Neighbourhood deprivation, school disorder and academic achievement in primary schools in deprived communities in England

Abstract

There is growing concern about violent behaviour in schools, involving students, staff and/or parents. A survey of 1777 primary schools (for children aged 5 to 11) throughout England, most in areas of social and economic deprivation, found more disorder in neighbourhoods with greater deprivation. More disorder was also observed when there was more school-level disadvantage (e.g. students receiving free meals), larger school size and more children in need of special education services. Despite difficulties in drawing causal inferences from correlational data, the fact that more disorder significantly predicted lower school achievement for students at 7 and 11 in standardized English, mathematics and science assessments even once school characteristics and neighbourhood deprivation were taken into account is judged noteworthy. Potential confounding factors are considered in the discussion.

Preventing and Reducing Bushfire Arson in Australia: A Review of What is Known

“…These risk factors are very similar to those found in communities at higher risk of other crime [17].…”

A Social Disorganization Perspective on Bullying‐Related Attitudes and Behaviors: The Influence of School Context

“…A high concentration of students of low socio-economic status (SES) has also been shown to be a risk factor for school violence and diminished school climate (Barnes et al 2006;Griffith 2000;Welsh et al 1999). The percentage of students receiving free or reduced meals is often used as a school-level proxy for student SES (Ensminger et al 2000) and has similarly been linked with a less favorable school environment (Bevans et al 2007;Koth et al 2008).…”

“…A disordered school environment has been shown to not only negatively impact children's ability to learn, but also to undermine teachers' ability to efficiently manage the classroom and student behavior (Barnes et al 2006). Given that the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 emphasizes creating safe and orderly learning environments, school staff are becoming increasingly concerned with preventing bullying and altering social norms related to aggressive retaliation Orpinas et al 2003).…”

Dimensions of school-based violence to and by children: an overview of recent literature

“…Sometimes, however, stressors within family units can result in violence involving children (Khoury-Kassabri, Astor, & Benbenishty, 2008). These are varied, and are not always informed or mediated by factors relating to social or economic disadvantage (Barnes et al, 2006). As with other parts of Bronfenbrenner's ecosystem, the school becomes centrally involved in insulating children from further psychological or physical harm or in providing a framework for remediation (Akiba et al, 2002) The complex causal factors beyond the school have then to be recognised as providing the context within which the 'micro-system' of the school has to be considered.…”