| Although adolescents are the primary targets of bullying and violence in schools, their opinions about this national problem are rarely elicited. This exploratory case study of an upstate New York rural high school investigates the perceptions of 10th grade students about safety at school from a mixed methods approach. By chance, the research has captured pre and post Littleton, Colorado data in the form of surveys, individual interviews and focus groups. Using action research, youth-based phenomenology, and a general systems frame of reference, the study brings forward themes relevant to adolescents about the safety or hostility of their work environment—the school. These themes include institutional caring, peer predictability, and interpersonal respect. The study highlights the connection between bullying and eruptions of school violence. The inquiry explores the possibility that schools may be inadvertently perpetuating hostile climates through the maintenance of unhealthy systemic behavioral patterns. Due to the action research approach, the study further provides a voice for empowerment of students in their primary social setting for local policy change. It is the premise of the inquiry that despite the events of violence at rural schools such as Paducah, Jonesboro, and Springfield, few researchers are asking the primary stakeholders, the children, for input about their concerns relative to safety or for input regarding solutions for preventing school violence. The study has implications for educational policy decisions. Policy recommendations for increasing school safety and decreasing school violence are presented based on student solutions and the need for systemic change. |
