Association Between Physical Environment of Secondary Schools and Student Problem Behavior

This article examines various aspects of school physical characteristics relating to problem behavior among students. We hypothesize that an attractive physical environment will be associated with less truancy, cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use, whereas a negative physical environment will be associated with higher levels of these behaviors. Analyses use data from nationally representative samples of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who participated in annual surveys conducted by the Monitoring the Future project from 2000 to 2003. Analyses also use data collected from principals and field interviewers of the same schools. Results based on multilevel logistic and linear regressions indicate that students are sensitive to schools' ambience and that the association of various aspects of the school's physical environment with students' problem behaviors is greater for 10th-grade students than for 8th and 12th-grade students. The implications of these findings for school policies and practices are discussed.

[1]  Patrick M. O'Malley,et al.  Monitoring the Future National Results on Adolescent Drug Use: Overview of Key Findings, 2004. , 2003 .

[2]  Meta-Analysis of Drug Abuse Prevention Programs. Proceedings of a meeting. July 26-27, 1993. , 1997, NIDA research monograph.

[3]  Susan E. Mayer,et al.  Growing Up in Poor Neighborhoods: How Much Does It Matter? , 1989, Science.

[4]  G. Botvin,et al.  Research Update. , 2002, Primary Care Respiratory Journal.

[5]  Maureen Berner,et al.  Building Conditions, Parental Involvement, and Student Achievement in the District of Columbia Public School System , 1993 .

[6]  J. Brooks-Gunn,et al.  A randomized study of neighborhood effects on low-income children's educational outcomes. , 2004, Developmental psychology.

[7]  Jeanette A. Brandt,et al.  Impact of Space and Color in the Physical Environment on Preschool Children’s Cooperative Behavior , 1999 .

[8]  R. Room,et al.  PREVENTING SUBSTANCE USE PROBLEMS AMONG YOUTH : A LITERATURE REVIEW & RECOMMENDATIONS , 1998 .

[9]  Greg J. Duncan,et al.  The Consequences of Growing Up Poor , 1999 .

[10]  C. McGuire,et al.  Office of Educational Research and Improvement , 1999 .

[11]  Lynley H. Anderman.  Classroom goal orientation, school belonging and social goals as predictors of students' positive and negative affect following the transition to middle school. , 1999 .

[12]  F. E. Kuo,et al.  AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE IN THE INNER CITY Effects of Environment via Mental Fatigue , 2001 .

[13]  F. Spicer.  Adolescence , 1909, The Hospital.

[14]  B. Rapkin,et al.  The transition to junior high school: a longitudinal study of self-esteem, psychological symptomatology, school life, and social support. , 1987, Child development.

[15]  Sheila Danko,et al.  The Role Of Permanent Student Artwork In Students’ Sense Of Ownership In An Elementary School , 2003 .

[16]  J. Finn.  Withdrawing From School , 1989 .

[17]  E. Trickett,et al.  Adolescent Substance Use: Preliminary Examinations of School and Neighborhood Context , 1999, American journal of community psychology.

[18]  Carol Midgley,et al.  Goals, goal structures, and patterns of adaptive learning , 2014 .

[19]  Eric M. Anderman,et al.  The classroom environment and students' reports of avoidance strategies in mathematics: A multimethod study. , 2002 .

[20]  Greg J. Duncan,et al.  Poor Families, Poor Outcomes: The Well-Being of Children and Youth , 1998 .

[21]  L. Johnston,et al.  Effects of School-Level Norms on Student Substance Use , 2002, Prevention Science.

[22]  Clare Ulrich,et al.  A Place of Their Own: Children and the Physical Environment , 2004 .

[23]  Yuk Fai Cheong,et al.  HLM 6: Hierarchical Linear and Nonlinear Modeling , 2000 .

[24]  L. Johnston,et al.  Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975-2019: Volume II, college students and adults ages 19-60 , 2000 .

[25]  I. Knez,et al.  Effects of Indoor Lighting, Gender, and Age on Mood and Cognitive Performance , 2000 .

[26]  J. Pandey,et al.  Coping with Environmental Stressors by Urban Slum Dwellers , 2003 .

[27]  R. Smart,et al.  Neighbourhood Socio-Economic Factors in Relation to Student Drug Use and Programs. , 1994 .

[28]  Patrick M. O'Malley,et al.  Monitoring the Future: National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2003. Volume I: Secondary School Students 2003. NIH Publication No. 04-5507. , 2004 .

[29]  E. Meyer.  Transforming School Cultures , 2010 .

[30]  Diane Aleem.  Review of Research on Ways To Attain Goal Six: Creating Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools. , 1993 .

[31]  J. Brook,et al.  A network of influences on adolescent drug involvement: neighborhood, school, peer, and family. , 1989, Genetic, social, and general psychology monographs.