Turkish Secondary School Students ’ Perceptions of Violence and Crime, and the Relationship between Their Perceptions and Demographics

Abstract: Violence in schools in Turkey shows an enormous increase in recent years. As it is becoming a serious problem in secondary schools, many violence cases are lasting in courts. In the current study, the aim is to examine and understand how secondary school students perceive violence and crime in schools. The study also aims to see if there is any relation between demographics and perceptions of students. In the current study, this relation is examined and understood through using descriptive statistics, such as mean and frequency analysis. The sample group of the study is composed of secondary students who live in different regions throughout the city, Kutahya. The results of the study show that students, who come from families with low socio-economic status (SES), perceive violence and crime differently than students, who come from families with middle or high socio-economic statu