Communities, Students, Schools, and School Crime

Abstract

This study investigates how community characteristics, student background, school climate, and zero-tolerance policies interact to affect school crime. The study articulates and fits a school crime model to 712 high schools participating in the 2000 School Survey on Crime and Safety, confirming that school location and student socioeconomic status have moderate effects on school crime. Much of the contextual effects are mediated via school climate. School climate reflected by school size, student mobility, and student misbehavior affect school safety in profound and predicted ways. Larger size and schools with higher student transience and misbehavior predict higher levels of criminal incidents. School security program is correlated with lower school crime; however, the effect is small and nonsignificant. Tough on crime policy is associated with higher level of school crime, controlling for community and school variables. Consequently, a positive school climate in combination with necessary security control is recommended to improve school safety and reduce school crimes.

School Violence: The Role of Parental and Community Involvement

“…The SSOCS, a nationally representative sample of U.S. public schools, is considered one of the richest datasets for studies of school violence. Data from the SSOCS have been used in many published studies throughout the last decade (Chen, 2008;Granberg-Rademacker et al, 2007;Jennings et al, 2011;Kupchik & Ward, 2014;Maskaly, Donner, Lanterman, & Jennings, 2011;O'Neill & McGloin, 2007;Patton, 2011;Phillips et al, 2014). School administrators from elementary, middle, and high schools complete the survey.…”

“…Studies incorporating multiple crime prevention techniques have also identified several variables as predictors of reduction in school violence including limited class changes (O'Neill & McGloin, 2007), closed campuses (O'Neill & McGloin, 2007), dress codes (Phillips, Turner, & Holt, 2014), identification cards (Phillips et al, 2014), security cameras (GranbergRademacker, Bumgarner, & Johnson, 2007), and uniform policies (Granberg-Rademacker et al, 2007). However, most studies focusing on the effectiveness of school situational crime prevention methods have found few statistically significant effects on violence occurring within the school (Chen, 2008;Cheurprakobkit & Bartsch, 2005;Schreck, Miller, & Gibson, 2003;Tillyer et al, 2011). These conflicted findings are mirrored by the divided viewpoints of administrators (Garcia, 2003) and students (Brown, 2005) about the effectiveness and appropriateness of crime prevention methods employed in the school setting.…”

“…A plethora of studies conclude that a positive climate reduces some forms of violence in schools (Brookmeyer, Fanti, & Henrich, 2006;Chen, 2008;Gottfredson, Gottfredson, Payne, & Gottfredson, 2005;Khoury-Kassabri, Benbenishty, Astor, & Zeira, 2004;Reis, Trockel, & Mulhall, 2007;Sprott, 2004;Welsh, 2000Welsh, , 2001. Recent literature reviews (Johnson, 2009;Thapa, Cohen, Guffey, & Higgins-D'Alessandro, 2013) and meta-analyses (Steffgen, Recchia, & Viechtbauer, 2013) further reinforce the importance of the school climate characteristics.…”

“…They are also involved in school functions, committed to the overall purpose of the school, and believe in the common school goals and norms. Subsequently, this organization and bonding promotes an overall positive climate, which produces protective factors for violence and delinquency (Brookmeyer et al, 2006;Chen, 2008;Gottfredson et al, 2005;Khoury-Kassabri et al, 2004;Payne, 2008Payne, , 2012Payne et al, 2003;Reis et al, 2007;Sprott, 2004;Welsh, 2000Welsh, , 2001. Despite positive school climate findings, very few of these studies have incorporated potentially confounding external relationships such as parental and community influences simultaneously.…”

Multi‐level risk factors and developmental assets associated with aggressive behavior in disadvantaged adolescents

“…Youth often feel less safe in larger schools (Lleras, 2008) perhaps due to the fact that larger schools had higher rates of violence (Ferris & West, 2008), crime (Chen, 2008), and vandalism (Walker & Gresham, 1997) than smaller schools. Academic achievement is another important school characteristic associated with aggression.…”