This article aims to fill a gap in the literature regarding violence against students in humanitarian crisis contexts by comparing the risk perceptions of young refugees during the time they were out of school to the time they were enrolled in an educational program. Through this comparison, the article aims to generate deeper reflection on the…

The study purpose was to identify associations between assault deterrent presence in kindergarten through 12th (K-12) grade schools and physical assaults (PAs) against educators. Data collected through a two-phase study identified physical and nonphysical violent events and utilized a nested case-control study to identify PA risk/protective…

Feeling safe in school is important for students' learning, well-being, and quality of life. Variables possibly associated with feeling unsafe in school, such as mental health problems, traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and various health problems, were explored. Altogether, 2,028 adolescents (M[subscript age] = 14 years, 50% boys) from 72…

The rise of violent incidents in South African schools has sparked widespread concern. Most studies on school violence focus on the experiences of learners; little attention has been paid to educators' experiences. As a result, violence against educators is both underreported and understudied. The research question prompting this study was: What…

A rise in the number of school shootings over time has driven increasing attention to school safety. However, school shootings are not the only physical safety threat students may encounter at school. Other types of violence include sexual assault, robbery, physical attack or fights, and threats of physical attack (with or without a weapon). In…

The goal of this toolkit is to give educators and school leaders the tools that they need to prevent bullying and harassment by fostering a positive school climate. This package is meant to be used as a guide for teachers and administrators in their work to develop a safe and healthy school climate and, in the process, prevent bullying and…

The fear of school violence drives "defensive" schooling policies, and it is not unlike the fear that currently supports aggressive foreign policies that sanction drone strikes and the incarceration of suspected terrorists. However, the current measures taken for defense against terrorism are not working, and the same types of…

School leaders are feeling conflicted about their school buildings. On the one hand, they want to provide children with safe, secure spaces. On the other, they want to provide open, collaborative, and exceptional 21st century learning environments. By taking a holistic approach, they can have both. It's important to remember that many current…

In line with what is advised by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Chile committed to working towards having safe and inclusive environments for students in the national education system. This commitment becomes evident in the policies and legislation promoting inclusion and sanctioning violence in Chilean schools. The…

Bullying bystanders' reactions are important for either stopping or perpetuating bullying behaviors. Given school-based bullying programs' focus on bystanders, understanding the associations between school-level factors and individual bystander responses can improve intervention efficacy. Data from 64,670 adolescents were used to examine bullying…

This article summarizes the accomplishments of research on school safety in the past quarter century, identifies important gaps, and indicates promising directions for further progress. Although closely related, there are distinguishable bodies of research on physical and psychological safety. Physical safety research concerns the prevention of…

In the spring of 2017, the AISD Department of Research and Evaluation (DRE) administered the Substance Use and Safety Survey (SSUSS) to track middle and high school students' self-reported knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to substance use and perceptions of school safety. Results from this survey are used to inform and assist with…

As the body of research on school violence grows, so does the understanding of the features, causes, and consequences of student victimization (Chouhy, Madero-Hernande, and Turanovic 2017). Among students who experience victimization, lower academic performance can become an issue particularly for adolescents who avoid or skip school following the…

LGBTQ+ students have worse academic and health outcomes than their heterosexual counterparts, and these disparities increase when taking race/ethnicity into account. 57% of Latinx LGBTQ+ students report feeling unsafe at school due to their gender expression, and 35% are more likely to miss school due to feelings of unsafety. This fact sheet…

Zero tolerance as an approach to school safety has been around for almost 3 decades. Despite widespread criticisms of zero tolerance policies, few empirical studies have investigated the relationship of zero tolerance with school safety. More generally, the Government Accountability Office report on school shootings noted the need for research on…