The Contribution of Student Experiences to Understanding Ethnic Differences in High-Risk Behaviors at School

Abstract

Past research reported that adolescent males from ethnic minority groups often engage in high-risk behaviors at school such as weapon possession, gang involvement, and fighting. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that ethnic differences in high-risk behaviors might be better explained by differential school experiences. The study hypothesized that certain school experiences–-termed experiential factors–-rendered students more vulnerable to high-risk behaviors. The sample consisted of 7,848 seventh-, ninth-, and eleventh-grade students who completed a school safety survey. Logistic regression analyses revealed that student school experiences explained more variance than ethnicity. Low academic grades, observation and threat of violence, drug use, and perceived lack of adult and peer support were experiential factors associated with student involvement in high-risk behaviors. These results support an emphasis on student experiences rather than on ethnic background in understanding high-risk behaviors at school.