Associations Between Authoritative School Climate and Adolescents' Perceptions of the Negative Effects of Victimization

• In Event: Perceptions of Victimization: Implications for Diverse Populations

Abstract

In our study, we generate new evidence about how schools with strong authoritative climates—ones with strict, yet fair enforcement of rules alongside support from caring adults—can influence how negatively adolescents feel after being victimized. We analyzed data from the 2017 School Crime Supplement (n = 1,331) and found that (1) students in more supportive schools were less likely to report that their victimization negatively impacted their schoolwork; and (2) students in schools with stronger fairness and enforcement of rules experienced lower odds of feeling negatively about themselves after being victimized. We found similar results for girls but not boys. Our study expands the knowledgebase about how structural conditions interwoven throughout the climate of schools can shape adolescents’ wellbeing.

Authors

• Kevin A. Gee, University of California - Davis

• Misha D. Haghighat, University of California - Davis

• Tseng M Vang, University of California - Davis

• North Cooc, The University of Texas at Austin