❓ Dr Constable asks about the number of weapons present in WA government schools from 1998-2001, suspensions related to weapons, and assaults involving weapons. The answer provides data on reported incidents, weapon types, and limitations in data collection.
AnsweredQoN 1365Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(b) 1998; (c) 1999; (d) 2000; and (e) 2001?
(c) 1999; (d) 2000; and (e) 2001?
(d) 2000; and (e) 2001?
(e) 2001?
(c) 1999; (d) 2000; and (e) 2001?
(d) 2000; and (e) 2001?
(e) 2001?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 May 2002
Responded by
Minister for Education
Response time
86 days
(a) 1997 No data collected (b) 1998 13 (Data collected from July) (c) 1999 34 (d) 2000 13 (e) 2001 30 Explanatory Notes Information provided to the central office of the Department of Education on matters such as weapons in schools is done through a reporting protocol to do with significant or critical incidents such as fire, flood, break-ins etc. Schools are not required to report to the central office of the Department of Education, details of items that are confiscated in schools. The information provided has been extracted from information provided by schools for incidents that are determined to be 'significant'. If weapons were brought onto school grounds in circumstances that were not deemed to be significant, such as when a young student brings a knife to school to show the class, the weapon is likely to have been confiscated without a formal incident report being made. There are also records of items being used as weapons that are common in schools such as scissors or sporting implements. In such cases, confiscation may not have occurred because the implement used as a weapon was school property. In other cases, rocks and bottles have been identified as having been used as weapons and confiscation was not an issue. In some cases, weapons were reported as having been involved in incidents but confiscation was not possible because the offenders absconded without being apprehended. In a number of reported incidents the number of weapons has not been identified even when it is clear that more than one weapon was involved. The information provided should be read more as the number of incidents in which weapons were involved. Because of these factors it may be that the actual numbers are higher. (2) Reports from government schools indicating the presence of weapons at the school. Weapon Type 1998 (records collected from July) 1999 2000 2001 Knife (includes razor) 12 27 8 27 Tool (hammer, screwdriver, spanner etc) 1 2 4 2 Sporting implement (cricket bat, baseball bat, hockey stick etc) 0 8 3 6 Scissors 0 3 3 6 Furniture (chair, desk, bin lid etc) 0 1 1 3 Bottle 0 1 1 0 Gun (includes replica gun and home-made gun) 0 2 3 1 Other object 0 1 1 1 Pen/pencil 0 1 1 1 Machete, cleaver, axe or sword 0 3 0 1 Stick (includes walking stick, broom handle) 0 4 3 5 Garden implement (shovel, crowbar, pitchfork etc) 0 0 2 4 Metal bar (includes extendable baton, steel rule) 0 4 2 2 Knuckle duster 1 1 0 0 Ammunition (bullets) 1 0 0 2 Bomb (home made) 0 1 1 0 Rock, brick 0 3 6 5 (3) It is not possible to identify the number of students suspended for carrying a weapon. In reporting suspensions, schools have been asked to report against categories that do not identify weapons. Suspensions under the following categories may have involved weapons: · threatening behaviour; · assault on a student; · assault on a staff member (physical intimidation); · breaking a school rule; · other. (4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
Explanatory Notes Information provided to the central office of the Department of Education on matters such as weapons in schools is done through a reporting protocol to do with significant or critical incidents such as fire, flood, break-ins etc. Schools are not required to report to the central office of the Department of Education, details of items that are confiscated in schools. The information provided has been extracted from information provided by schools for incidents that are determined to be 'significant'. If weapons were brought onto school grounds in circumstances that were not deemed to be significant, such as when a young student brings a knife to school to show the class, the weapon is likely to have been confiscated without a formal incident report being made. There are also records of items being used as weapons that are common in schools such as scissors or sporting implements. In such cases, confiscation may not have occurred because the implement used as a weapon was school property. In other cases, rocks and bottles have been identified as having been used as weapons and confiscation was not an issue. In some cases, weapons were reported as having been involved in incidents but confiscation was not possible because the offenders absconded without being apprehended. In a number of reported incidents the number of weapons has not been identified