Date

6-19-2024

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Gilbert Earnest Franco

Keywords

Social Vulnerability, Quality of Neighborhoods, Social Damage, Type of School, School Choice Policies, Contextual Environmental Factors, Children's well-being, Teenagers Present in the Street, Vehicular Traffic, Graffiti, Vandalism, School Choice Policies, Quantitative Research, environment, relationship, Social Interactions, Forming Social Bonds with others, Parents Access to Support, Communities is Essential, Goals of School, Government Agencies, Healthy Development in Children, Respect, Dignity, Empathy, Adolences, parents, Children

Disciplines

Educational Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative research was to explore the relationship between two potential risk factors, children’s type of school (e.g., public, private, charter, or magnet) and quality of neighborhood, with social vulnerability. Data were collected through an online survey from January through March 2024. Hierarchical multiple linear regression conducted in SPSS demonstrated that four out of seven quality of neighborhood attributes were significant predictors of social vulnerability (p < .05); as the neighborhood conditions of vehicular traffic, teenagers present in the street, graffiti, and vandalism increased, levels of social vulnerability also increased. Factor analysis confirmed the strong reliability and internal structure of the instrument used to collect the data. No significance was found for children’s type of school, but more studies are needed to determine if research on this variable can help inform decisions about school-choice policies. This study addressed the need for knowledge about contextual environmental factors and children’s well-being. This is imperative, as social vulnerability is an emerging psychological construct in developmental research that is correlated with all aspects of social interactions, as it negatively interferes with the process of forming social bonds with others. Building alignment between the goals of schools, government agencies, and communities is essential, so that parents have access to the support and resources needed to promote healthy development in children. Thus, the empirical findings from this study will help promote awareness of social vulnerability and help children receive the empathy, dignity, and respect that they deserve.

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