Peer-reviewed article
The role of school climate in explaining changes in social trust over time
2019Lundberg, E., & Abdelzadeh, A.Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research
What is this study about?
The study examines how the school environment is linked to changes in young people's social trust – that is, their general trust in other people. By following the same adolescents at several points in time, it analyses whether experiences of the school's social climate, including relationships with other students and exposure to harassment and bullying, can help explain why trust increases or decreases during adolescence.
What did we find?
What role does school play in young people's trust in others? The study follows adolescents over time and shows that experiences of the school environment are linked to changes in social trust. Exposure to harassment and bullying in particular is associated with lower trust, showing how concrete social experiences during adolescence can shape how people view others.
Why does it matter?
Social trust is often regarded as relatively stable and as something that is established early in life. The study shows that trust can still change during adolescence and that everyday social experiences at school can contribute to this development. This makes the school environment important far beyond students' learning: a safe social environment can also be important for the development of the interpersonal trust that matters for social cohesion and a functioning democratic society.
Citation
Lundberg, E., & Abdelzadeh, A. (2019) The role of school climate in explaining changes in social trust over time. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 63(5) 712–724
Research area
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