even when it is clear that more than one weapon was involved. The information provided should be read more as the number of incidents in which weapons were involved. Because of these factors it may be that the actual numbers are higher. (2) Reports from government schools indicating the presence of weapons at the school. Weapon Type 1998 (records collected from July) 1999 2000 2001 Knife (includes razor) 12 27 8 27 Tool (hammer, screwdriver, spanner etc) 1 2 4 2 Sporting implement (cricket bat, baseball bat, hockey stick etc) 0 8 3 6 Scissors 0 3 3 6 Furniture (chair, desk, bin lid etc) 0 1 1 3 Bottle 0 1 1 0 Gun (includes replica gun and home-made gun) 0 2 3 1 Other object 0 1 1 1 Pen/pencil 0 1 1 1 Machete, cleaver, axe or sword 0 3 0 1 Stick (includes walking stick, broom handle) 0 4 3 5 Garden implement (shovel, crowbar, pitchfork etc) 0 0 2 4 Metal bar (includes extendable baton, steel rule) 0 4 2 2 Knuckle duster 1 1 0 0 Ammunition (bullets) 1 0 0 2 Bomb (home made) 0 1 1 0 Rock, brick 0 3 6 5 (3) It is not possible to identify the number of students suspended for carrying a weapon. In reporting suspensions, schools have been asked to report against categories that do not identify weapons. Suspensions under the following categories may have involved weapons: · threatening behaviour; · assault on a student; · assault on a staff member (physical intimidation); · breaking a school rule; · other. (4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
There are also records of items being used as weapons that are common in schools such as scissors or sporting implements. In such cases, confiscation may not have occurred because the implement used as a weapon was school property. In other cases, rocks and bottles have been identified as having been used as weapons and confiscation was not an issue. In some cases, weapons were reported as having been involved in incidents but confiscation was not possible because the offenders absconded without being apprehended. In a number of reported incidents the number of weapons has not been identified even when it is clear that more than one weapon was involved. The information provided should be read more as the number of incidents in which weapons were involved. Because of these factors it may be that the actual numbers are higher. (2) Reports from government schools indicating the presence of weapons at the school. Weapon Type 1998 (records collected from July) 1999 2000 2001 Knife (includes razor) 12 27 8 27 Tool (hammer, screwdriver, spanner etc) 1 2 4 2 Sporting implement (cricket bat, baseball bat, hockey stick etc) 0 8 3 6 Scissors 0 3 3 6 Furniture (chair, desk, bin lid etc) 0 1 1 3 Bottle 0 1 1 0 Gun (includes replica gun and home-made gun) 0 2 3 1 Other object 0 1 1 1 Pen/pencil 0 1 1 1 Machete, cleaver, axe or sword 0 3 0 1 Stick (includes walking stick, broom handle) 0 4 3 5 Garden implement (shovel, crowbar, pitchfork etc) 0 0 2 4 Metal bar (includes extendable baton, steel rule) 0 4 2 2 Knuckle duster 1 1 0 0 Ammunition (bullets) 1 0 0 2 Bomb (home made) 0 1 1 0 Rock, brick 0 3 6 5 (3) It is not possible to identify the number of students suspended for carrying a weapon. In reporting suspensions, schools have been asked to report against categories that do not identify weapons. Suspensions under the following categories may have involved weapons: · threatening behaviour; · assault on a student; · assault on a staff member (physical intimidation); · breaking a school rule; · other. (4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
In a number of reported incidents the number of weapons has not been identified even when it is clear that more than one weapon was involved. The information provided should be read more as the number of incidents in which weapons were involved. Because of these factors it may be that the actual numbers are higher. (2) Reports from government schools indicating the presence of weapons at the school. Weapon Type 1998 (records collected from July) 1999 2000 2001 Knife (includes razor) 12 27 8 27 Tool (hammer, screwdriver, spanner etc) 1 2 4 2 Sporting implement (cricket bat, baseball bat, hockey stick etc) 0 8 3 6 Scissors 0 3 3 6 Furniture (chair, desk, bin lid etc) 0 1 1 3 Bottle 0 1 1 0 Gun (includes replica gun and home-made gun) 0 2 3 1 Other object 0 1 1 1 Pen/pencil 0 1 1 1 Machete, cleaver, axe or sword 0 3 0 1 Stick (includes walking stick, broom handle) 0 4 3 5 Garden implement (shovel, crowbar, pitchfork etc) 0 0 2 4 Metal bar (includes extendable baton, steel rule) 0 4 2 2 Knuckle duster 1 1 0 0 Ammunition (bullets) 1 0 0 2 Bomb (home made) 0 1 1 0 Rock, brick 0 3 6 5 (3) It is not possible to identify the number of students suspended for carrying a weapon. In reporting suspensions, schools have been asked to report against categories that do not identify weapons. Suspensions under the following categories may have involved weapons: · threatening behaviour; · assault on a student; · assault on a staff member (physical intimidation); · breaking a school rule; · other. (4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
