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. 2024 Nov;53(11):2623-2641.
doi: 10.1007/s10964-024-02034-2. Epub 2024 Jun 24.

A Paradox of School Social Organization: Positive School Climate, Friendship Network Density, and Adolescent Violence

Nicolo P Pinchak  1   2
Affiliations

A Paradox of School Social Organization: Positive School Climate, Friendship Network Density, and Adolescent Violence

Nicolo P Pinchak. J Youth Adolesc. 2024 Nov.

Abstract

Schools are often encouraged to foster a positive climate to reduce adolescent violence, but evidence on the effectiveness of this approach varies significantly. This study investigates the roots of this variation by testing alternative hypotheses about how positive school-level climate and school-level student friendship network density interact to shape adolescent violence perpetration. Research on informal social control and network closure suggests that the violence-reducing association of positive school climate will be enhanced among schools where students are more densely tied through their friendships. Research on youth conflict and subversion of control suggests the opposite. These hypotheses are tested with data from Waves I-II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 11,771; 49% Female; Age mean = 15.04, SD = 1.60). Consistent with the conflict/subversion hypothesis, analyses indicate that the inverse association between positive school climate and adolescent violence is only evident among schools with a very low density of friendship ties. Strikingly, however, there is evidence that a more positive school climate is associated with increases in violence among youth attending schools with a high density of friendship ties. These findings suggest that efforts to reduce violence by fostering cohesion among youth in their schools and other social contexts can be undermined by youth network processes.

Keywords: Networks; School climate; School effects; Social capital; Social disorganization theory; Violence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Hypothetical Illustrations of the Alternative Hypotheses
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Models 4–6: Average Marginal Effects (AME) of Positive School Climate and Relative Network Density at Percentiles of One Another and Predicted Values
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Model 7: Average Marginal Effects (AME) of Low Interpersonal Trouble and Relative Network Density at Percentiles of One Another and Predicted Values
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