School Connectedness, Anger Behaviors, and Relationships of Violent and Nonviolent American Youth

Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, Oct-Dec 2004 by Thomas, Sandra P, Smith, Helen

Comparisons of Violent and Nonviolent Youth on Anger Variables

Violent and nonviolent youth differed significantly, and in the predicted direction, on three of the FAS subscales: anger suppression (t = 3.55, p = .0005; violent youth less likely to suppress their anger), anger-out (t = -3.68, p =.0004; violent youth more likely to vent anger toward others), and anger discussion (t = 2.32 p = .02) (violent youth less likely to discuss their anger in a healthy way). Violent and nonviolent youth did not differ in anger somatization (t = -0.47, n.s.). Analysis of variance revealed no significant differences among the racial groups on any of the anger variables in this study. There were only two gender differences in anger behaviors. Consistent with previous research, boys scored higher on anger-out, while girls scored higher on anger somatization.

Relationship of Anger Discussion Scores With Other Variables

Because anger discussion is the only constructive mode of dealing with anger measured by the FAS, its correlates were examined. For both boys and girls, anger discussion (the propensity to talk about angry feelings with a friend or relative) was positively correlated with being liked by classmates (r = .21, p = 001). Anger discussion was inversely correlated with being angry enough to hit (r = -.21, p = .001), loneliness (r = -.19, p = .004), anger suppression (r = -23, p = .0003), and anger symptoms (r = -.14, p = .03).

Differences Between "Likers" and "Haters" of School

Likers (n = 46) of school were those who responded "I like it" when asked about their feelings, and haters (n = 65) were those who responded "It feels like jail." These two subgroups of the sample were compared, using chi-square analysis, and found to differ significantly on seven variables (p≤.01 for all): perceptions of classmates liking them (χ^sup 2^[df = 1, n = 101] = 12.72, p = .0004), loneliness (χ^sup 2^[df = 1, n = 101] = 12.11, p = .0005, perceptions of fairness of school discipline (χ^sup 2^[df =1, n = 105] = 15.86, p = .0001), perceptions of fair treatment by adults (χ^sup 2^[df = 1, n = 102] = 6.54, p = .01), feeling anger strongly enough to hit someone (χ^sup 2^[df = 1, n = 103] = 18.05, p = .0001), likelihood of violent behavior (χ^sup 2^[df = 1, n = 103] = 23.04, p = .0001), and gender (χ^sup 2^[df = 1, n = 103] = 14.02, p = .0002). Regardless of race, fewer boys than girls liked school. A substantial percentage of boys thought school "felt like jail": 34% of white boys, 40% of black boys, and 23% of Hispanic boys (Table 2). Using the Student's t-test, no age difference was found between likers and haters of school (t = .52, p = .6013).

Regarding School Connectedness

Qualitative data, gleaned from responses to the openended questions of the survey, were subjected to content analysis. We present here only the findings pertinent to school connectedness. The students resented (a) schools' emphasis on surveillance, conformity, and regimentation; (b) schools' inequitable discipline of "jocks" and other high-status groups versus the rest of the student body; (c) schools' overreaction to trivial offenses; and (d) schools' lack of action when they report bullying and harassment. These are just a few of the student comments: