Applying the “Broken Windows” Theory to a School Context

Introduction: Broken windows theory suggests that by addressing disorder, violence and crime can be reduced.  A body of literature has shown that neighborhood incivilities (i.e., trash, graffiti, social deviancy) have been related to increased perceptions of fear as well as an increased likelihood of victimization. Disorder is hypothesized to influence behavior by altering perceptions of appropriate social norms. While mostly studied in neighborhood settings, school researchers have hypothesized that it could similarly apply to schools. This study will explore how observed features of the school physical and social environment relate to students’ perceptions of school social norms and how these in turn influence the likelihood of students’ involvement in violence.

Methods: Data come from 58 high schools in 12 districts participating in a statewide project focused on measuring and improving school climate.  Observations of disorder, student behaviors, appearance, illumination, adult monitoring, and behavior management were catalogued in Fall of 2011 by observers using validated observational assessments of the school physical and social environment. Student perceptions of school climate (i.e., rules and consequences, disorder, and physical safety) as well as their involvement in violence were collected from 28,582 adolescents using a web-based survey in Spring 2012. Multi-level structural equation models were used to test for mediation (Preacher et al., 2010); specifically observations at the school level and individual reports of violence at the individual level were mediated by individual perceptions of school climate.  

Results: The overall model fit the data well (RMSEA = .020; CFI = .968; TLI = .943; SRMR within .02 SRMR between .23). No direct effects of observations on violence involvement were observed. Results indicate that at the between level, building illumination was positively associated with  perceptions of rules, b = .04, p<.05. Negative student behavior was negatively associated with  perceptions of rules b = -.27, p<.05.  At the within level,  perceptions of rules and delinquency were negatively associated with violence involvement, b = -.252, p<.001; b = -.112, p<.001. Additional findings will be presented, including examining the influence of disorder on drug use.      

Conclusions: This study adds to the literature by contributing to the body of work understanding the relevance of the broken windows theory to school contexts. This study is particularly strong in that it utilizes measures of disorder collected by an outside observer and uses a multilevel framework to examine the pathway through which these indicators influence perceptions and ultimately attitudes and behaviors.