Perceptions Of School Safety Research Articles

State-Level Policies and Health Outcomes in U.S. Transgender Adolescents: Findings from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Purpose: Policies have been shown to bear a considerable influence on transgender health. The few studies that have examined policy-related health outcomes in adolescent transgender populations have rarely included policies that directly affect them. Our study explores associations between four state-level policies and six health outcomes in a sample of transgender adolescents. Methods: Our analytic sample consisted of adolescents residing in 14 states that used the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey's optional gender identity question in their surveys (n = 107,558). Chi-square analyses were performed to examine differences between transgender and cisgender adolescents in demographic variables and suicidal ideation, depression status, cigarette use, binge drinking, grades in school, and perceptions of school safety. Multivariable logistic regression models were run for transgender adolescents only to examine associations between policies and health outcomes, adjusting for demographics. Results: Transgender adolescents comprised 1.7% (n = 1790) of our sample. Compared with cisgender adolescents, transgender adolescents were more likely to experience adverse health outcomes in chi-square analyses. Multivariable models indicated that transgender adolescents who lived in a state that had explicit transgender guidance in their antidiscrimination laws were less likely to experience depressive symptoms, and those who lived in a state with positive or neutral athlete guidance were less likely to report past 30-day cigarette use. Conclusion: Our study is one of the first to show protective associations between affirming transgender-specific policies and health outcomes in transgender adolescents. Findings could have important implications for policymakers and school administrators.

Correlates of Perceived School Safety Among Black Adolescents in Chicago: Are There Sexual Orientation Differences?

Correlates of Perceived School Safety Among Black Adolescents in Chicago: Are There Sexual Orientation Differences?

Sexual orientation and mental health disparities in US pre-teens: A longitudinal mediation study

Abstract Background Sexual minority children are at increased risk for psychopathology compared to their heterosexual peers, but longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether sexual minority identification precedes (rather than co-occurs with) mental health disparities and what may drive these disparities during childhood. The current study examined the longitudinal associations between sexual orientation and mental health over two years in a cohort of U.S. pre-teens with two potential mediators (increased social problems and decreased perceived school safety). Methods We used data from Waves 1-3 (2016-2020) of the U.S. Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Multiple linear regression and auto-regressive cross-lagged mediation models were used to examine longitudinal associations and mediation. Analyses accounted for customized sampling weights to correct for attrition and missing data. Results The analytic sample included 5,574 children (46.0% assigned female at birth, 55.1% non-Hispanic White). Across waves, beginning to identify as gay/bisexual (0.6-2.7% of sample) was associated with increased internalizing and externalizing problems, and consistently identifying as gay/bisexual (3.4-5.0% of sample) with increased internalizing problems, compared to consistently identifying as heterosexual. For those who consistently identified as gay/bisexual, the widening disparities in internalizing problems were partially explained by increased social problems and decreased perceived school safety. Conclusions The health disparities affecting sexual minority children include internalizing and externalizing problems, and are partially explained by increased social problems and decreased perceived school safety. These findings demonstrate that sexual minority identification precedes increases in mental health problems relative to heterosexual children, driven by peer difficulties and feelings of unsafety at school experienced by sexual minority children.

In-Home COVID-19 Testing for Children With Medical Complexity: Feasibility and Association With School Attendance and Safety Perceptions.

The REstarting Safe Education and Testing program for children with medical complexity was implemented in May 2021 at the University of Wisconsin to evaluate the feasibility of in-home rapid antigen COVID-19 testing among neurocognitively affected children. Parents or guardians administered BinaxNOW rapid antigen self-tests twice weekly for three months and changed to symptom and exposure testing or continued surveillance. In-home testing was feasible: nearly all (92.5%) expected tests were conducted. Symptomatic testing identified seven of nine COVID-19 cases. School safety perceptions were higher among those opting for symptom testing. Clinical Trials.gov identifier: NCT04895085. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(S9):S878-S882. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306971).

