School Violence Is More Than Physical: The Association Between Intersecting Identities and Perceptions of School Climate

Abstract

This study examines middle and high school students’ perceptions of school climate using an intersectional theoretical framework. Participants include 812 middle and high school students across the United States. Using exploratory factor analysis, we created indexes to regress perceptions of school climate across four subscales on variables known to impact school climate. Our intersectional analysis highlights how students’ various identities beyond sex and race impact school experiences and perceptions of school climate. Findings suggest that students diagnosed by a mental health professional, students placed in special education, and students that have been suspended and/or expelled are more likely to perceive their school climate as unfavorable across the school climate subscales and school-to-prison pipeline demographic variables. The inclusion of demographic variables in our analysis like grade, ability, and sexual orientation suggest students’ school experiences and perceptions of school climate vary immensely thus providing important implications for researchers, school administrators and policymakers.