Students’ Feelings of Safety, Exposure to Violence and Victimization, and Authoritative School Climate

Abstract

Although many students feel unsafe at school, few malleable factors have been identified to increase students' feelings of safety. Drawing on criminological behavior control theories, this study posits authoritative school climate as one such factor. With data from two nationally representative datasets, this study uses path analysis to examine the relationship between authoritative school climate and feelings of safety, as well as the extent to which this relation is explained by exposure to violence and victimization. Across both datasets, a more authoritative school climate was associated with increased feelings of safety at school. Both models also indicated that this relationship was explained in part by reduced exposure to violence and victimization, although the strength of this indirect effect varied across models. These findings suggest that strengthening students' relationships with adults and increasing the fairness and consistency of rules in the school may both reduce exposure to violence and victimization and help students feel safer at school.

Do Interactions With School Resource Officers Predict Students’ Likelihood of Being Disciplined and Feelings of Safety? Mixed-Methods Evidence From Two School Districts

“…You know that you can trust them, and be around them a lot to be safe” (SGI participant). Research on school climate supports our finding of the importance of relationships between students and SROs, finding that, where student/adult relationships are stronger, students feel safer (Fisher et al, 2018; Steinberg et al, 2011). Our findings suggest that a similar mechanism may underlie student–SRO relationships, with trust and comfort being important for the association between SROs and students’ perceptions of safety.…”

“…Two of the items were on the same section of the survey as the Likert-type scale items noted above. The first item stated “I feel safe at this school.” The wording of this item came from the SCS and is used in numerous prior studies (e.g., Fisher et al, 2018; Ozer & Weinstein, 2004). The second item was “The SRO makes me feel safer.” The wording of this item came from a prior study of SROs (Rippetoe, 2010).…”

Support or Punishment Practices: What Works to Reduce School Violence

“…Arguably, a balance of the two approaches is most effective (Cornell and Huang 2016;Fisher et al 2018;Konold et al 2014), but each school is unique in the challenges it faces, the mindsets and approaches taken by administrators, and its available resources. The unique challenges faced by schools is of particular concern in relation to school violence.…”

Student’s Perceptions of School Safety

“…In addition, Kitsantas, Ware, and Martinez-Arias (2004) found perceptions of class climate (e.g., “enjoyment at school,” “extent to which students and teachers respect each other” p. 418) impacted perceptions of school safety in a positive direction. Similarly, having an authoritative climate consisting of clear expectations and predetermined consequences increased feelings of safety for students while in school (Fisher, Viano, Curran, Pearman, & Gardella, 2017). Bachman, Gunter, and Bakken (2011) noted students at schools with higher rates of suspension and expulsion were more fearful than students at schools with lower rates of suspension and expulsion.…”