Factors Predicting Students' Weapons-Carrying on School Property: A Multilevel Analysis (Poster 19)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Five
  In Poster Session: Division E Counseling Poster Session

Abstract

The Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) has been used as a framework to understand why individuals engage in certain behaviors. The RAA was used to select and examine myriad predictors for students’ weapons carrying within the past 30 days and their lifetime on school property in the Pennsylvania Assessment of Youth Survey of students (N = 250000). Gender, suicidality, and perceived access to a weapon were the three largest predictors across both models. These data suggest that two major factors that predict students’ weapons carrying, suicidality and perceived access to a weapon, are preventable. Prevention efforts by policy makers, school professionals, and parents should target these areas with students to ensure safer school environments.

Authors

• Joseph Brandenburg, Pennsylvania State University
  Presenting Author

• Marisa DeCollibus, Pennsylvania State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennifer L Frank, Penn State - Educational Psychology Counseling & S
  Non-Presenting Author