Poll upends notions about school safety

Small rural schools aren’t necessarily safer than large rural schools.

Contrary to most studies, a survey released Wednesday suggests that students at smaller Eastern Washington high schools are more likely to engage in risky behavior than students at larger schools.

The survey also shows students who use abusive language were more likely to become violent. Cheaters are also more likely to have used illegal drugs, abused alcohol or stolen something, and the study said three out of five students reported cheating in class.

“We went into the schools and talked to kids to see how safe they feel,” said Jan Quintrall, president of the regional Better Business Bureau. “We found some good news, and we found some bad news.”

The BBB conducted the study as part of a grant from Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal program trying to reduce gun crime. The intent of the study was to reveal key areas for developing new programs to keep schools safer. The survey tallied the input of 634 students from the previous school year in Curlew, Republic, Newport, Ritzville, Deer Park, Tekoa, Rosalia, Colfax, Asotin and Kennewick.

Schools would be wise to focus more attention on female students because they are more likely to report dangerous school activity, according to the survey.

“The willingness exhibited by females to report suspicious activities should be cultivated,” according to study.

The good news is that most students – 82 percent – felt safe in school. When students felt protected, they were more likely to report incidents at school.

Almost half the students surveyed – 47 percent – said they had access to handguns, while only 9 percent said they had illegal drugs or illegal handguns in the home.

One of the conclusions contrasted with a long-held notion that smaller schools were often better learning environments.

According to the study, “students living in smaller cities and/or attending smaller schools seemed to exhibit a greater propensity toward aggressive and risky behaviors,” according to the survey. Students at larger schools “exhibit more vigilance, such as a willingness to report dangerous activities.”

Males showed a greater tendency to use abusive behavior and believed they had a greater access to guns than female students. Males also had a stronger relationship between using abusive language and lashing out in violence.

Those who cheated were more likely to have used illegal drugs, abused alcohol or stolen something. In the survey, 62 percent of students said they cheated on an exam, and 38 percent said they had stolen something from a store.