This study used qualitative interviews to examine the factors most consistently identified by students as important in their feelings of safety.
School safety is a key feature of the learning environment. Research suggests that when students perceive their environment as unsafe, they will face a myriad of possible detrimental consequences. The current study examined whether the type of building (elementary vs. high school) impacted the themes generated by students in their responses about feelings of safety in their school. These results indicate how perceptions of school safety are formed, how students understand the role of other students and adults in mitigating or exacerbating violence, as well as the role external resources in their environments play in protecting youth from school violence. (publisher abstract modified)