Ron Avi Astor

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.

How Can We Improve School Safety Research

The authors of this article consider how education researchers can improve school violence and school safety research by (a) examining gaps in theoretical, conceptual, and basic research on the phenomena of school violence; (b) reviewing key issues in the design and evaluation of evidence-based practices to prevent school violence; and (c) suggesting new directions for a translational science agenda that can inform policy and practice. The authors describe international empirical approaches that help match annual school safety monitoring data with specific evidence-based practices for each school site, school district, or region. The systemic exploration of successful large-scale applications of evidence-based programs at the district, regional, and state levels could inform theoretical paradigms, empirical databases, and practice.

School Violence and Theoretically Atypical Schools: The Principal’s Centrality in Orchestrating Safe Schools

Theories often assume that schools in communities with high violence also have high rates of school violence, yet there are schools with very low violence in high violence communities. Organizational variables within these schools may buffer community influences. Nine “atypical” schools are selected from a national database in Israel. Three years of intense qualitative and quantitative methods are employed at these schools. The most important variable found is the leadership of the principal. These schools emphasize a school reform approach rather than packaged school violence evidence-based programs. The schools demonstrate “outward” oriented ideologies, a schoolwide awareness of violence, consistent procedures, integrated use of cultural and religious symbols, visual manifestations of student care, and the beautification of school grounds.

School Violence in Taiwan: Examining How Western Risk Factors Predict School Violence in an Asian Culture

The current study explores whether theorized risk factors in Western countries can be used to predict school violence perpetration in an Asian cultural context. The study examines the associations between risk factors and school violence perpetration in Taiwan. Data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 14,022 students from elementary to high school (Grades 4 to 12) across Taiwan. The analysis reported in this study focuses on only junior high school students (Grades 7 to 9, N = 3,058). The results of a regression analysis show that gender, age, direct victimization, witness victimization, alcohol use, smoking, anger traits, lack of impulse control, attitudes toward violence, poor quality of student—teacher relationships, and involvement with at-risk peers were significantly associated with school violence in Taiwan. The overall results suggest strong similarities in risk factors found in the West and school violence in Taiwan. They therefore point toward using similar strategies developed in the West to enhance students’ positive experiences in their personal, family, and school lives to decrease school violence.

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.

The Children of Military Service Members: Challenges, Supports, and Future Educational Research

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have led to concerning psychological, behavioral, and academic outcomes for children in military families. Of the 1.2 million school-aged children of military service members, only 86,000 actually attend schools administered by the Department of Defense on military installations throughout the world. The remaining military children attend schools administered by civilian public schools, private schools, and other civilian-run educational agencies. At present, there is a knowledge gap in educational research regarding military-connected schools and students. Given the lack of educational research on military children, the primary objective of this review is to outline findings from noneducational disciplinary empirical literatures that are of direct relevance to schooling for educational researchers who want to conduct studies on military-connected schools and students. The authors reviewed studies on military children and their families that examined links between special circumstances and stressors as well as outcomes that are known to impact students’ school experiences. A synthesis of literature generated six themes: mental health in military families, child maltreatment, the impact of deployment on military children and families, the reintegration experience, war-related trauma of the returning veteran parent, and the experience of Reservist and Guard families in civilian contexts. The article concludes with a heuristic model for future educational research, including linkages to school reform.

The Conceptualization of Violence-Prone School Subcontexts Is the Sum of the Parts Greater than the Whole?

This article raises concerns about how context is conceptualized and researched in many current school violence inquiries. For example, research has shown that specific school subcontexts (e.g., hallways, cafeterias, and bathrooms) tend to be violence prone. Yet students’ and teachers’ understanding of violence in these school subcontexts remains an underresearched topic. Current school violence research often has a singular focus on either subjective assessments of violence as a “problem” or on the frequency and severity of violent events in schools. This body of research does not offer in-depth conceptual explanations as to why certain school subcontexts are consistently more violence prone. In this article, we also raise concerns about the lack of a philosophical discussion surrounding the meaning of school violence to school professionals, students, and society.

Substance Use Among Military-Connected Youth The California Healthy Kids Survey

BACKGROUND Young people in military-connected families may be exposed to deleterious stressors, related to family member deployment, that have been associated with externalizing behaviors such as substance use. Substance use predisposes youth to myriad health and social problems across the life span. PURPOSE This study examined the prevalence and correlates of lifetime and recent substance use in a normative sample of youth who were either connected or not connected to the military. METHODS Data are from a subsample of the 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey (N=14,149). Items in the present analyses included present familial military affiliation (no one, parent, sibling); number of deployments (none, one, two or more); gender; grade; and race/ethnicity. Substance use items assessed whether the youth reported lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, other drugs, or prescription drugs; and recent (past 30 days) use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs. RESULTS Multivariate analysis conducted in 2012 revealed that an increase in the number of deployments was associated with a higher likelihood of lifetime and recent use, with the exception of lifetime smoking. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that experiences associated with deployment of a family member may increase the likelihood of substance use.

Well-being and suicidal ideation of secondary school students from military families.

BACKGROUND The mental health of children is a primary public health concern; adolescents of military personnel may be at increased risk of experiencing poorer well-being overall and depressive symptoms specifically. These adolescents experience individual and intrafamilial stressors of parental deployment and reintegration, which are directly and indirectly associated with internalizing behaviors. PURPOSE The present study sought to better understand the influence of parental military connectedness and parental deployment on adolescent mental health. METHODS Data from the 2011 California Healthy Kids Survey examined feeling sad or hopeless, suicidal ideation, well-being, and depressive symptoms by military connectedness in a subsample (n = 14,299) of seventh-, ninth-, and 11th-grade California adolescents. Cross-classification tables and multiple logistic regression analyses were used. RESULTS More than 13% of the sample had a parent or sibling in the military. Those with military connections were more likely to report depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Controlling for grade, gender, and race/ethnicity, reporting any familial deployment compared with no deployments was associated with increasing odds of experiencing sadness or hopelessness, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS Findings emphasize the increased risk of mental health issues among youth with parents (and siblings) in the military. Although deployment-related mental health stressors are less likely during peace, during times of war there is a need for increased screening in primary care and school settings. Systematic referral systems and collaboration with community-based mental health centers will bolster screening and services.

The Perpetration of School Violence in Taiwan: An Analysis of Gender, Grade Level and School Type.

Using a nationally representative sample in Taiwan, this study aims to describe the prevalence of perpetration of school violence in Taiwan. The study explores how gender, age and school type relate to students’ perpetration of violence in an Asian culture context. The sample included 14,022 students from elementary to high schools in grades 4 to 12. Students were given an anonymous questionnaire to report their violent behaviour in schools. The findings presented in this study provide insight on why perpetrators commit violent acts against their peers. Findings suggest the prevalence of perpetration may vary from setting to setting but the influences of age, gender and school type on violence tend to be similar in Taiwan to what theories expect based on studies done in Western cultures. A majority of perpetrators reported engaging in violence stemming from rough and tumble play or from situations where they were initially having fun. Findings suggest that promoting the quality of peer interactions could be a major violence prevention strategy.