| While research has suggested a role for the school environment in the prevention of school violence, this research has primarily been quantitative and the constructs explored derived from theory. In order to create effective school environment interventions there is a need to understand how theory operates in the school context. This study aims to provide this information by asking those most directly affected by school violence, students, their understanding of how the school social and physical environment contributes to the occurrence of school violence.;Students participated in concept mapping, a mixed-methods methodology that captures a group's understanding of a topic through the creation of a conceptual framework. Two groups of Baltimore City high school students participated in the concept mapping process. Participants were asked to brainstorm statement responses to a prompt, sort these statements into piles according to their similarity, and rate each statement for its importance in the initiation, cessation, and severity of school violence. Multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, and participant input were then used to translate these statement piles into an interpretable concept map.;Each group of participants identified over 50 ways that the school environment influences school violence. Six common topics were mentioned by both groups of participants: Student Behaviors, Norms of Behavior, Relationships with School Staff, the Learning Environment, School Safety, and the Neighborhood Environment. The meaning of each topic differed between the groups reflecting each school environment's unique history, location, and student and staff composition. Similar statements and clusters were rated as important for both the initiation and severity of violence. In comparison participants had a more difficult time identifying statements and clusters important for the cessation of school violence.;This study suggests a role for the school environment in the prevention of school violence. School violence interventions should begin to incorporate factors of the school environment as a mechanism to prevent a violent situation from occurring or becoming more serious. The topics identified by both groups as well as the individual statements offer both researchers and educators a starting point for interventions attempting to improve the school environment. |
