Educational performance and attitudes toward school as risk‐protective factors for violence: A study of the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether school experiences, school performance, and other risk-protective factors were related to violence among Hawaiian, Filipino, and Samoan youths residing in Hawai'i. This study analyzed survey data (N = 325) collected in three high schools having concentrations of Filipino, Hawaiian, and Samoan youths, as well as a smaller number of Japanese students, which served as a comparison group. The analyses consisted of bivariate and multivariate analyses of risk protection for violence. Two-and three-way interactions were tested to examine whether there were speciÞc gender and/or ethnic effects. The Þnal model explained 29.3% of the variance in violent behavior. Five variables were signiÞcant: grade point average, pressure to choose between school and friends, favorable school attitude, feeling safe, and importance of college. Schools serving these populations should focus on fostering positive bonds between teachers and students and building bridges to families and neighborhoods. C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

School Violent Victimization and Recent Alcohol Use and Episodic Heavy Drinking Among Youth

“…Lack of school safety measures is a major contributor to victimization (Blosnich & Bossarte, 2011). Family-related issues such as family conflict, low educational performance, and lack of involvement at school are also identified as risk factors (Wegner, Garcia-Santiago, Nishimura, & Hishinuma, 2010). On the individual level, having poor social skills, difficulty forming and maintaining social relationships, and believing being victimized is warranted place youth at risk for victimization (Dill, Vernberg, Fonagy, Twemlow, & Gamm, 2004).…”

Understanding the Role of School Connectedness and Its Association With Violent Attitudes and Behaviors Among an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Youth

“…Academic standing, measured with self-reported GPA, was also negatively associated with all measures of violence except emotional violence. This is reflective of findings from Wegner et al (2010) that school achievement was one of the strongest protective factors for violence among Asian American and Pacific Islander youth. Wegner et al (2010) also found that having college aspirations and favorable attitudes toward school were protective of youth violence, which are major goals of the PTP/L course.…”

“…Youth from low socioeconomic backgrounds, who tend to face multiple life stressors, are more likely to be exposed to and engage in violence (Aisenberg & Herrenkohl, 2008). Low academic performance is also predictive of violence (Rodney, Johnson, & Srivastava, 2005; Wegner, Garcia-Santiago, Nishimura, & Hishinuma, 2010). In high school, ninth graders are more likely to engage in violent behaviors than students of higher grades (Youth Risk Behavioral Survey [YRBS], 2013).…”

Protective and Risk Factors Associated With Youth Attitudes Toward Violence in Canada

“…Previous studies that explored the relationships between school-related factors and violent behavior demonstrated that disliking school and/or performing poorly were risk factors for both male and female students (Henry, Tolan, Gorman-Smith, & Schoeny, 2012; Herrenkohl, Lee, & Hawkins, 2012; Pardini, Loeber, Farrington, & Stouthamer-Loeber, 2012; Wegner, Garcia-Santiago, Nishimura, & Hishinuma, 2010). The similar findings reported here show that the probability of having the “least violent attitude” decreases for both sexes as school attachment becomes less positive (Figure 4).…”