Anat Zeira

School Climate, Observed Risky Behaviors, and Victimization as Predictors of High School Students’ Fear and Judgments of School Violence as a Problem

The primary aim of this study is to explore how school-related variables predict high school students’subjective judgements of school violence. Using a nationally representative sample (Israel) of 3,518 high school-aged youth, this study tested the hypotheses that (a) students’personal fear of attending school due to violence and (b) students’ assessment of a school violence problem are best understood as separate conceptual constructs. The findings support the proposition that student fear of attending school and assessments of school violence as a problem are influenced by different types of school-related variables. Student fear of attending school due to violence was directly related to experiences of personal victimization by students and school staff. In contrast with fear, students’judgements of their schools’overall violence problem were directly associated with the variables of school climate, observed risk behaviors, and personal victimization. Implications for policy, theory, and future research are highlighted.

Children's reports of emotional, physical and sexual maltreatment by educational staff in Israel.

OBJECTIVES This paper reports on the first nationally representative study on the prevalence of emotional, physical, and sexual victimization of children by school staff in Israel. The study identifies groups of children that are at higher risk for such maltreatment. We examine the differences in staff-induced victimization by the childrens gender, age group (junior high vs. high school), cultural groups (Jewish non-religious, Jewish-religious and Arab schools) and by socioeconomic status of the childrens families. METHOD The study is based on a nationally representative sample of 10,410 Israeli students in Grades 7-11 in 161 schools across Israel. Students completed questionnaires during class. In addition, we obtained data on the socioeconomic status of the families of the students in each school. RESULTS Overall, children reported high rates of victimization by staff members. Almost a quarter of all children participating in this study reported being emotionally maltreated by a staff member, almost a fifth (18.7%) reported being a victim of at least one type of physical forms of maltreatment, and 8.2% reported on at least one sexually inappropriate behavior by a staff member. The most vulnerable groups for all types of maltreatment were males, children in junior high schools, children in Arab schools, and children in schools with a high concentration of students coming from low-income and low-education families. CONCLUSIONS The overall prevalence rates of staff maltreatment should be considered high and unacceptable. Although rates of physical and sexual maltreatment were lower than emotional maltreatment, they were still high and are worthy of greater attention. Both cultural beliefs and low family socioeconomic status increase vulnerability to staff maltreatment. We suggest conducting an educational campaign to reduce rates of staff maltreatment. We also recommend allocating more resources to support staff in low SES neighborhoods, to alleviate their stress and to provide them with the support that would reduce maltreatment of children in the educational system.

Sexual harassment in Jewish and Arab public schools in Israel

OBJECTIVE Current empirical literature on sexual harassment in schools is mostly based on nonrepresentative samples of middle-class high-school Caucasian female students. Thus the scope of research regarding gender, age, and cultural differences is very limited. This article reports on findings on sexual harassment in Jewish and Arab schools in Israel with regard to gender, age, and cultural differences. METHOD The study is part of the first national survey on school violence in Israel. The representative sample includes 10,400 students in grades 7 through 11 attending public schools in Israel. Students were asked to report whether they were victims of specific acts of sexual harassment in school during the month before the survey. RESULTS Overall, 29.1% of the students were victims of at least one act of harassment. The more common acts were to show offensive pictures or to send obscene letters, to take off or to try to take off part of the students clothing, and to try to kiss a student. The most vulnerable groups are the Arab boys and 8th grade students. Report rates were the lowest among Arab girls. CONCLUSIONS Sexual harassment is prevalent in Israeli schools. The pattern of victimization is different for boys and girls and for students in Jewish and Arab schools. These patterns are a complex phenomenon that must be considered in the intervention and policy measures addressing sexual harassment at school.

School Violence in Israel: Perceptions of Homeroom Teachers.

Most research on school violence focuses on the experiences of the students rather than on the perceptions of the educational staff. As part of the first national survey on school violence in Israel, this study examines the perceptions of homeroom teachers on violence in their schools. Self-administered anonymous questionnaires were answered by 1521 teachers from 232 schools. This sample, derived from schools throughout Israel, represents all the sectors in public education in Israel, including primary, junior high and high schools from the Jewish religious, Jewish secular and Arab sectors. Our findings indicate that many teachers in Israel are exposed to a considerable amount of verbal and physical violence. Even so, most of them think that violence is not a big problem at their school and, consequently, report feeling safe within school grounds. Teachers also report on a lack of training in dealing with violence. There are slight but clear differences between teachers in different school levels and cultural groups.

Therapeutic residential care for children and youth: a consensus statement of the International Work Group on Therapeutic Residential Care

While the focus of this consensus statement and the review volume that preceded it (Whittaker, Del Valle, & Holmes, 2014) is on therapeutic residential care (TRC), a specialized form of group care, we view our work as supportive of a much wider effort internationally concerned with the quality of care children receive when, for a variety of reasons, they need to live away from their families.

