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School Safety Issues & Gender:Understanding Risk Factors and Responses
Nadine M. Connell, Ph.D.Director, Center for Crime & Justice Studies
Associate Professor of CriminologyUT Dallas
UMSL Youth Violence Prevention Conference 4/12/2018
National Victimization Rates
• Total Victimization– 38/1,000 students– 2.6% in last 6 months
• Violent Victimization– 25/1, 000
• Threatened or Injured w/Weapon– 7% in last 12 months
• Total Victimization– 20/1,000 students– 2.8% in last 6 months
• Violent Victimization– 10/1, 000
• Threatened or Injured w/Weapon– 5% in last 12 months
Source: NCES Indicators of School Safety 2017
NJ Study 2005-2011
24 Schools over 5 years (N=2,590)(14 schools today)
Violent Victimization:• Hit: 31.3%
Non Violent Victimization:• Property Stolen or Damaged: 35.2%
Threatened with a Weapon• 2.9%
Demographics
Sample (N=2,590)
School Level(N=8,805)
State Level (N=398,911)
% Male 46 52 50.2
% White 62.4 52 56
Grade Level 7 -- --
Average Age 12.4 -- --
Measures• Demographic Characteristics
– Age, Race, Gender, Grades• Attitudinal Characteristics
– Beliefs about behavior (3 items)• “How wrong is it…”
– Beliefs about rules (7 items)• “I want to be a good citizen”
• School Characteristics– School Climate (14 items)
• This is a good school to go to
NJ Victimization Prevalence
• Violent Victimization– 38.6%
• Non-violent Victimization– 34.6%
• Threatened or Injured w/Weapon– 4.1%
• Seen a weapon?– 7.9%
• Violent Victimization– 24.6%
• Non-violent Victimization– 35.6%
• Threatened or Injured w/Weapon– 1.9%
• Seen a weapon?– 6.2%
20% of boys 1+ victimization 15% of girls 1+ victimization
Boys and Violent Victimization
Risk Factors
Poly-victimization Younger ageHigher security
environments
Protective Factors
Positive School Climate
Girls and Violent Victimization
Risk Factors
Poly-victimizationMinority Status Low Grades
Protective Factors
Pro-social Beliefs• Behavior and rules
Positive School Climate
Non Violent Victimization
Risk Factors
Poly-victimization
Protective Factors
Pro-Social Beliefs• Conventional rules
Positive School Climate
Threatened w/ Weapon
Risk Factors
Poly-victimization Low Grades
Protective Factors
Pro-Social Beliefs• Conventional rules
Positive School Climate
Victimization Experiences
• Higher Security Environments
• Minority Status• Lower Grades
Pro-Social Beliefs Positive School Climate
NJ Perpetration Prevalence
• Violent Perpetration– 24%
• Non-violent Perpetration– 5.8%
• Threatened or Injured w/Weapon– .8%
• Violent Perpetration– 28%
• Non-violent Perpetration– 6.9%
• Threatened or Injured w/Weapon– 2.5%
4.6% of boys 1+ perpetration 3.4% of girls 1+ perpetration
Boys and Violent Perpetration
Risk Factors
Poly-victimizationOlder Lower GradesHigher security
environments
Protective Factors
Pro-Social Belief• Conventional Rules
Positive School Climate
Girls and Violent Perpetration
Risk Factors
Poly-victimizationMinority StatusOlder Lower Grades
Protective Factors
Pro-social Beliefs• Behavior
Positive School Climate
Non Violent Perpetration
Risk Factors
Poly-victimization Lower Grades
Protective Factors
Pro-Social Beliefs• Behavior and rules
Positive School Climate
Using A Weapon
Risk Factors
Older Low Grades
Protective Factors
Pro-Social BeliefsBehaviors rules
Positive School ClimateHigher Security
Environment
Perpetration Behaviors
• Higher Security Environments• Physical Size*
• Minority Status• Lower Grades
Pro-Social Beliefs Positive School Climate
*Results from analysis of earlier cohorts
Potential Solutions
• Conversations about high security environments
• Recognizing special risk for minority girls
• Academic achievement approaches
Mentoring Programs• Skill-based as well as relational
Improved School Climate• Social Norming Programs
Bystander Intervention Programs• May be best for older students
Social Norms Programs• An increasingly popular universal prevention
technique based upon psychological theory and supported by an extensive empirical study
• An environmental approach based upon sharing accurate information with students– Compatible with other prevention strategies
• Promote what is really happening!
Why Social Norms?• Our behavior is influenced by our perceptions
of what others think and do BUT– These perceptions are often inaccurate– If we can correct the “misperceptions” that exist,
over time behavior should reflect the more accurate (and healthier) norm
• Especially important for YOUNG people– MOST students are GOOD students
Components• Survey
– Climate surveys are a great place to start
• Media Campaign– Be creative!
• Community Support
Developing Social Norms Messages• Create the messages from survey results• Cite survey sources on posters• Include the social norms project logo or other
program logo– Create one that is school specific or use one from
another program• Use the planning committee for ideas!
