Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Category
Social Sciences/Humanities
Abstract/Artist Statement
School violence has been of great concern to policy makers and school professionals for the past several decades. During the 2015-16 school year, 79 percent of public schools reported that one or more incidents of violence, theft, or other crimes had taken place on school grounds, amounting to 1.4 million crimes (Zhang et al., 2016). Schools have reported the most common form of violence being physical fights and threats, which accounted for over 50 percent of disciplinary violations (Cornell, 2017). There are numerous school violence prevention programs implemented across the nation; however, despite knowing how events of violence negatively affect school climate, little is known regarding how school violence prevention programs affect school climate.
Although school violence is frequently perceived as a uniquely urban phenomenon, studies have indicated that rural schools are at as much risk for violence as urban and suburban schools (Flynn et al., 2018). However, few studies have examined the climate of rural schools and perceptions of school climate, despite rural adolescents being more likely to have brought a weapon to school than their suburban and urban counterparts (Flynn et al., 2018). As anticipated, rural schools have been found to be significantly smaller, have fewer teachers, teachers’ aides and administrators, and spend less money per student compared to urban and suburban schools (Cotter et al., 2015). Rural schools have also been found to have fewer violence policies, security practices (i.e., use of security guards, surveillance cameras), and fewer violence prevention strategies compared to their urban counterparts (Cotter et al., 2015). The lower prevalence of school violence prevention strategies in rural schools, in addition to the fact that rural schools have comparable levels of violence to urban and suburban schools, suggest that rural students may be at a heightened risk for school violence. Further research identifying the efficacy of school violence prevention programs can create safer schools in rural areas where resources may be lacking. To address this dearth of research, this study examined the perspectives of rural school mental health professionals and their beliefs surrounding the efficacy of their school’s violence prevention programs and its relationship to school climate.
Participants were invited to partake in a survey that was disseminated through the Montana Association of School Psychologists (MASP) and the Montana School Counselor Association (MSCA) listserv. In addition to demographic questions, participants were asked to complete The Safe and Responsive School (SRS) School Safety Survey (Skiba, Simmons, Peterson & Forde, 2006), which is a self-report scale designed to assess perceptions of school safety and school climate. After completing the above survey, participants answered questions related to the rates at which their school experiences school violence.
The results indicated a positive relationship between perceived efficacy of violence prevention programs and school climate, as well as a negative relationship between rates of violence and school climate. It is anticipated that the results of this study will benefit schools in identifying critical perspectives of the efficacy of school violence prevention programs and how these programs affect school climate.
References
Cornell, D. G. (2017). School violence: Fears versus facts. Routledge.
Cotter, K. L., Smokowski, P. R., & Evans, C. B. (2015). Contextual predictors of perception of school danger among rural youths: baseline results from the rural adaptation project. Children & Schools, 37(1), 9-17.
Flynn, K., McDonald, C. C., D’Alonzo, B. A., Tam, V., & Wiebe, D. J. (2018). Violence in rural, suburban, and urban schools in Pennsylvania. The Journal of School Nursing, 34(4), 263-269.
Skiba, R. J., Ritter, S., Simmons, A., Peterson, R., & Miller, C. (2006). The safe and responsive schools project: A school reform model for implementing best practices in violence prevention. Handbook of school violence and school safety: From research to practice, 631-650.
Zhang, A., Musu-Gillette, L., & Oudekerk, B. A. (2016). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2015. NCES 2016-079/NCJ 249758. National Center for Education Statistics.
Mentor Name
Jacqueline Brown
Personal Statement
When people think of school violence, they frequently think of the tragic yet statistically rare school shootings that are frequently portrayed throughout the media. While these are horrific acts and are certainly a part of the concern of school violence, this particular act of violence only comprises a minute fraction of the acts of violence that occur in schools across the country. In the United States, incidents of school violence increased 113 percent during the 2017-2018 school year from the 2016-2017 school year. These acts of school violence include but are not limited to: physical fights, rape and sexual assaults, weapon possession and weapon threats. This increase in violence in schools makes the current movement for safer schools all the more critical. Not surprisingly, forms of aggression have been shown to negatively affect students and school climate. Specifically, rates of violence are known to cause both student mental health and school climate to suffer. Many rural school administrators are quick to point out the media portrayals of violence within inner-city schools. However, such behavior is not exclusive to urban schools. Schools where there are fewer resources, and subsequently fewer preventative measures, are at the greatest risk of school violence. Research suggests that most schools that have reported limited resources are those serving rural communities. Considering the state of Montana, where 94% of schools are considered rural, this highlights the hundreds of schools that are likely underprepared in how to reduce school violence and how to mitigate it when it occurs. Many students at the University of Montana are students who have graduated from Montana high schools. Considering this, many of them are at a larger risk of experiencing school violence, which can have detrimental effects on mental health and academic performance. This is also likely the case for public schools within our communities, many of which have already reported bomb/weapon threats and an increase in physical fighting. This study addresses the nation-wide epidemic of violence on school grounds and applies it to an area of the nation where many believe they are immune from such acts. The results share the perspectives of Montana school mental health professionals’ preparedness for school violence and their perspectives on how well their school prevents acts of violence from occurring. These viewpoints should be considered by school administrators who are responsible in selecting, purchasing, and implementing school violence prevention programs. Considering the risk of rural schools, it is all the more critical for prevention programs to be instilled to keep schools as safe as possible.
