Školska klima kao faktor bezbednosti u srednjim školama
School Climate as a Safety Factor in Secondary Schools

Summary/Abstract: The paper examines secondary school students’ perceptions of the connection between school climate and school safety among secondary school students. A positive school climate and a safe school environment are significant factors in the academic success and proper psychosocial development of students. Therefore, it is important to examine the structure and interrelationship of indicators of school climate and school safety in order to contribute to a clearer and more grounded creation of school policies. The research was conducted through a questionnaire. The School Climate Questionnaire measures three factors: teacher and school support, student engagement and interactions, and rigid discipline. The School Safety Questionnaire measures four factors: violent behavior, unsafe school environment, victimization, and violation of norms. A sample of 719 students from nine secondary schools in the territory of the Republic of Serbia completed self-report questionnaires that measured school climate and school safety. The research confirmed the connection between school climate and school safety. Specifically, teacher and school support builds significant low negative associations with all dimensions of school safety. Student engagement and interactions build a medium negative association with violation of norms, while with the other three dimensions of school safety it builds low negative associations. Rigid discipline should be seen as a separate phenomenon in relation to the concept of school climate, and it builds low positive associations with the factors violation of norms and unsafe school environment. Promoting positive interactions among all participants in the educational process through various activities to encourage and develop desirable forms of behavior (teaching about the correct ways to resolve conflicts, support in the educational process, etc.) by the school and teachers would significantly contribute to the construction of a safe school environment.

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