Research from the University of Illinois indicates that the environment of a school has a small but significant effect on aggression among teenagers.

Janet Reis and her colleagues examined information from 111,662 middle school students to determine what factors predict school violence. An individual's personal traits and peer interactions have the most direct effect on whether a student becomes violent. However, the culture at a school can slightly decrease or increase aggressive tendencies. Schools that fostered student participation had less violence.

This study appears in the current issue of Youth & Society.

Labels: influences, peers, schools