NCJ Number
95493
Date Published
1982
Length
128 pages
Annotation
Prior personal victimization, rather than the degree of social support, was the strongest predictor of fear of victimization in 7,880 adolescents surveyed in the 1978 Safe School Study.
Abstract
Adolescent students who had more social support were generally less fearful of being hurt or robbed at school or traveling to and from school than those with weaker support. Those with more social support also tended to have higher self-reported academic achievement. No relationship was found between the fear of victimization and academic achievement. Schools should improve the social environment, because academic as well as social goals may be furthered through improved adolescent social support. Counseling strategies should focus on the adolescent's complete social support system, including parents, friends, and nonrelated adults. Counseling should also focus on the needs of low academic achievers and provide a wider view of educational and occupational options for adolescents in predominantly blue-collar schools. Role models of successful people, particularly from blue-collar backgrounds, are particulary important. A table of contents, a 120-item bibliography, diagrams, and tabular data are provided. Coding procedures and the construction of study variables and analytic techniques are appended.