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Student Perceptions of School Violence

Could it Happen Here?

Pennsylvania State University

David Gleason

Concord, Massachusetts

This study is the first to document optimistic bias among middle and high school students within the context of school violence. Findings from a survey of 1,508 students indicate that optimistic bias provides a good framework for understanding students’ perceptions of school violence, suggesting a course of action to decrease bias in order to encourage students to take self-protective measures. The study also explores the relative contributions of personal attributes and the media in the creation and preservation of optimistic biases.

Key Words: risk perception • violence • optimism • adolescence

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