Student and Personnel Perceptions of School Environments and Delinquency

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

Research demonstrates a relationship between the communal organization of school environments and student delinquency. To explore this relationship further, this project assesses both student and personnel perceptions of cohesion in the school climate, compares these perceptions, and explores their potential influence on student delinquency. This study is based on the University of Missouri—St. Louis Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI) dataset. CSSI is a multi-year project exploring the causes and consequences of school violence, including items measuring student offending and school climate. This data is analyzed to address the following hypotheses: (1) Student reports of student-teacher cohesion are negatively associated with levels of student delinquency; (2) School personnel reports of student-teacher cohesion are negatively associated with levels of student delinquency; (3) Discrepancy between student and personnel perceptions of cohesion is positively associated with levels of student delinquency. Results of ordinary least squares regression models demonstrate some support for these hypotheses. School personnel tend to overestimate school cohesion compared to student reports, and a higher discrepancy between student and personnel reports is associated with higher student delinquency.

Author

• Jennifer O'Neill, University of Missouri St. Louis