Unfair, Unsafe, and Unwelcome: Do High School Students' Perceptions of Unfairness, Hostility, and Victimization in School Predict Engagement and Achievement?

• NCJ Number: 229108
• Journal: Journal of School Violence Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: October-December 2009 Pages: 355-375
• Author(s): Michael B. Ripski; Anne Gregory
• Date Published: October 2009
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Using the national dataset of the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, this study examined three dimensions of 10th-grade school climate (unfairness, hostility, and victimization) as predictors of student engagement and achievement in reading and math in the same year, as rated by teachers.

Abstract

The study found that at the individual level, student perceptions of victimization (bullying or theft of property) predicted lower individual engagement and reading and math achievement. At the school level, collective perceptions of hostility (not feeling safe at school and perceptions of gangs being present in the school) predicted lower engagement and reading achievement. When students reported feeling they were treated unfairly (being singled out for discipline or being subjected to unfair rules), they were more likely to be disengaged, as reported by teachers; however, perceptions of unfairness were predictive of higher achievement scores in both reading and math. This may be explained by the fact that higher achieving students are more critical of school rules they perceive as unreasonable. These findings suggest that various aspects of student perceptions of school climate influence academic performance and classroom engagement in different ways. Thus, studies that use a global measure of school climate may miss the distinctive impact on school performance of particular aspects of a school's climate. Study data came from a diverse, nationally representative sample of students and their teachers. In stage one of the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, 752 public, Catholic, and other private schools with 10th-grade students were selected for the survey. Tenth-grade students selected from each school produced a total sample of approximately 15,000 students. Students were given self-report questionnaires and achievement tests in reading and math. Data were also collected from teachers. 5 tables, 47 references, and appended measurement scales