_STUDENT Another student from school? 1 = Yes 2 = No	A skip pattern was added to Q28a-28c, so that once a respondent answers ‘Yes’, they are routed to the next set of questions. For example, if a respondent answers ‘Yes’ to 28a, they do not receive the questions 28b-28d. Since questions 28a-28d cover mutually exclusive categories, a respondent would not answer ‘Yes’ to more than one option.	28a. G_RELAT_SIBLING What was your relationship to the student when they bullied you? Were they… Your brother or sister? 1 = Yes – SKIP to G_BULLYWHERE1 2 = No 28b. G_RELAT_DATING Your boyfriend or girlfriend at the time? 1 = Yes – SKIP to G_BULLYWHERE1 2 = No 28c. G_RELAT_EX_DATING Your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend at the time? 1 = Yes – SKIP to G_BULLYWHERE1 2 = No 28d. G_RELAT_OTH_STUDENT Another student from school? 1 = Yes 2 = No

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulations, and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.

2025 SCS

The schedule for the 2025 SCS is as follows. The dates are estimates and are subject to change:

• November 2024: Complete the development and testing (by the Census Bureau) of the CAPI instrument, ensuring that it functions as designed and that all survey skip patterns have been properly programmed. The testing will be done in consultation with BJS and NCES.

• December 2024: The Census Bureau completes the development of all training materials and distributes to the field representatives.

• January 2025–June 2025: Interviews for the 2025 SCS are conducted by the Census Bureau field representatives.

• During the interview period, the Census Bureau provides BJS and NCES with monthly reports on response rates, contact ‘hit rates,’ and the number of interviews conducted in a language other than English.

• February 2025–October 2025: Data monitoring and processing takes place on an ongoing basis.

• November 2025: Computer processing and weighting of the data are completed.

• December 2025: The Census Bureau prepares and delivers a 2025 SCS public-use file and accompanying file documentation to BJS and NCES.

BJS and NCES will be responsible for the statistical analysis and publication of the data from the 2025 SCS. Contingent on the processing and delivery of the final data file, recurring reports from the 2025 collection will be released approximately 12 months after the data are approved for release. These will include the Web Tables Report on student reports of bullying, and the Statistics in Brief report on student reports of criminal victimization, both published by NCES (anticipated release in February 2027). In addition, NCES will release the Condition of Education and NCES and BJS will jointly release the Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety, which both include SCS data (anticipated release in July 2027).

The SCS data are archived at the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan (http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/). The 2025 SCS data will be released through ICPSR following the first release of statistics through an NCES publication (anticipated release in February 2027). Researchers can download public-use files (PUF) of the SCS data and codebooks to conduct their own analyses. These microdata are made available as a PUF after it has been approved by the Census Bureau’s Disclosure Review Board. The ICPSR study includes a codebook, setup program in SAS language, text file of the raw data, as well as the datafile in SPSS, SAS, and STATA data formats. As an example, the 2022 SCS data release documentation and datasets can be found at https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/NACJD/studies/38666.

To further enhance the utility of the data, in addition to the PUFs housed at ICPSR, the geographically identified SCS files will now be available in the Census Bureau secure federal statistical research data centers (FSRDC). The FSRDC files can be accessed by researchers who submit a proposal through ResearchDataGov and are approved by BJS, Census, and NCES for the research they plan to conduct using the data. Approved researchers must agree to all confidentiality and protected use constraints. Data are typically available through ICPSR and the FSRDCs after the initial SCS publication is released by NCES.

Recently released from the 2022 SCS

ICPSR released the 2022 SCS data file and documentation on their website on February 28, 2024. The following publications have been released using data from the 2022 SCS:

Student Reports of Bullying: Results From the 2022 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCES 2024109)

https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2024109

Measuring Student Safety: New Data on Bullying Rates at School

https://nces.ed.gov/blogs/nces/post/measuring-student-safety-new-data-on-bullying-rates-at-school

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons that display would be inappropriate.

We are requesting no exemption. The OMB control number is displayed on the CAPI laptop or read during the interview describing the nature of the survey and authority to collect the information.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.

This collection of information does not include any exceptions to the certificate statement.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATON EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection contains statistical data.

List of Attachments

Attachment 1: 2025 SCS questionnaire

Attachment 2: Title 34, U.S.C., Section 10132 of the Justice Systems Improvement Act of 1979

Attachment 3: 2025 SCS 60-day notice

Attachment 4: Comments on the 2025 SCS from the 60-day notice

Attachment 5: Letter from the Director (NCVS-572(L))

Attachment 6: 2025 SCS item justification and rationale

Attachment 7: 2022 SCS parent and student (English) brochure

Attachment 8: 2022 NCVS SCS School Crime Letter

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