NCJ Number
223421
Journal
Journal of School Violence Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: 2008 Pages: 105-135
Date Published
2008
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effect of hostile school climates on certain student groups.
Abstract
The results indicate that students are more likely to experience disruptive classrooms in large and high-poverty schools. This study sought to examine whether students in certain school contexts might be more likely to experience hostility in school that is detrimental to the overall learning environment. The findings suggest that school characteristics which have traditionally been associated with lower levels of disorder and increased physical safety, such as private schools and smaller schools, do not also protect students against psychological or verbal forms of abuse. Students also reported feeling less safe in large and public schools. It also found that the effect of student characteristics on the likelihood of experiencing verbal bullying in schools varied by school characteristics. The results suggest that high achieving African-American and Hispanic students are more at risk of verbal harassment within predominately minority schools. The study recommends that more empirical work along with new and richer data sources be required to understand the complex social dynamics underlying the creation of hostile school climates. Hierarchical linear models were employed using data from a national sample of 10,061 African-American, Hispanic, and White 10th graders in 659 high schools across the United States. The data was obtained from the second wave of the National Educational Longitudinal Survey (NELS) conducted in 1990. Tables, figure, references