Unveiling the role of residential care in care leavers' personal development and life outcomes.

In the current quantitative study, we explored the perceived contribution of residential care (PCRC) to multiple life domains and the factors associated with these perceptions from three main stages in Israelis' care leavers' lives: precare, in care, and postcare. Drawing on a representative sample of 2,295 care leavers' retrospective reports, integrated with their longitudinal administrative records, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis and identified two constructs pertaining to participants' PCRC. The first focused on contribution to personal development, and the second on contribution to achieving tangible and intangible life outcomes. In-care experiences of peer and staff support were strong predictors of both perceived personal development and life outcomes. Only a few precare factors and none of the postcare factors were predictive of PCRC. Specifically, PCRC was lower among men compared with women. Additionally, compared to Israeli-born participants, PCRC to personal development was lower among Ethiopian immigrants but higher in the life outcomes domain. PCRC was also higher in both domains among participants whose parents had a criminal conviction. In the Discussion section, we highlight the importance of understanding care leavers' perceptions in relation to different life course stages. Implications for policy and practice in care and postcare are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Labor market position among care leavers and their matched peers: A longitudinal comparative study.

BACKGROUND: The adverse labor market experience of care leavers is well-documented. Care leavers lag behind their peers in the general population in all employment aspects and even fall short compared to young people from low-income families. Yet, there are only very few comparative longitudinal studies on care leavers' relative labor market position (LMP). OBJECTIVES: To examine and predict: (1) LMP, an integrative measure of labor market connectedness and earning level, among care leavers and a matched comparison group from age 22 to 34; (2) gender differences in LMP among care leavers and their same-sex matched peers. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants were alumni of youth villages in Israel from 13 consecutive birth cohorts (20,758) and a double-sized matched comparison group (41,510). METHODS: Based on longitudinal administrative records bivariate analyses examined differences in age-related LMP between care leavers and their matched peers. Gender-stratified analyses were also performed. A multilevel multinomial model predicted LMP throughout the age span. RESULTS: Care leavers were less likely than their matched peers to be disconnected from employment. The rate of low-wage earners was similar in the two groups. Male care leavers performed better than their matched peers, while female care leavers performed worse than their matched peers. Controlling for pre-care factors, in-care and post-care achievements and experiences, both men and women care leavers performed better than their matched peers. CONCLUSIONS: Labor market connectedness and relative earning progression are shaped by pre-care factors, in-care and post-care achievements and experiences. Three sub-groups of care leavers and similar young people were identified based on their characteristics.

University students' psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: A structural equation model of the role of resource loss and gain.

Using the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we aimed to determine whether university students' loss and gain in resources during the pandemic mediated the relationships between COVID-19 exposure/concern and depression and anxiety. In 2021, 7013 Israeli university students completed online questionnaires. We assessed the data using structural equation modeling. We found that resource loss was directly related to concern (ß = 0.32, p < 0.001). Depression and anxiety were both directly related to loss of resources (depression: ß = 0.75, p < 0.001; anxiety: ß = 0.69, p < 0.001) and concern (depression: ß = 0.06, p < 0.001; anxiety: ß = 0.12, p < 0.001). Resource loss had an indirect effect on the relationships between concern and depression (ß = 0.24, p < 0.001) and concern and anxiety (ß = 0.22, p < 0.001). COR theory may help explain the mechanisms behind university students' mental health during the pandemic and provides a framework to better understand preparedness for future pandemics, epidemics, and major disasters. Governments and universities should help prevent the loss of resources during future emergencies.

An eighteen-year longitudinal examination of school victimization and weapon use in California secondary schools.

BACKGROUND: School safety has been a major public health issue in the United States and internationally for more than three decades. Many policies and programs have been developed and implemented to prevent school violence, improve the school climate, and increase safety. There are only a few peer-reviewed studies of changes in school violence over time. The study examined changes over time in school victimization, weapon involvement and school climate, comparing change trajectories by gender and race and different change trajectories among schools. METHODS: A longitudinal study of the biennial California Healthy Kids Survey in secondary schools from 2001 to 2019. The representative sample included 6,219,166 students in grades 7, 9, and 11 (48.8% male) from 3253 schools (66% high schools). RESULTS: All victimization and weapon involvement items had significant and substantial linear reductions. The largest reduction involved being in a physical fight (from 25.4% to 11.0%). There were reductions in weapon involvement (d = 0.46) and victimization (d = 0.38). Biased-based victimization only declined slightly (d = -0.05). School belongingness and safety increased (d = 0.27), adult support increased a small amount (d = 0.05), and student participation declined (d = -0.10). Changes were smallest among White students. Ninety-five percent of the schools showed the same pattern of reductions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings are in contrast to the public's concerns that school violence is a growing problem. Reductions in school violence may result from social investment in school safety. A distinction should be made between school shootings and other forms of school violence.

