Abstract
This article considers school climate and perceptions of social disorder. When a school is characterized by disorder or physical risk, basic educational goals and processes are jeopardized. We use survey data from 33 public schools serving grades 6-8 in a large mid-Atlantic city to examine relationships among physical disorder (e.g., broken windows and poor building conditions), fear, collective efficacy, and social disorder. Path analyses reveal a direct association between physical disorder and social disorder even when prior levels of collective efficacy are controlled-a finding consistent with traditional broken-windows theories. Further, there is evidence that the effects of physical disorder may be operating through increased fear and decreased collective efficacy to affect perceptions of threatening or violent interactions among people.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 227-247 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | American Journal of Education |
| Volume | 115 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2009 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
Cite this
An application of "Broken-windows" and related theories to the study of disorder, fear, and collective efficacy in schools. / Plank, Stephen B.; Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Young, Hollie.
In: American Journal of Education, Vol. 115, No. 2, 02.2009, p. 227-247.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - An application of "Broken-windows" and related theories to the study of disorder, fear, and collective efficacy in schools
AU - Plank, Stephen B.
AU - Bradshaw, Catherine P.
AU - Young, Hollie
PY - 2009/2
Y1 - 2009/2
N2 - This article considers school climate and perceptions of social disorder. When a school is characterized by disorder or physical risk, basic educational goals and processes are jeopardized. We use survey data from 33 public schools serving grades 6-8 in a large mid-Atlantic city to examine relationships among physical disorder (e.g., broken windows and poor building conditions), fear, collective efficacy, and social disorder. Path analyses reveal a direct association between physical disorder and social disorder even when prior levels of collective efficacy are controlled-a finding consistent with traditional broken-windows theories. Further, there is evidence that the effects of physical disorder may be operating through increased fear and decreased collective efficacy to affect perceptions of threatening or violent interactions among people.
AB - This article considers school climate and perceptions of social disorder. When a school is characterized by disorder or physical risk, basic educational goals and processes are jeopardized. We use survey data from 33 public schools serving grades 6-8 in a large mid-Atlantic city to examine relationships among physical disorder (e.g., broken windows and poor building conditions), fear, collective efficacy, and social disorder. Path analyses reveal a direct association between physical disorder and social disorder even when prior levels of collective efficacy are controlled-a finding consistent with traditional broken-windows theories. Further, there is evidence that the effects of physical disorder may be operating through increased fear and decreased collective efficacy to affect perceptions of threatening or violent interactions among people.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=58749095847&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=58749095847&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/595669
DO - 10.1086/595669
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:58749095847
VL - 115
SP - 227
EP - 247
JO - American Journal of Education
JF - American Journal of Education
SN - 0195-6744
IS - 2
ER -