(2) Reports from government schools indicating the presence of weapons at the school. Weapon Type 1998 (records collected from July) 1999 2000 2001 Knife (includes razor) 12 27 8 27 Tool (hammer, screwdriver, spanner etc) 1 2 4 2 Sporting implement (cricket bat, baseball bat, hockey stick etc) 0 8 3 6 Scissors 0 3 3 6 Furniture (chair, desk, bin lid etc) 0 1 1 3 Bottle 0 1 1 0 Gun (includes replica gun and home-made gun) 0 2 3 1 Other object 0 1 1 1 Pen/pencil 0 1 1 1 Machete, cleaver, axe or sword 0 3 0 1 Stick (includes walking stick, broom handle) 0 4 3 5 Garden implement (shovel, crowbar, pitchfork etc) 0 0 2 4 Metal bar (includes extendable baton, steel rule) 0 4 2 2 Knuckle duster 1 1 0 0 Ammunition (bullets) 1 0 0 2 Bomb (home made) 0 1 1 0 Rock, brick 0 3 6 5 (3) It is not possible to identify the number of students suspended for carrying a weapon. In reporting suspensions, schools have been asked to report against categories that do not identify weapons. Suspensions under the following categories may have involved weapons: · threatening behaviour; · assault on a student; · assault on a staff member (physical intimidation); · breaking a school rule; · other. (4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
(4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
Explanatory Notes Information provided to the central office of the Department of Education on matters such as weapons in schools is done through a reporting protocol to do with significant or critical incidents such as fire, flood, break-ins etc. Schools are not required to report to the central office of the Department of Education, details of items that are confiscated in schools. The information provided has been extracted from information provided by schools for incidents that are determined to be 'significant'. If weapons were brought onto school grounds in circumstances that were not deemed to be significant, such as when a young student brings a knife to school to show the class, the weapon is likely to have been confiscated without a formal incident report being made. There are also records of items being used as weapons that are common in schools such as scissors or sporting implements. In such cases, confiscation may not have occurred because the implement used as a weapon was school property. In other cases, rocks and bottles have been identified as having been used as weapons and confiscation was not an issue. In some cases, weapons were reported as having been involved in incidents but confiscation was not possible because the offenders absconded without being apprehended. In a number of reported incidents the number of weapons has not been identified even when it is clear that more than one weapon was involved. The information provided should be read more as the number of incidents in which weapons were involved. Because of these factors it may be that the actual numbers are higher. (2) Reports from government schools indicating the presence of weapons at the school. Weapon Type 1998 (records collected from July) 1999 2000 2001 Knife (includes razor) 12 27 8 27 Tool (hammer, screwdriver, spanner etc) 1 2 4 2 Sporting implement (cricket bat, baseball bat, hockey stick etc) 0 8 3 6 Scissors 0 3 3 6 Furniture (chair, desk, bin lid etc) 0 1 1 3 Bottle 0 1 1 0 Gun (includes replica gun and home-made gun) 0 2 3 1 Other object 0 1 1 1 Pen/pencil 0 1 1 1 Machete, cleaver, axe or sword 0 3 0 1 Stick (includes walking stick, broom handle) 0 4 3 5 Garden implement (shovel, crowbar, pitchfork etc) 0 0 2 4 Metal bar (includes extendable baton, steel rule) 0 4 2 2 Knuckle duster 1 1 0 0 Ammunition (bullets) 1 0 0 2 Bomb (home made) 0 1 1 0 Rock, brick 0 3 6 5 (3) It is not possible to identify the number of students suspended for carrying a weapon. In reporting suspensions, schools have been asked to report against categories that do not identify weapons. Suspensions under the following categories may have involved weapons: · threatening behaviour; · assault on a student; · assault on a staff member (physical intimidation); · breaking a school rule; · other. (4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
