School Safety--Observations and Perceptions by Gender: A Pilot Study.

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, it investigated preservice and inservice teachers' observed and experienced violence at various educational levels. Second, the study determined by gender, these individuals' knowledge and awareness of violence factors. The subjects consisted of 26 university preservice and four inservice teachers in two sections of an introductory special education class at a small southeastern university. The preservice teachers consisted of elementary, secondary, and K-12 special education majors. The inservice teachers consisted of 2 males and 2 females. A survey questionnaire was developed, validated, and administered. Participants indicated their school safety-violence observations and experiences from grade school through college, and their agreement or disagreement to a minimum of 10 statements listed under five safety-violence factors. The results indicated that subjects had differences in violence experienced in schools. The results also suggested that subjects had similar gender perceptions of school violence, but differences occurred in their perceptions of acts of school violence. Limitations and implications for future research and school safety-violence prevention programs are presented. (Contains 7 tables.) (Author/JDM)