Addressing School Safety Through Comprehensive School Climate Approaches

Abstract

School climate has received considerable attention in the literature and educational policy as a potential target for school improvement and school safety efforts. This paper provides a critical review and synthesis of the literature on school climate, with a particular focus on topics related to measurement, data collection, analysis, as well as prevention and promotion planning. In drawing upon the extant literature, including meta-analyses and systematic reviews, along with our own research, policy, and practice work in school climate and school safety, we consider transactional processes, by which experiences, and contextual factors influence perceptions of school climate and translate into safety related outcomes for students. We also attend to potential mechanisms of changing school and community culture and behavioral norms in relation to school climate promotion and implementation efforts. We conclude by identifying future directions for research related to school climate and highlight the role school psychologists can play in improving measurement, promoting the use of data-based decision making which leverages various sources of information on school climate, implementing school-wide programming, and considering the influence of school climate more broadly on implementation science.

Impact Statement

School climate is a multifaceted construct which incorporates issues related to safety, student engagement, and the school environment. While additional research is needed to determine the most effective approaches for optimizing school climate, there is compelling correlational and experimental evidence that it is an important factor to consider in a comprehensive approach to school safety.

Keywords:

• School climate
• school safety
• evidence-based programs
• prevention

Associate Editor:

• Samuel Y. Song

Additional information

Funding

The research reported here was supported in part by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305H150027 (PI: C. Bradshaw) to the University of Virginia. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education or the Maryland State Department of Education.

Notes on contributors

Catherine P. Bradshaw

Catherine P. Bradshaw, PhD, MEd, is a University Professor and a Senior Associate Dean in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. She also has a faculty appointment in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on school-based prevention of behavioral and mental health problems, with a particular interest in school climate, positive behavioral support, and social–emotional learning.

Jonathan Cohen

Jonathan Cohen, PhD, is the copresident of the International Observatory for School Climate and Violence Prevention (University of Seville, Spain); Adjunct Professor in Psychology and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University; cofounder and President Emeritus, National School Climate Center: Educating Minds and Hearts Because the Three Rs’ Are Not Enough; and a practicing clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. He is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed papers, chapters, and briefs as well as six edited and/or authored books.

Dorothy L. Espelage

Dorothy L. Espelage, PhD, is a William C. Friday Professor of Education in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Espelage has authored over 200 peer-reviewed articles, seven edited books, and 75 chapters on school violence, bullying, homophobic teasing, sexual harassment, and school climate.

Maury Nation

Maury Nation, PhD, is a Professor of Human and Organizational Development at Vanderbilt University. His research focuses school- and community-based youth violence prevention, and neighborhood environments that support positive youth development.