Examining the effects of school structure and social context on bullying, victimization, and nonviolent delinquency

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

We examined the impact of school structural characteristics on bullying, victimization, and nonviolent delinquency in truanting youth. In addition, we assessed whether subjective perceptions of school climate mediated the effects of school structural factors on behavioral outcomes. We analyzed data from a longitudinal truancy prevention trial targeting at-risk children and adolescents. We conducted hierarchical regression analyses to assess the effects of school structural factors on bullying, victimization, and nonviolent delinquency, looking separately at each wave. The schoolwide percentage of non-English speaking and Indigenous students increased risk of truanting youth being victimized; the percentage of Indigenous students additionally increased risk of engaging in nonviolent delinquency. Risk pathways between school structural factors and peer victimization were mediated by a youths’ perception of their school context. Specifically, the effects of schoolwide diversity (e.g., the percentage of Indigenous Australian and non-English speaking students) on victimization were mediated by subjective perceptions of school safety. Our findings underscore the role of school structural factors in shaping problem behaviors, and further emphasize the importance of subjective perceptions in explaining the effects of the broader school environment on peer victimization.

Authors

• Sophie Aiyer, University of Queensland

• Emma Antrobus, University of Queensland

• Lorraine Mazerolle, University of Queensland