NCJ Number
75151
Date Published
1978
Length
27 pages
Annotation
The characteristics of seventh-grade student victims and the relationship between victimization experiences and the students' perceptions of schools were examined.
Abstract
As part of a larger longitudinal study on the transition into early adolescence, data were collected through individual 1-hour interviews with 798 black and white seventh grade students in two types of schools: kindergarten through eighth grade schools (K-8) and junior high schools. The areas measured included the forms of victimization experienced, extracurricular and dating activities, global self-esteem, sense of danger in school, perception of anonymity in the school environment, and the tendency to justify violence as a means of solving problems. The resulting analysis showed that victimization was greater among junior high school students than students in K-8 schools. The characteristics of victims and nonvictims were similar in each school type, although victims in junior high schools were more likely than nonvictims to express low levels of self-esteem. Junior high school victims were also more likely to feel a sense of danger in the school and a higher degree of anonymity. This sense of danger was further heightened for victims who attended schools with high victimization rates. Victimization, school type, or neighborhood crime characteristics did not affect students' tendencies to justify the use of violence in solving disputes. Followup studies of victimized students are suggested as a means of determining whether the feelings of fear and anonymity are carried over into later social interactions. Related studies are reviewed. Footnotes, data tables, and a 10-item reference list are included.