In 2008, 4,000 students were arrested in school. A new report from Connecticut Voices For Childrenfinds that by 2011, the arrest rate had declined by 13.5 percent.
That's good news, according to report author Sarah Esty, but problems remain, such as schools that arrest kids for minor things, like using a cell phone, or missing class. CT Voices recommends state education officials and the legislature actually define "student arrest" to avoid circumstances that don't warrant hand-cuffing a kid.
Esty says this report is especially timely after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, now that schools have additional police presence. Click here to see how your child's school fares.
Meanwhile, juvenile justice advocates are working on training schools and helping at-risk kids. The Child Health and Development Institute released a toolkit for school administrators to reduce school arrests.
