Students' feeling of safety in Israeli schools: A place-based perspective

Objective: Using the theoretical framework of place-based crime, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of violence on students' feeling of safety in school. Method: A national representative sample of 2,199 Israeli Jewish and Arab 6th, 8th, and 10th graders participated in the study. School environment, school security measures and victimization were measured in addition to feeling of safety in 5 different locations is school. Results: Measuring safety in geographical microplaces in school yielded a better understanding of the contribution of violence and each of the school and demographic characteristics to students' feeling of safety, as the feeling of safety varied by location. Male, Arab, and middle school students felt less safe than female, Jewish, elementary and high school students. The school climate, use of security measures and the measure of violence interacted with demographic factors and contributed differently to the feeling of safety in each of the school locations. Conclusion: The use of geographic microplaces yields a better understanding of the contribution of both the individual and the school characteristics to students' feeling of safety in schools.