Community Violence Exposure and Fear in Schools: Paths to Suspension Following Community Violence Exposure in Early Childhood.

Abstract

Background: Limited research has examined whether fear in schools contributes to relationships between community violence exposure and negative outcomes for children. This study aimed to explore the relationship between community violence exposure in early childhood and school suspension, examining whether fear in schools and teacher-reported externalizing behavior mediated this relationship.

Methods: Data from the LONGSCAN consortium and path models were used to examine the relationship between violence exposure at age six, fear in schools at age six, teacher-reported externalizing behaviors at age eight, and suspension ages 11-12.

Results: Findings indicated both fear in schools and teacher-reported externalizing behavior mediated the relationship between violence exposure and school suspension.

Implications for school health policy, practice, and equity: Findings suggest policies prohibiting suspension in childhood and the provision of additional services in schools may help prevent children who are exposed to community violence from experiencing school suspension and its associated consequences. Trauma-informed schools, increased provision of mental health services, and increasing school bonds may all help to reduce school fear and ultimately improve student outcomes, particularly for minoritized students.

Conclusions: Future research using larger, more generalizable data is needed to better understand detected relationships.