There are also records of items being used as weapons that are common in schools such as scissors or sporting implements. In such cases, confiscation may not have occurred because the implement used as a weapon was school property. In other cases, rocks and bottles have been identified as having been used as weapons and confiscation was not an issue. In some cases, weapons were reported as having been involved in incidents but confiscation was not possible because the offenders absconded without being apprehended. In a number of reported incidents the number of weapons has not been identified even when it is clear that more than one weapon was involved. The information provided should be read more as the number of incidents in which weapons were involved. Because of these factors it may be that the actual numbers are higher. (2) Reports from government schools indicating the presence of weapons at the school. Weapon Type 1998 (records collected from July) 1999 2000 2001 Knife (includes razor) 12 27 8 27 Tool (hammer, screwdriver, spanner etc) 1 2 4 2 Sporting implement (cricket bat, baseball bat, hockey stick etc) 0 8 3 6 Scissors 0 3 3 6 Furniture (chair, desk, bin lid etc) 0 1 1 3 Bottle 0 1 1 0 Gun (includes replica gun and home-made gun) 0 2 3 1 Other object 0 1 1 1 Pen/pencil 0 1 1 1 Machete, cleaver, axe or sword 0 3 0 1 Stick (includes walking stick, broom handle) 0 4 3 5 Garden implement (shovel, crowbar, pitchfork etc) 0 0 2 4 Metal bar (includes extendable baton, steel rule) 0 4 2 2 Knuckle duster 1 1 0 0 Ammunition (bullets) 1 0 0 2 Bomb (home made) 0 1 1 0 Rock, brick 0 3 6 5 (3) It is not possible to identify the number of students suspended for carrying a weapon. In reporting suspensions, schools have been asked to report against categories that do not identify weapons. Suspensions under the following categories may have involved weapons: · threatening behaviour; · assault on a student; · assault on a staff member (physical intimidation); · breaking a school rule; · other. (4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
In a number of reported incidents the number of weapons has not been identified even when it is clear that more than one weapon was involved. The information provided should be read more as the number of incidents in which weapons were involved. Because of these factors it may be that the actual numbers are higher. (2) Reports from government schools indicating the presence of weapons at the school. Weapon Type 1998 (records collected from July) 1999 2000 2001 Knife (includes razor) 12 27 8 27 Tool (hammer, screwdriver, spanner etc) 1 2 4 2 Sporting implement (cricket bat, baseball bat, hockey stick etc) 0 8 3 6 Scissors 0 3 3 6 Furniture (chair, desk, bin lid etc) 0 1 1 3 Bottle 0 1 1 0 Gun (includes replica gun and home-made gun) 0 2 3 1 Other object 0 1 1 1 Pen/pencil 0 1 1 1 Machete, cleaver, axe or sword 0 3 0 1 Stick (includes walking stick, broom handle) 0 4 3 5 Garden implement (shovel, crowbar, pitchfork etc) 0 0 2 4 Metal bar (includes extendable baton, steel rule) 0 4 2 2 Knuckle duster 1 1 0 0 Ammunition (bullets) 1 0 0 2 Bomb (home made) 0 1 1 0 Rock, brick 0 3 6 5 (3) It is not possible to identify the number of students suspended for carrying a weapon. In reporting suspensions, schools have been asked to report against categories that do not identify weapons. Suspensions under the following categories may have involved weapons: · threatening behaviour; · assault on a student; · assault on a staff member (physical intimidation); · breaking a school rule; · other. (4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
(2) Reports from government schools indicating the presence of weapons at the school. Weapon Type 1998 (records collected from July) 1999 2000 2001 Knife (includes razor) 12 27 8 27 Tool (hammer, screwdriver, spanner etc) 1 2 4 2 Sporting implement (cricket bat, baseball bat, hockey stick etc) 0 8 3 6 Scissors 0 3 3 6 Furniture (chair, desk, bin lid etc) 0 1 1 3 Bottle 0 1 1 0 Gun (includes replica gun and home-made gun) 0 2 3 1 Other object 0 1 1 1 Pen/pencil 0 1 1 1 Machete, cleaver, axe or sword 0 3 0 1 Stick (includes walking stick, broom handle) 0 4 3 5 Garden implement (shovel, crowbar, pitchfork etc) 0 0 2 4 Metal bar (includes extendable baton, steel rule) 0 4 2 2 Knuckle duster 1 1 0 0 Ammunition (bullets) 1 0 0 2 Bomb (home made) 0 1 1 0 Rock, brick 0 3 6 5 (3) It is not possible to identify the number of students suspended for carrying a weapon. In reporting suspensions, schools have been asked to report against categories that do not identify weapons. Suspensions under the following categories may have involved weapons: · threatening behaviour; · assault on a student; · assault on a staff member (physical intimidation); · breaking a school rule; · other. (4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
(4) Reported incidents in government schools involving assaults with a weapon: The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
The information provided by schools is not broken down by categories such as: · assaults by students enrolled at the school; · assaults by students enrolled at another school; · assaults by former students; · assaults by unknown youths; · assaults by parents or other adults. According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
According to reports provided by schools, the following number of assaults involved weapons. Some of these assaults were perpetrated by parents or people unknown to the staff. 1998 4 (note: records were only collected from July) 1999 25 2000 23 2001 37
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