Conceptualizing and Measuring Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments in Educational Settings

Abstract

Most children and adolescents older than five years spend at least six hours of their day in school settings. Like parents, education professionals can promote health and protect youth from harm by providing safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a framework which posits that safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments are Essentials for Childhood and are fundamental to promoting health and well-being; protecting youth from maltreatment and other violence and victimization; and ensuring optimal, healthy development. In this paper, the authors propose an approach to applying safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments to the school ecology; review select survey measures to examine these constructs within educational settings; and suggest available indicators to measure safety, stability, and nurturance within the school context.

School and community factors involved in Chilean students’ perception of school safety

“…This situation has been pointed out by teachers and school principals in Chile (López et al., ). These findings are consistent with international studies that indicate that there is a relationship between school violence and the community (Benbenishty & Astor, ; Chaux, ; Hernández de Frutos et al., ) and call for school‐community partnerships in which school and neighborhood safety be dealt with cooperatively and jointly (Robinson et al., ). These programs and interventions clearly call for school and community leaders to join forces and work together to improve both schools as well as community safety.…”

“…Further, Flaspohler, Elfstrom, Vanderzee, Sink, and Birchmeier () found that students who are victims of school violence perceive their teachers as sources of support, more so than those who are aggressors. This is consistent with research findings that indicate that teachers are a source of primary support and act as primary agents and protective factors to whom students can reach out to when they are victims of violence at school (Humphrey & Symes, ; Robinson, Leeb, Merrick, & Forbes, ). Therefore, to parse out the associations between teacher victimization, peer victimization, and perceptions of school safety, the present study examines the predictive value of both victimization by teachers and other adults at school (negative valence) and of the social support provided by teachers to students (positive valence).…”

We Don’t Need No Education: A Textual Analysis of Anglo-American Popular Music Lyrics about School

“…." Under a list of qualities of the ideal school atmosphere, "the fair and consistent enforcement of rules and policies" nurturing relationships are included [83] (pp. 1496-1497).…”

‘I don't do it for the money, I do it for the kids’: Examining school foodservice staff and student interactions using the lens of school connectedness

“…These studies show connections between students’ emotional experiences at school and educational outcomes. Evidence also suggests that establishing safe and consistent relationships with adults is a valuable remedy for the challenges many youth face and that school staff beyond teachers can play a role as important adults in the lives of students (Chhuon & Wallace, 2014; Pittman et al, 2020; Robinson et al, 2016).…”