Article Staying Away From School: AdolescentsWhoMiss School Due to Feeling Unsafe

Perceptions of school safety, fear of crime among students, and school avoidance have received increasing research attention in recent decades. Feeling unsafe at school impacts mental health, absenteeism, and academic success. We focus on a behavioral indicator of heightened concern about safety among high school students. Using 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, we examine how crime victimization, bullying, drug use, weapon carrying, defensibility, media exposure, social integration, and school disorder affect school avoidance. Complementary log–log regression results indicate differences in predictors across sex, race/ethnicity, and class year. Implications for policy and future research on school avoidance are discussed