It Takes All of Us: An Equity-Centered Examination of Comprehensive School Safety and Youth Violence Prevention in K-12 Schools

Abstract

School violence is a critical and prevalent problem in the U.S., but little is known about evidence-based strategies to improve school safety and reduce school violence. The work presented in this dissertation provides a comprehensive examination of evaluation, evidence, and measurement of school safety efforts to build the evidence base for school safety and youth violence prevention in K-12 schools. In my first empirical paper, I found that students who attended a school-based violence prevention program (Sandy Hook Promise Know the Signs) reported greater school climate indicators post-programming when compared to their baseline scores. Further, I found that students who attended Know the Signs reported more positive school climate indicators, including school connectedness and community perceptions, than non-attendees. This information can be used to inform future school safety strategies. These findings provide additional nuance to existing evidence that a positive school climate prevents violence and improves safety. In my second empirical paper, I systematically reviewed the literature and found limited empirical evaluations of interventions to address race disparities in school discipline practices. I discovered that school programs such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and Restorative Practices (RP) are most likely to mitigate race-based disparities in school discipline when they are implemented with an intentional focus on race and cultural relevance. I identify a need for interventions that challenge the biases of those with the power and authority to enforce discipline on students. This means interventions tailored to educators and school leaders, such as staff professional development opportunities, teaching training, school or district policies, or a combination of these approaches, may address the root causes of disparities. Finally, in my third empirical paper, I examined a measurement model of social justice components (inclusion, diversity, equity, appreciation, solidarity; IDEAS) among middle school-aged youth. In a structural equation model, I found that my measure of social justice was associated with more social connections and less discrimination across diverse youth. Notably, my general measure of social justice is associated with an identify-specific assessment of relational outcomes for youth. Thus, a general but comprehensive measurement of social justice can be a valuable tool for future research on preventing youth violence. Further, my social justice measure may be used to study program effects of interventions designed to improve adolescents’ positive youth development in an equity-centered way (e.g., trauma-informed programs). The findings of this present dissertation provide novel and timely information for the field of school safety. With the research presented in this dissertation, I employed a strengths-based, comprehensive, equity-centered approach to promoting positive youth development and creating safe and equitable schools for all students.