by Leandra DaFonseca
York is a southern Pennsylvania town toward the Maryland border. As of 2017, York has a population of 44,132. According to the York Daily Record, when York is compared to similarly sized Pennsylvania towns — between 30,000 and 50,000 residents — York ranked third in violent crime overall — which includes assault, homicide, robbery, and sexual offenses.
Statistics show that when students grow up in a violent neighborhood their education is drastically affected. According to The Washington Post schoolchildren exposed to neighborhood violence can have a tougher time learning. They also experience more stress and depression than their peers growing up in safe neighborhoods. Sophomore Madison Ament stated, “Sometimes it does affect a child’s education if they are exposed to violence and this causes them stress they might have a harder time succeeding in schools.”
Does the violence itself actually carry into schools? Junior Simone Williams expressed her views on the topic “When in schools there’s a chance that kids could be subjected to things like fights, bullying and other bad habits, which are all things that they could also be subjected to outside of school, there’s no limit. It all depends on the kid and the environment they’re in.”
Some people say that violence starts at home. “Adolescent violence stems from things that the kid has been subjected to at home, maybe they’ve been pushed to the edge and in their mind see violence as a last resort,” Williams stated.
Whether or not York is dangerous or not is in question. Ament stated, “I think York can be a dangerous place to live depending on how you live. If you’re into drugs and gangs York will provide you with drugs and gangs which contribute to most of the crime in York.” While Williams Stated, “I don’t think that York is a dangerous place to live, it’s a pretty boring place honestly and nothing too serious happens that often.”