The vast majority of students and teachers feel safe at their public middle school. They consider their school's premises to be safer than its surroundings: 10.7% of students and 6.9% of teachers feel unsafe on their school's premises, but this figure rises to 25.3% and 9.1% respectively for the school's surrounding areas. Within the school, these feelings of insecurity are stronger at locations with fewer adults present, such as corridors and toilets. In addition, both within and around the school, teachers and students alike feel less safe in socially disadvantaged or very large schools. First-year middle school students, girls and teachers at the start of their careers are more likely to feel unsafe in the areas surrounding the school, but not within it. In addition, 24.9% of students and 62.8% of teachers have experienced violence in their schools. During the 2016–2017 academic year, one in every four students fell victim to cyberviolence on social media and online in the school environment, with a third of them suffering cyberbullying.

Students and teachers who have suffered violence – whether psychological, physical or in the form of property damage – within the school environment are naturally more likely to feel unsafe. For students, these feelings of insecurity are higher because they suffer a higher number of attacks. For teachers, it is sexual assault and harassment – which affects 3% of teachers – that most increase their feelings of insecurity. Compared to middle school, the school environment is more positive in general and technical high schools and less favourable in vocational high schools.