Risk Factors of Academic Performance: Experiences of School Violence, School Safety Concerns, and Depression by Gender

Background Experiencing school violence can have a detrimental effect on learning. However, it is unclear whether different types of school violence have different impacts based on gender. Moreover, there is insufficient understanding of the direct and indirect effects of experiencing school violence on academic performance through perceived school safety concerns and student depression. Objective Drawing on ecological systems theory and adversity literature, this study examined the direct and indirect effects by gender of three forms of experiencing school violence (physical fighting, threats of weapon-related violence, and bullying), through school safety concerns and depression, on adolescent academic performance. Methods Cross-sectional data were drawn from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior System Survey, a national sample of students in grades 9-12. Multigroup path analysis was conducted to test direct and indirect associations and gender differences. Results Fighting, threats, and bullying were significantly associated with higher levels of school safety concerns and depression for students, which led to lower academic performance for both females and males. The majority of the effects, in both direct and indirect associations, were significantly greater among female than male students. Conclusions The results of this study provide important insight into the complex relationships between experiencing school violence, perceptions of school safety, sadness and hopelessness and their relationship to academic performance.