Peer victimization, environmental and psychological distress, and academic performance among children in China: A serial mediation model moderated by migrant status

BackgroundDespite robust evidence indicating the adverse academic, psychological, and school-related impacts of being victimized, the ways in which peer victimization indirectly affects children's academic performance by psychological and environmental distress remain poorly understood, especially in China. ObjectiveWe sought to investigate how peer victimization negatively impacts academic performance via the serial mediation effects of environmental and psychological distress among migrant versus non-migrant children in China. Participants and settingParticipants were selected by multistage stratified cluster sampling, and data were collected with a cross-sectional survey administered in Nanjing and Guangzhou, China. The sample included 1747 students in Grades 4 to 9 (boys = 54.7 %, mean age = 11.7 years). MethodsStructural equation modeling and group comparison analysis were conducted to examine the hypothesized model. ResultsChildren's experiences with peer victimization significantly affected their academic performance and in relationships partially mediated by environmental distress (i.e., perception of school safety), followed by psychological distress (i.e., anxiety) (95 % CI: [−0.010, −0.001], B = −0.005, p < .01). The serial mediation model applied to non-migrant children only (95 % CI: [−0.026, −0.001], B = −0.008, p < .05), however, whereas environmental distress exerted a single mediating effect on the association between peer victimization and academic performance among migrant children only (95 % CI: [−0.125, −0.044], B = −0.076, p < .001). ConclusionEnvironmental and psychological distress exerted serial mediating effect on the association between peer victimization and academic performance. School-based comprehensive intervention programs designed for migrant versus non-migrant children are recommended.

The Effectiveness of the Say-Something Anonymous Reporting System in Preventing School Violence: A Cluster Randomized Control Trial in 19 Middle Schools

ABSTRACT We examined the effectiveness of the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System (SS-ARS) program in improving school safety in a cluster randomized control trial among over 700 students in 19 middle schools in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The SS-ARS is a program that emphasizes youth engagement and trains youth to recognize warning signs of possible harmful behaviors and to safely report potential threats. We compared 3-month posttest reports of students’ self-efficacy and intention to report warning signs and 9-month posttest perceptions of school and exposure to school violence in treatment versus control schools. Results show that SS-ARS improved both 3-month and 9-month self-efficacy and intention to report. The intervention also promotes perceptions of school safety and reduced violence exposure at 9-month posttest.

Differences in Perception of Safety Before and After School Shootings: A Multi-Event Analysis

ABSTRACT Scholars have explored ways in which school shooting events have impacted students’ perception of safety. However, less is known on whether the effects of school shootings are stable across time and event. This study uses data collected through the Delaware School Survey before and after three school shootings, Columbine (1999), Virginia Tech (2007), and Stoneman Douglas (2018), to examine if individual events were associated with a decrease in how often students feel safe at school and if the effect was consistent across multiple events. Analyses indicate that there are noticeable and significant differences in perception of school safety while at school post-school shooting. Although there was a difference in perception of safety post Virginia Tech and Stoneman Douglas shooting, the difference was greatest post Columbine school shooting.

Initial Field Test of the SOARS (Student Ownership, Accountability, and Responsibility for School Safety) Framework for High Schools

We present outcomes from a field test of a student-centered and technology-driven school safety framework. We describe the framework components rooted in school violence prevention. Results from our field test indicate moderate student and teacher use of the framework components, improvements in student perceptions of school safety, reductions in student reported peer victimization, and reductions in teacher and parent reported inappropriate student behavior. Consumer satisfaction rating were adequate. We present recommendations for implementing a school safety framework emphasizing student voice.

Feeling Unsafe at School Among Adolescents in 13 Asian and European Countries: Occurrence and Associated Factors.

BackgroundResearch on perceived school safety has been largely limited to studies conducted in Western countries and there has been a lack of large-scale cross-national studies on the topic.MethodsThe present study examined the occurrence of adolescents who felt unsafe at school and the associated factors of perceived school safety in 13 Asian and European countries. The data were based on 21,688 adolescents aged 13-15 (11,028 girls, 10,660 boys) who completed self-administered surveys between 2011 and 2017. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.FindingsThe number of adolescents who felt unsafe at school varied widely across countries, with a mean occurrence of 31.4% for the total sample: 31.3% for girls, and 31.1% for boys. The findings revealed strong independent associations between feeling unsafe and individual and school-related factors, such as being bullied, emotional and behavioral problems and feeling that teachers did not care. The study also found large variations in perceived school safety between schools in many countries.ConclusionThe findings emphasize the need to create safe educational environments for all students, based on positive relationships with teachers and peers. School-based interventions to prevent bullying and promote mental health should be a natural part of school safety promotion.

Effects of Lockdown Drills on Students’ Fear, Perceived Risk, and Use of Avoidance Behaviors: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Although widely used in schools across the United States, little is known about the impact of lockdown drills, particularly related to psychological outcomes such as fear, perceived risk, and avoidance. This study utilized survey data collected over 3 timepoints—baseline, after the first lockdown drill, and following training and a second lockdown drill—from more than 10,000 students in a large urban school district. The results indicate that students were less fearful and perceived lower risk after participating in lockdown drills and emergency response training, although reported avoidance behaviors increased. Perceived school safety predicted less fear, risk, and avoidance, while perceived emergency preparedness predicted less fear and avoidance but higher risk. Implications for broader considerations for school administrators and policymakers related to emergency preparedness preparation, including drills and training, are offered with particular focus given to best practices for trauma mitigation.

