The Virginia High School Safety Study aims to identify student safety, discipline, and support practices that best maintain a safe and orderly school environment. The study is combining a series of statewide databases: (1) each school's report on the incidence of disciplinary infractions, crime, and violence; and (2) the annual school safety audit that describes each school's safety practices and procedures; (3) School passing rates on Virginia's standardized SOL achievement tests. Statistical analyses will assess two important domains of school climate relevant to school safety: (1) the degree of structure (such as discipline and supervision) and (2) support (such as counseling services and mentoring efforts) at each school. A principal goal of the study is to identify an optimal balance of structure and support to maintain safety and facilitate high achievement. Results from this study will be used to examine how various school safety and security practices, such as bullying prevention, video surveillance, and zero tolerance, influence school climate and student behavior.

Ninth Grade Survey. In order to augment the measurement of school safety conditions, the Virginia school safety audit process in 2007 included a school climate survey of ninth grade students and teachers from nearly 300 high schools. The survey measured student and teacher perceptions of school rules and discipline, teacher-student relationships, student involvement in school activities and commitment to learning, and the extent of bullying and teasing at school. Ninth grade was selected for study primarily because it is the first year of high school and therefore permits longitudinal study of the ninth grade cohort as they proceed through grades 9-12. In addition, ninth grade students account for approximately 45% of the disciplinary infractions that take place in high schools.

First Report of Survey Results. A descriptive study of ninth grade survey results from approximately 7,400 students and 2,400 teachers is now available. Read a copy of the Executive Summary (10 pages). Read a copy of the full report (132 pages, including Executive Summary).

Presentation at the American Psychological Association National Convention. We have some new findings presented at the national meeting of the American Psychological Association in Boston on August 17, 2008.

Our new findings indicate that schools serving more disadvantaged student populations experience more aggressive disciplinary violations, bullying, and teacher victimization, but there are school policies and practices that are associated with safer school conditions even under challenging conditions. Most notably, schools that provide both a more structured and supportive environment have consistently less aggressive behavior, bullying, and teacher victimization. Structure is best created through school rules that are fairly and strictly enforced. Structure in the form of zero tolerance expulsion practices or security measures was not associated with better safety conditions. A supportive environment is characterized by student perceptions that teachers are caring and responsive to requests for help, and teacher perceptions that their administrators are fair and respectful of them. School safety is also associated with the availability of programs to foster healthy social and emotional development and to respond to problems such as substance abuse, bullying, and conflict. Download a two-page summary of these findings or take a look at the full PowerPoint presentation, which has additional findings and more information. Manuscripts from this presentation are in preparation.

Acknowledgements. The Virginia Youth Violence Project is conducting this study as part of Virginia's School Safety Audit program and in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Center for School Safety of the Department of Criminal Justice Services. We thank Donna Bowman of the Virginia Center for School Safety and Arlene Cundiff of the Virginia Department of Education. We thank Chris Gist and James Conklin of the University of Virginia for their work on the GIS map that permitted us to align U.S. census poverty data and law enforcement crime data with Virginia high school districts. Graduate research assistants who have contributed to this project include Sharmila Bandyopadhyay, Justin Collmann, Megan Eliot, Francis Huang, Jennie Klein, Talisha Lee, Tse-Hua Shih, Erica Shirley, Aisha Thompson, and Farah Williams. The Virginia High School Safety Study was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, but study findings and conclusions do not necessarily reflect policies or recommendations of this agency.

More information about the Virginia High School Safety Study. March 2008 Press Release.