Perceived Efficacy of School Violence Prevention Programs and School Climate in Rural Schools
UC 332
School violence has been of great concern to policy makers and school professionals for the past several decades. During the 2015-16 school year, 79 percent of public schools reported that one or more incidents of violence, theft, or other crimes had taken place on school grounds, amounting to 1.4 million crimes (Zhang et al., 2016). Schools have reported the most common form of violence being physical fights and threats, which accounted for over 50 percent of disciplinary violations (Cornell, 2017). There are numerous school violence prevention programs implemented across the nation; however, despite knowing how events of violence negatively affect school climate, little is known regarding how school violence prevention programs affect school climate.
Although school violence is frequently perceived as a uniquely urban phenomenon, studies have indicated that rural schools are at as much risk for violence as urban and suburban schools (Flynn et al., 2018). However, few studies have examined the climate of rural schools and perceptions of school climate, despite rural adolescents being more likely to have brought a weapon to school than their suburban and urban counterparts (Flynn et al., 2018). As anticipated, rural schools have been found to be significantly smaller, have fewer teachers, teachers’ aides and administrators, and spend less money per student compared to urban and suburban schools (Cotter et al., 2015). Rural schools have also been found to have fewer violence policies, security practices (i.e., use of security guards, surveillance cameras), and fewer violence prevention strategies compared to their urban counterparts (Cotter et al., 2015). The lower prevalence of school violence prevention strategies in rural schools, in addition to the fact that rural schools have comparable levels of violence to urban and suburban schools, suggest that rural students may be at a heightened risk for school violence. Further research identifying the efficacy of school violence prevention programs can create safer schools in rural areas where resources may be lacking. To address this dearth of research, this study examined the perspectives of rural school mental health professionals and their beliefs surrounding the efficacy of their school’s violence prevention programs and its relationship to school climate.
Participants were invited to partake in a survey that was disseminated through the Montana Association of School Psychologists (MASP) and the Montana School Counselor Association (MSCA) listserv. In addition to demographic questions, participants were asked to complete The Safe and Responsive School (SRS) School Safety Survey (Skiba, Simmons, Peterson & Forde, 2006), which is a self-report scale designed to assess perceptions of school safety and school climate. After completing the above survey, participants answered questions related to the rates at which their school experiences school violence.
The results indicated a positive relationship between perceived efficacy of violence prevention programs and school climate, as well as a negative relationship between rates of violence and school climate. It is anticipated that the results of this study will benefit schools in identifying critical perspectives of the efficacy of school violence prevention programs and how these programs affect school climate.
References
Cornell, D. G. (2017). School violence: Fears versus facts. Routledge.
Cotter, K. L., Smokowski, P. R., & Evans, C. B. (2015). Contextual predictors of perception of school danger among rural youths: baseline results from the rural adaptation project. Children & Schools, 37(1), 9-17.
Flynn, K., McDonald, C. C., D’Alonzo, B. A., Tam, V., & Wiebe, D. J. (2018). Violence in rural, suburban, and urban schools in Pennsylvania. The Journal of School Nursing, 34(4), 263-269.
Skiba, R. J., Ritter, S., Simmons, A., Peterson, R., & Miller, C. (2006). The safe and responsive schools project: A school reform model for implementing best practices in violence prevention. Handbook of school violence and school safety: From research to practice, 631-650.
Zhang, A., Musu-Gillette, L., & Oudekerk, B. A. (2016). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2015. NCES 2016-079/NCJ 249758. National Center for Education Statistics.