Education matters: longitudinal pathways to mid-life heavy drinking in a national cohort of black Americans.

To estimate longitudinal pathways from childhood socio-economic position (SEP) to educational attainment and mid-life heavy drinking in black Americans in order to identify potential points of early intervention to reduce risk for alcohol-related problems in adulthood. Data are from 1299 black Americans in the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, followed from 1979 (aged 15-19 years) to 2012. Given gender differences in factors related to education and alcohol outcomes, gender-stratified path models were analyzed. Youth socio-economic indicators included parental education (approximating childhood SEP) and adolescent poverty duration. Education-related measures included high-poverty school, perceived school safety, academic problems, suspension from school, educational expectations and educational attainment. Adulthood measures included repeated unemployment, poverty duration and mean frequency of heavy drinking (six or more drinks/day) in young adulthood and mid-life. Covariates included age, dual-parent household, marital status, early drinking onset and family history of alcohol problems. For both genders, two main pathways originating from low childhood SEP flowed to educational attainment through (1) educational expectations and (2) suspension and from educational attainment to mid-life heavy drinking [total indirect effect = 0.131, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.072-0.197 for women and 0.080, 95% CI = 0.035-0.139 for men]. For both genders, adolescent poverty (standardized βs ≥ 0.139), academic problems (βs ≥ 0.221) and school suspension (βs ≥ 0.166) were significantly (Ps < 0.05) related to lower educational expectations. In adulthood, educational attainment was indirectly protective against mid-life heavy drinking through its significant effects (Ps < 0.05) on young adult heavy drinking for both genders (βs ≤ -0.204) and economic hardships for women (βs ≤ -0.372). Low childhood socio-economic position among black Americans appears to be associated with subsequent, adverse socio-economic and school experiences that lead to lower educational attainment and, ultimately, greater heavy drinking at mid-life. Interventions that mitigate these earlier, adverse experiences might have indirect effects on mid-life heavy drinking.

Gender-Sexuality Alliances as a moderator of the association between victimization, depressive symptoms, and drinking behavior among LGBTQ+ youth

BackgroundVictimization and depression are major stressors underlying drinking behavior among LGBTQ+ youth. There remains limited attention to setting-level factors that buffer their effects. Gender-Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) are school clubs that could promote the health of LGBTQ+ youth. We consider whether their presence in schools moderates associations between victimization, depressive symptoms, and recent alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking. MethodsLGBTQ+ youth (n = 5776) ages 13–17 in all 50 U.S. states with any prior history of alcohol use reported past 30-day alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking, victimization, depressive symptoms, and covariates including recent mental health counseling, perceived school safety, and demographics. Logistic regression models predicted youth’s likelihood of any recent drinking and any heavy episodic drinking, with attention to GSA × victimization and GSA × depressive symptoms interaction effects. FindingsGSA presence moderated the extent to which victimization and depressive symptoms were associated with greater odds of recent heavy episodic drinking. GSA presence did not moderate these associations for lower thresholds of drinking (i.e., any drinking). ConclusionFor LGBTQ+ youth with any lifetime history of alcohol use, GSAs could protect against heavy alcohol use, particularly when they face victimization and depression. GSAs may provide them with social-emotional support or educate school health professionals on ways to support LGBTQ+ youth facing victimization or mental health concerns. GSAs may not protect against all drinking behavior because youth may view some levels as normative. Our findings begin to suggest for whom GSA presence could be most protective.

