School Climate and Risky Behaviors Among Rural Adolescents

• In Event: 72.065 - Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: 72.065-9 - The Myth of the Rural Idyll

Abstract

The present study sought to determine whether rural high school students’ positive perceptions of their school climate made it less likely that they would engage in or be exposed to a variety of risky behaviors. School climate is a construct that consists of the following five major dimensions: Safety, Relationships, Teaching and Learning, the Instructional Environment, and the School Improvement Process, although this final dimension was not assessed in the current study (Thapa, Cohen, Guffey, and Higgins-D’Alessandro, 2013). The results of this study suggest that the Relationships dimension of school climate is particularly important for students attending schools in rural areas. Results additionally suggest that students in lower grades are more likely to be victimized than students in higher grades.

Authors

• Marissa Green, The Ohio State University - Columbus

• Jennifer L. Engelland, Illinois State University

• Brenda J. Huber, Illinois State University

• Adena B. Meyers, Illinois State University

• Renée M. Tobin, Illinois State University