Explanations of school disorder have suffered from at least two deficits, institutional explanations of the school climate have largely been ignored and insufficient attention to appropriate measures of school disorder has guided research and policy.
Using survey responses from students in middle schools in Philadelphia, the author studied the effects of school climate (such as clarity and fairness of rules), and individual student characteristics (such as age, sex, race, and dimensions of bonding) on various measures of school disorder. School disorder encompassed victimization, avoidance, perceptions of safety, misconduct, and offending. Schools varied significantly on all measures of disorder, and school climate provided significant explanatory power for each measure. Results varied regarding the various measures; for example, school climate predicted less serious misconduct more strongly than it predicted serious offending. The author concludes that school climate offers significant potential for enhancing both the understanding and the prevention of school violence. 48 references, 9 notes, and 2 tables
Downloads
Related Datasets
Similar Publications
- Readiness for Implementation: Annual Progress Report to Funders, January 1-December 31, 1996
- National Assessment of the Byrne Formula Grant Program: The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988; A Comparative Analysis of Legislation; Report 2
- EXAMINATION OF THE MORPHOLOGY OF BALTIMORE'S VIOLENCE PRONE DRUG GANGS AND PRESENTATION OF A STRATEGY DESIGNED TO MAKE THE USE OF VIOLENCE A LOSING PROPOSITION