Predictors of School Victimization: Individual, Familial, and School Factors

Abstract

Recent deadly school crime incidents have caused great concern regarding school safety. From criminal acts to bullying and verbal abuse, school disorder compromises student safety and the learning environment. Using a series of logistic regression analyses and data from the National Crime Victimization Survey’s School Crime Supplement of 2003, this research seeks to identify a combination of individual, family, and school characteristics that can be used to predict student victimization at school. Results indicate that school victimization can be predicted from knowledge of student academic performance, prior victimization experiences, family characteristics, presence of gangs and drugs in the school, and certainty of punishment for school rule breaking. Findings support the need to adopt a multifaceted approach to provide a safer school environment, reduce juvenile offending, and facilitate learning.