144 Should Teachers Carry Guns in Schools? An Emergency Department Survey of Parents’ Opinion and Potential Solutions

The purpose of this study was to determine parents’ opinion of threats and probable solutions to school gun violence in two diverse populations. Parents of school-aged children visiting EDs of two large trauma centers in Upstate New York (UNY) and New York City (NYC), between January 2019 to December 2020, were surveyed. Questions included parental perceptions of school safety, experience with firearms, violence and probable solutions including arming school staff, and hiring security officers. Responses were compared by ED site, and by parents’ experience with firearms and concern for school safety employing t-tests and Chi-square tests. A total of 302 participants completed the survey, 202 from UNY and 100 from NYC. Respondents from NYC on average, were significantly younger by about 6 years (95% CI: 4.17, 7.80), and were primarily Latino (81%); whereas the majority of respondents at UNY were White (67.5%), more likely to be female (75% vs 60%), have more college education (25% vs 0%) and less likely to be residing in an urban location (25% vs 100%). Although 64% of all respondents feared a shooting incident could occur at their child’s school, UNY respondents were significantly less likely to report moderate to extreme concern (46.5% vs 99% respectively, p<0.001). This was also reflected in response to “how safe the parents felt for their children at school” with UNY respondents significantly more likely to report moderate to extreme safety as compared to NYC (75.3% vs 7%, p<0.001). UNY respondents were significantly more likely to report feeling safer if guns were available to teachers (22.3% vs 6%, p <0.001). Majority of the respondents at both sites agreed on the need for an armed police presence at school with a minimal difference by site (76.73% vs 74%, p=0.11). Overall, of the 193 participants who indicated they were concerned about a shooting at their child’s school, 25.7% indicated they would feel safer if guns were available to teachers in schools versus only 11.92% of participants who are not concerned (p=0.002). When provided with potential solutions to make schools safer, a majority of the respondents agreed that each choice would make schools safer. However, the degree of agreement differed by site. For each potential solution respondents from NYC were almost unanimously supportive as compared to UNY, whose support ranged from 52% for metal detectors to 84.5% for controlled entry points. Demographics, perception of child safety in schools, and reported experiences wpith guns vary significantly by location, but majority of parents agreed on potential solutions. Less than a quarter of parents would feel safer if teachers had guns in school. For those who feel safer with school staff carrying guns in school, the majority feel security officers should be the ones with firearms. About three-fourths of parents surveyed believed that armed police should be present in schools.

First-aid Resources Availability and Attitudes of Senior High School Students in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

Aims: This study aims to explore the availability of first-aid resources in Senior High Schools and the attitudes of students towards giving first-aid in Tamale Metropolis, Ghana.&#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional study design was performed. This study was conducted in three different senior high schools, namely, Ghana Senior High School, Business Senior High School and Vitting Senior High School during April - July 2020.&#x0D; The study recruited 381 students across the three schools. Students were categorized per their course of study and randomly sampled to attain the sample size. The median was used to determine the likeliest response of the ‘average’ respondent and Inter-Quartile Range (IQR) was used to measure dispersion in Likert scale questions.&#x0D; Results: About 57.2% of participants stated that equipped first-aid kits were not provided in dormitories. All three schools lacked fire extinguishers in the dormitories. The schools also lacked equipped sick bays. A significant relationship was found between students’ perception of school safety and their attitude towards giving first aid (p-value = 0.005).&#x0D; Conclusion: All schools had implemented the Ministry of Education safety standards and guidelines to a lesser extent. It is recommended that the Ministry of Education must play its supervisory role by ensuring the implementation of safety standards and guidelines on health and safety in the schools.

School Safety Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents: Implications for Eating and Weight Control Behaviors.

Unhealthy weight control and disordered eating behaviors are prevalent among adolescents who identify as a gender and/or sexual minority (SGM). The current study examined how perceptions of school safety contribute to reduced negative weight control and eating behaviors across adolescents with diverse sexual and gender identities. Data on perceptions of school safety, as well as negative weight control and disordered eating behaviors (ie, binge eating, eating to cope), were drawn from a large national sample of SGM secondary school students (ie, grades 7-12; N=17,112; LGBTQ National Teen Survey). Differences in negative weight control and disordered eating behaviors emerged as a function of gender identity and sexual orientation. School safety was significantly associated with fewer negative weight control behaviors (B=-0.30, p < .001), reduced binge eating (B=-0.19, p < .001), and less eating to cope (B=-0.21, p < .001). Despite slight variation in the strength of these associations, the protective effects of school safety were significant across sexual and gender identities. Findings suggest that efforts to support feelings of school safety among SGM students are likely to have positive implications for eating and weight-related behaviors, and emphasize the need for interventions to promote climates of safety and inclusion within the school setting.