– Where, when, and how the messages/campaign will be executed
Variety of Message Delivery– Reach students using various forms of media– “Seven different times in seven different ways”• Audio Examples
• PSAs using social norms messages on the morning announcements, or school radio station
• Video Examples• PSAs using social norms messages on the local community or
school TV station, or on screen savers on computers in labs or the library
• Print Examples• Posters, food tray liners, bottom of tests
Variety of Message Delivery (cont.)• Deliver messages to the PARENTS, too!
– Post social norms messages on school Web site– Advertise social norms messages on local TV stations– Share social norms messages on Connect-Ed (automated
phone blasts)– Print school norms on materials (e.g., school newsletters,
report cards, included in progress reports)• Deliver messages to the COMMUNITY, too!
– Request permission to hang posters in storefronts – Include community members on school planning team
• Ask member for innovative ideas
Impact of Social NormsPositive Behavioral Outcomes
– Reduced violent and non-violent victimizationAdditional Benefits
• Bullying improved• Tolerance/relational victimization
Impact of Social NormsPositive Behavioral Outcomes
– Reduced violent perpetrationAdditional Benefits
• Bullying improved• Tolerance/relational perpetration• Cyberperpetration
Take Away• Structural Concerns
– Boys and girls are negatively affected by differentstructural disadvantage
• Minority status and educational attainment• High security environments
• Small gains go far– Social Norms campaign
• Focus on climate and conventional rules– Girls may benefit more BUT boys do benefit
Online Resources• Online resources
– Hobart and William Smith Colleges Alcohol Education Project
• http://alcohol.hws.edu/– MassTAPP Social Norms Gallery
• http://www.edc.org/masstapp-social-norms-gallery– National Social Norms Resource Center
• www.socialnorms.org– MOST of Us
• www.mostofus.org
Selected References1. Botvin, G.J., Sussman, S., & Biglan, A. 2001. The Hutchison smoking prevention project: A lesson on inaccurate media
coverage and the importance of prevention advocacy. Prevention Science, 2, 67-70.2. Connell, N.M., Barbieri, N., & Reingle Gonzalez, J.M. 2015. Understanding school effects on students’ willingness to report
peer weapon carrying. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice. 13(3), 258-269.3. Connell, N.M., Schell-Busey, N.M., Pearce, A.N., & Negro, P. 2014. Badgrlz? Exploring sex differences in cyberbullying
behaviors. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice. 12(3): 209-228.4. Festinger, L. 1957. A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA.5. Jenkins, L.N., & Demaray, M.K. 2015. Indirect effects in the peer victimization-academic achievement relation: The role of
academic self concept and gender. Faculty Research and Creative Activity. 39.6. Kretschmer, T., Veenstra, R., Dekovic, M., & Oldehinkel, A.J. 2017. Bullying development across adolescence, its
antecedents, outcomes, and gender-specific patterns. Development and Psychopathology. 29. 941-955.7. Marks, G., Graham, J.W., & Hansen, W.B. 1992. Social Projection and Social Conformity in Adolescent Alcohol Use: A
Longitudinal Analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 18, 96-101.8. Perkins, H.W., Haines, M.P., & Rice, R. 2005 Misperceiving the college drinking norm and related problems: A nationwide
study of exposure to prevention information, perceived norms, and student alcohol misuse. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 66 470-478.
9. Orpinas, P., McNicholas, C., & Nahapetyan, L. 2015. Gender differences in trajectories of relational aggression perpetration and victimization from middle to high school. Aggressive Behavior. 41. 401-412.
10. Polanin, J. R., Espelage, D. L., & Pigott, T. D. 2012. A meta-analysis of school-based bullying prevention programs' effects on bystander intervention behavior. School Psychology Review, 41(1), 47.
11. Maxwell, S. & Connell, N.M. 2013. Post-secondary matriculation for minority high school youth: Multicultural mentoring and student engagement. The Quest: Journal of Higher Education Excellence 2(1).
12. Musu-Gillette, L., Zhang, A., Wang, K., Zhang, J., Kemp, J., Diliberti, M., and Oudekerk, B.A. 2018. Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2017 (NCES 2018-036/NCJ 251413). National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Washington, DC.
13. Schell-Busey, N.M. Connell, N.M., & Kahle, L. 2017. Weight, perceptions, and bullying: What kind of pounds matter? Journal of Child and Family Studies. 26(8): 2101-2113. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-017-0740-6
Beliefs• I want to be a good citizen• Being honest is more important than being popular• If you find someone’s purse, it is okay to keep it• It is okay to take advantage of someone who isn’t
careful• Sometimes you have to be a bullying to get respect• You have to be willing to break the rules if you want to
be popular• If you found your group of friends were leading you
into trouble, would you stop hanging out with them
School Climate• This school is a pretty good school• Students really like each other here• Friendships are made in this school• Groups of students do not get along• Some students in this school do not like each other• The teachers care about how students feel in this school• The teachers are more like friends than authority• The teachers go out of their way to help students• The teachers embarrass students for not knowing the right answer• There are very few rules to follow• If a student breaks the rule at this school, they are disciplined• The teachers will send a student out of class if he does something
wrong
