Publication year
2016
Citation Title
Examining the relationship between school climate and peer victimization among students in military-connected public schools.
Journal Name
Violence
Journal Volume
31
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
751-767
DOI
10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-15-00009
Summary
Military-connected youth (i.e., having a parent or sibling in the military) may be more likely to experience peer victimization than their nonmilitary-connected counterparts. A large sample of 7th, 9th , and 11th graders completed surveys about their military connection, school climate, and experience of peer victimization. Results revealed that a nurturing school climate is important for military-connected students' well-being.
Key Findings
School climate was a protective factor against peer victimization among military-connected students.
In particular, caring relationships (i.e., caring support from teachers and other school staff) and school connectedness (i.e., positive connections between students and teachers) were the most important school climate components that were related to a lower level peer victimization.
Higher numbers of deployment and school transitions were significantly associated with higher level of peer victimization.
Implications for Program Leaders
Design workshops for teachers of military-connected schools that focus on improving the school climate and reducing peer victimization
Educate Service members about how to help their children and adolescents build positive relationships at school and prevent peer victimization
Offer support groups for military youth who experience school transitions and parental deployment
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend education for professionals working with military children and adolescents about the stress they experience as a result of parental deployment or school transitions
Promote training for school personnel that will assist in a close, caring, and respectful school climate in military-connected school districts
Raise awareness of the detrimental effects of peer victimization on military youth’s well-being
Methods
The data were drawn from the California Healthy Kids Surveys administered in 2011.
There was a 87% response rate; students completed surveys about their experience of peer victimization in the past 12 months, whether or not they had a family member in the military and if so, how many times the family member had been deployed in the past 10 years, school transitions, and the school climate (caring relationships, high expectations, school connectedness, and meaningful participation).
The relationships between military connection, school climate, and peer victimization were examined.
Participants
The sample included 14,943 7th, 9th, and 11th graders who attended military-connected public schools; 52% of them were female.
Most of the participants were Latino (51%), followed by White (27%), Asian American (8%), Black (3%), and other (11%).
About 13% of the participants were military-connected.
The average age of the participants were not reported in the article.
Limitations
All data were self-reported by students, therefore they may be biased by the students’ own perspectives and may affect the reliability of the study.
Due to the cross-sectional design of the study, there is no clear evidence of the causal relationships between school climate, deployment, and peer victimization.
The sample was students from military-connected school districts which may have distinct cultures from nonmilitary-connected school districts, so it is difficult to generalize the results to students from nonmilitaryconnected schools.
Avenues for Future Research
Measure the school climate both subjectively and objectively
Conduct longitudinal studies to examine the causal relationships between school climate, deployment, and peer victimization
Investigate other factors that can protect military-connected youth from peer victimization.
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
In the Iraq and Afghanistan war context, studies have found that military-connected youth— youth with parents and/or siblings serving in the military—have higher rates of school victimization than their nonmilitary-connected peers. A positive school climate—where students perceive high levels of school connectedness, caring relationships and high expectations from adults, and meaningful participation—is associated with lower rates of victimization in secondary public schools. Based on a survey of 7th, 9th, and 11th grade students (N =14,493) enrolled in 6 military-connected school districts (districts that have a significant proportion of military-connected students), this study explores victimization rates and the role of school climate, deployment, and school transitions in the victimization of military-connected students and their civilian peers. The findings indicate that deployment and school transitions were significant predictors of physical violence and nonphysical victimization. In addition, multiple school climate factors were significantly associated with physical violence and nonphysical victimization. The authors conclude with a discussion of future directions for research on school climate, victimization, and military-connected youth.
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