Developing the School Safety Perception Scale: The Validity and Reliability of Study

The purpose of this research is to develop a scale to determine the perceptions of teachers working in secondary schools related to school safety. Alongside the social actors, the elements involved in achieving the goals of educational activities are important actors in the solution and implementation of the school security problems. Therefore, the actors performed in this way and were want teachers' perception of safety education activities in schools is critical. The research includes a scale development study. Certain steps in the scale of development for secondary teacher’s perceptions of school safety were monitored. Reliability and Validity Scale with work related to the development of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes were performed. Exploratory factor analysis of the obtained 40-item scale 54.233 discloses % of the total variance. Analyzes showed that reliability coefficients of scale factors ranged from .769 to .893. These values are enough to pass to the confirmatory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis results showed that SSS is a valid tool to measure teachers’ perceptions about school safety. Structures of this study, data collected through school safety scale set Cronbach's alpha was calculated in order to determine the internal consistency. Application in terms of behavior and School Safety "Although low compared to other dimensions of size with .61, scale and reliability coefficients ranged between .80 and .93 for the dimensions have been determined to be highly reliable. İmplications for Research and Practice: With the help of the developed scale, relations between school safety perceptions and personal variables, organizational stress, school climate, use of security technologies, occupational burnout and organizational commitment can be examined. Effects of student perceptions of school safety on their academic success can be researched. Similar scales can be developed for parents, administrators, preschool, elementary school teachers, lecturers, and university students.

Reading, Writing, Responding: Educators’ Perceptions of Safety, Preparedness, and Lockdown Drills

Lockdown drills are routinely conducted in schools across the U.S., yet little is known about the impact of such practices on participants—particularly for the faculty, staff, and administrators charged with student safety. The present study considers the effects of lockdown drills and associated emergency response training on perceived safety and preparedness at school for a sample of 3,000 school-based personnel in a large urban school district. After participating in drills and training, significant gains were made in perceived emergency preparedness, particularly among faculty and staff members, while perceived school safety—which already was particularly high—remained unaffected compared to ratings at baseline. Additionally, significant differences were found based upon respondent demographics, highlighting the importance in assessing subgroups’ needs during planning and implementation. Implications for school administration and relevant policymakers related to lockdown drills and training are considered within the context of creating a culture of preparedness.

Effects of School Climate and Parent Support on Academic Performance: Implications for School Reform

This study investigated the associations among school climate domains and how school climate interacts with academic performance. A sample of Kosovan public school students ( N = 855) was assessed using the School Climate Survey. The results showed that students had positive perceptions in the school climate domains of teaching and learning and safety, indicating high school morale. Results further showed a positive correlation between students’ perceptions of school safety and their academic performance. Significant gender differences in perceptions of school safety were noted. Maternal education level was also shown to have an impact on student academic performance.

Varying Experiences of Cyber Victimization among Middle and High School Students.

BackgroundAlthough cyber victimization (CV) occurs in both middle school (MS) and high school (HS)—and these experiences appear to differ between boys and girls—to our knowledge, no studies have directly examined these differences across specific acts of CV. Further, limited research has examined school environment factors, such as school safety and attachment, as they relate to CV.ObjectivesThe current study compared CV experiences reported by boys and girls in both MS and HS as well as examined CV’s association with perceived school safety and school attachment.MethodParticipants were 286 MS and 304 HS students (52% boys) from a small, rural Midwestern community in the United States. Self-reported measures were collected.ResultsHS girls reported experiencing more CV than MS girls on 5 of the 6 CV acts examined. Additionally, HS girls reported experiencing more CV on 3 of the acts compared to MS boys. In general, HS boys and HS girls report similar rates of CV, with the exception of HS girls experiencing higher levels of “people saying mean and nasty things about them.” Regression analyses indicated that youth who report higher CV feel less connected to school, but their CV experiences do not appear to be related their perceived school safety when also considering traditional forms of victimization.ConclusionsCV experiences are higher for HS girls for the majority of different types of CV acts compared to MS youth but similar to HS boys, and experiencing these acts is associated with less school connectedness.

School climate and bystander responses to bullying

AbstractThis study examined the association between school climate and bystander responses to bullying. Participants included 26,176 secondary students (grades 8–12; 13,224 girls) from 76 schools across Western Canada, who were asked to complete a self‐reported, district‐wide, school‐based survey. Results from a contextual effects model in a two‐level multilevel modeling framework revealed that certain aspects of school climate significantly predicted different types of bystander behaviors. Specifically, greater student reports of school safety, adult support/respect, adult responsiveness, and adult/student acceptance of diversity predicted more active intervening behaviors. In addition, greater student perceptions of school safety, adult support/respect, and adult acceptance of diversity predicted less avoiding or neglecting behaviors. Interestingly, peer support, school belonging, student acceptance of diversity, and provision of opportunities were negatively related to seeking support from adults. This study underscores the unique and critical role of school climate on bystander behaviors among adolescents.