Trouble in the School Yard: a Study of the Risk Factors of Victimization at School

TLDR

Student victimization at school is a serious public concern, with prior research linking risk to situational and individual factors yet lacking focus on the school environment. This study seeks to identify the factors that distinguish junior and senior high school students as victims of campus theft and violent crime. The authors analyzed data from the 1993 National Household and Education Survey, School Safety and Discipline component to determine the most salient risk factors. Risk levels were linked to the presence of likely offenders and students with delinquent traits and criminal associates, while community variables had limited influence and target‑hardening measures proved ineffective.

Abstract

The victimization of students at school is currently a matter of grave public concern. This study attempts to identify factors that single out junior and senior high school students as victims of campus theft and violent crime. Previous research indicates that victimization risk can flow from a variety of situational and individual variables, although this research has not focused on victimization in the school setting. To test which factors are most salient at school, we employed the 1993 National Household and Education Survey, School Safety and Discipline component (NHES-SSD). We found that although community variables exert some effect on schoolyard victimization risk, risk levels are associated with the presence of likely offenders at school as well as individual students who have delinquent characteristics and criminal associates. The attempts of schools to protect students through target-hardening strategies (e.g., metal detectors and security guards) were consistently unsuccessful.