Role of Climate Perceptions in Predicting School Outcomes and Distress

A.J. Ormerod, O. Alabi, L. Bolt, S. Connell, S. Glass,  G. Moore, and S. Palmer

Abstract
The current study investigated the relative contributions of peer sexual harassment, student perceptions about a school climate that tolerates the sexual harassment of girls, and climate perceptions about the harassment of boys to predicting psychological distress, perceptions of personal safety while at school, and withdrawal from school.  Dominance analysis supported that of the three predictors for high school boys’ outcomes, climate perceptions about whether school officials are responsive to girls’ complaints about sexual harassment were relatively most important.  For high school girls, direct experiences of peer sexual harassment and climate perceptions about school tolerance of the harassment of girls were relatively most important to explaining outcomes.  Climate perceptions that one’s school tolerates the harassment of boys were relatively least important to all outcomes for high school boys and girls.