Care Leavers in Israel: What Contributes to Better Adjustment to Life After Care?

ABSTRACT The present study examines the adjustment of youth leaving residential treatment in Israel in three core areas: military service, accommodation, and financial status. A sample of 277 adolescents (aged 17–18 years old) in educational and welfare residential placements were interviewed a few months before leaving care, and 236 of them were interviewed 1 year after. It was hypothesized that optimism, higher perceived sense of readiness to leave care, and higher social support of family, friends, and staff are associated with better outcomes in adjustment to military service, accommodations, and economic status. Findings show that 70% of care leavers were drafted to the (compulsory) military service, a sign of good adjustment in Israel. Yet, they have significant difficulties in the areas of accommodations and financial status. Optimism and perceived readiness for independent living while still in care were positively correlated with adjustment to the military service. Mothers support was positively correlated with care leavers’ economic status and stability in accommodations. These findings highlight the importance of designing programs that include specific attention to needs and challenges while youth are in care and immediately after they leave. Follow-up and longitudinal studies are suggested.

Evidence-based social work practice with children and families: a cross national perspective

This paper summarizes, from a cross-national perspective, some commonly used models of evidence-based practice and relates them to social work practice with children and families. We first identify concepts and dimensions central to an analysis of the outcomes of social work practice. We then present and discuss key components of social work practice that any evidence-based model must take into account. Finally, we provide some examples of strategies that may be useful to practitioners and policy makers across nations and cultures in order to build a solid knowledge-base for effective social work practice.

The self-image of adolescents and its relationship to their perceptions of the future

English The relationship between the self-image of 1196 Israeli adolescents and their perceptions of the future was examined. A positive correlation was found between most of the OSIQ sub-scales and the perceptions of the future. Analysis revealed gender and age differences and also suggested an additional validation of the OSIQ. French Cette recherche examine la relation entre l’image de soi de 1196 adolescents israéliens et leur perception de l’avenir. Elle indique une correlation positive entre les sous-échelles ‘OSIQ’ et les perceptions de l’avenir. L’analyse révèle des différences entre les sexes et les âges et suggère une validation supplémentaire de ‘OSIQ’. Spanish Se examina la relación entre auto-imagen y percepción del futuro de 1196 adolescentes israelíes. Se halla una correlación positiva entre la mayoría de las sub-escalas del OSIQ y las percepciones del futuro. El análisis revela diferencias de género y edad, y también sugiere una validación más del OSIQ.

Adolescents' approval of peer and spousal retribution in their culture vs. other cultures: The role of group stereotypes

This study examined whether negative group stereotypes similarly affect adolescents ’ reasoning about peer and spousal retribution in interpersonal situations. Findings from cognitive domain theory, school violence, family violence, and group stereotyping and prejudice literatures were used to examine this. The sample of adolescents was drawn from northern and central Israel and consisted of 1,168 Arab and Jewish students (grades 7‐11). A quasi-experimental between-subject design was used, in which the students in each grade were randomly assigned to one of two peer retribution scenarios and one of two spousal retribution scenarios. In each scenario, only the ethnicity of the peers and married couples depicted in the story was systematically altered. The study was a 2 (Arab/Jewish respondent) 2 (peer retribution scenarios) 2 (spousal retribution scenarios) factorial design. The findings provide evidence that Arab and Jewish students have negative stereotypes about one another; however, these group stereotypes did not affect their judgments and justifications about peer and spousal retribution. Jewish and Arab students judged peer retribution similarly, but differed in their judgments of spousal retribution. However, altering the ethnic background of the individuals in the scenarios did not affect respondents ’ judgments. This suggests that respondents in both groups did not base their judgments on negative stereotypes about the out-group, but instead were focusing on the behavioural act itself. Overall, the vast majority of respondents condemned retribution based on moral, social conventional and personal reasons. This inquiry provides evidence that it was the number of justifications endorsed within a specific domain that distinguished Arab and Jewish respondents. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Children in Educational Residential Care: A Cohort Study of Israeli Youth

Abstract This article reports preliminary findings from a national cohort study in Israel on the educational outcomes of 82,342 Jewish citizens born in 1981. We compare the educational outcomes of 2002 alumni of youth villages and their peers in the general population with respect to differences among cultural subgroups. The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics generated the database by combining different official data files based on a personal identification number that each Israeli citizen receives. This database covers the entire cohort and includes information on their background and educational status. The findings indicate that the educational status of alumni of youth villages at the age of 27 is less positive compared to that of their peers in the general population. Cultural differences are discussed with respect to the role of youth villages as a means for upward mobility of disadvantaged youth, and implications for policy and future research are suggested.