School climate in creating safe school: A conceptual analysis

Abstract

In this study, they have been dealt with safe school and school climate concept as an important factor to improvement of safe school. When the researches and projects aimed at preventing violence at schools and creating a safe school environment are examined, the short term projects and precautions directly related to violence do not present the desired results, and in addition, they cause some negative consequences in school environment. In this respect, it is indicated that violence prevention projects and programs need to pervade the school's and education programs' every part, and to be handled using a more general approach. School climate is one of the most prominent concepts, in this sense. In this research, first of all, safe school concept was defined and information was given about research and other studies related to safe school subject. Afterwards, school climate concept was introduced and it was examined how school climate affect creating safe schools. It was determined that studies carried out to create safe school environment should handle school holistically, support students goodness at school, ensure students to have positive behavior, and be long term. Also, prevention activities should integrate all areas, primarily teaching-learning process, of school life. It is stated that, in this respect, the most related and mostly emphasized concept is school climate. Therefore, it can be asserted that the prior condition of a safe school is making school climate more positive.