Predictors of School Violence: A Comparison of Urban and Rural Schools

• In Event: School Violence in the Wake of Parkland: Predictors, Precautions, and Responses to School Shootings

Abstract

School violence in K-12 schools has been considered as a big social problem in the United States. In this regard, scholars have studied a variety of predictor variables that related to violent crimes. Majority of their studies have focused on school violence occurring in urban schools applying social disorganization theory. There are only a limited number of existing studies on school violence in rural areas which reveal that comparing to areas of high population density, rural schools and communities had shown at least equal to or higher rates of violence (Donnermeyer, 2016; Renfro, Huebner, Callahan, & Ritchey, 2003; Rennison & DeKeseredy, 2017). Given a need for more rigorous testing of location impacts on school violence, this paper analyzes if factors that affect school violence have similarly or differently influence on school violence in urban and rural schools using School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) data. It then outlines implications for school violence prevention developed on the current study results.

Authors

• Chunghyeon Seo, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

• Bitna Kim, Indiana University of Pennsylvania