Since decades of research on fear of victimization suggest individuals draw upon their perceived risk of victimization in their development of fear, in what has become known as the risk assessment framework, the current study drew on recent research on the influence of school climate on student reports of fear and safety to determine whether school climate influences student risk perceptions and fear, consistent with the risk assessment framework.
Using a sample of elementary and high school students in Flint, Michigan, the study’s findings indicate that school climate did not correlate with student fear of victimization after accounting for factors such as prior student victimization, school disorder, and the perceived risk of victimization. The Implications of these findings are discussed. (publisher abstract modified)