NCJ Number
229581
Journal
Journal of School Violence Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: January-March 2010 Pages: 37-55
Date Published
January 2010
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the 1995-2005 School Crime Supplement datasets that were analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Abstract
Converging evidence across multiple analyses suggests that secure school building policies may not be systematically linked to school disorder and may be more a reactive measure in response to other concerns. Most importantly, measures of incivility explain almost double the variance (31-45 percent vs. 17-25 percent) in students' fear, anxiety, and avoidant behaviors, compared to theft and attack, when tested using alternate measurement models. The analysis can inform school-based professionals working with at-risk students who may be exhibiting fear, anxiety, or avoidant behaviors related to a hostile school environment. The findings suggest that local school personnel and educational leaders concerned about school violence should facilitate increased resource supports to address incivility in schools. 2 figures, 2 tables, 5 notes, and 51 references (Published abstract)