NCJ Number
220569
Journal
Journal of School Violence Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: 2007 Pages: 45-67
Date Published
2007
Length
23 pages
Annotation
Using self-report data from 447 K-12 teachers from a large southeastern school district and multilevel path analysis, this study examined the impact of school policies toward violence on the teachers' fear of school violence.
Abstract
The study found that K-12 teachers' perceptions of school-based policies had a direct relationship with their fear of school violence. School violence policies also had an indirect link with teachers' fear of school violence through perceived risk of being a victim of violence. This suggests that teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of school-based policies toward violence is related to their fear of school violence; however, school-based policies toward violence alone was not sufficient to reduce teachers' fear of school violence. Other factors such as perceived risk of being a victim and the rate of school violence were also factors. Teachers should be included in discussing and developing school-based policies toward violence in order to address their perceptions of particular risks. It is also important that the policies developed be enforce and prove their effectiveness in order to reduce teachers' fear of being a victim of violence. Study data were obtained in a sampling procedure designed to ensure a random sampling of the schools (elementary, middle, and high schools) across the entire metropolitan area. From each of 10 clusters, 4 schools were selected (2 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school). Thus, the target sample was 40 schools. Twenty-nine of the 40 school principals agreed to have their schools participate in the study. The final sample of teachers was 481 (77 percent female), all of whom resembled the characteristics of the school district. Surveys were self-administered to the teachers at the start of each school's faculty meeting. 1 table, 5 figures, 5 notes, 55 references, and appended study questionnaire