Continuous Exposure to Terrorism during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model in the Israeli Context.

This study tested the role of perceived social support as a moderating factor in the mediation of COVID-19-related concerns in the association between continuous traumatic stress (CTS) and depression. The study participants were 499 college students who responded to an anonymous online questionnaire. Measures included the assessment of prior continuous exposure to threats of terrorism, COVID-19-related distress, perceived social support and depressive symptoms. The results demonstrated that COVID-19-related concerns mediated the relationship between continuous exposure to threats of terrorism and depression symptoms, and that perceived social support moderated the association between COVID-19-related concerns and depression. The implications of the study highlight the role of prior exposure to traumatic stress as a risk factor for depression and the role of social support as a protective factor. These results point to the need to develop accessible and non-stigmatic mental health services for populations exposed to other types of continuous traumatic stress.

Perceived academic challenges of Jewish and Arab undergraduates during the first wave of COVID-19.

This study examined differences between Arab and Jewish undergraduate students in their perceived academic challenges, COVID-19-related concerns, perceived social support and trust in the university and the government. It also examined factors associated with perceived academic challenges and the moderating role of trust in the university in the associations between COVID-19-related concerns and perceived academic challenges. The sample consisted of 2751 students: 2291 (83%) Jewish, 398 (15%) Arab and 61 (2%) 'other'. Arab students reported higher COVID-19-related concerns and perceived academic challenges, and lower levels of perceived social support and trust in university and government than did Jewish students. Both Jewish and Arab students identified COVID-19-related concerns as a stress-vulnerability factor for perceived academic challenges, whereas perceived social support and trust in the university were identified as resources for perceived academic challenges. No support was found for the role of trust in government in the face of perceived academic challenges nor for the moderating role of trust in the university in the associations between COVID-19-related concerns and perceived academic challenges. In conclusion, the need of Arab students for emotional and academic support needs to be acknowledged as part of the efforts to promote academic success during the pandemic.

Parenthood during the COVID-19 pandemic: Post-traumatic growth amongst university students.

This study sought to investigate a positive dimension of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, that of post-traumatic growth (PTG). This study investigated coping difficulties and PTG amongst parent and nonparent students in Israeli Universities. A total of 4022 parents (3648 Jews and 374 Palestinian-Arab Citizens [PACs]) and 14,651 nonparents (12,010 Jews and 2641 PACs) completed measures of coping, social support and PTG. Parents demonstrated significantly higher levels of coping and PTG. Amongst parents, fathers coped slightly better than mothers; however, while Jewish mothers demonstrated greater PTG than Jewish fathers, PAC fathers had significantly greater PTG than both PAC mothers and Jewish parents. These findings, while specific to COVID-19, indicate that PTG should be studied in greater depth in different ethnic and minority groups in order to develop enhanced understanding and facilitate promotion of post-traumatic growth, in addition to the prevention of COVID-19-related distress.

Emotional distress and posttraumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish society in Israel.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a range of negative responses, including emotional distress, as well as with positive changes, such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Among the vulnerability factors the literature lists SES and being part of a minority group. The aim of this study is to identify patterns of responses among the ultra-Orthodox Jewish society in Israel, in terms of both emotional distress (anxiety and depression) and multiple dimensions of PTG. METHOD: The data were collected during the second wave of COVID-19 in Israel, between May and November 2020. The sample included 369 participants, all belonging to the ultra-Orthodox society. Latent class analysis was used to establish heterogeneous classes of participants displaying similar response patterns, using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 index (JAD-7), and the 10-item version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-10). Multinomial regression examined which of the predictors best distinguished between the classes. RESULTS: Three classes were identified, termed here Resilience, Growth, and Distress. As differential predictors of class membership, the study identified age; gender; self-rated health; and COVID-19-related potential negative experiences: economic decline, concerns, and microaggression. The Resilience and Growth patterns were the most prominent. A small number of participants formed a class characterized by high levels of distress. CONCLUSIONS: The findings contribute to understanding the psychological response patterns of a minority group to COVID-19. The characteristics of the three classes highlight the important role of potentially negative experiences related to COVID-19 in the response patterns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Labor force attachment among care leavers in Israel: A longitudinal cross-sequential between-groups design.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the long-term labor force attachment (LFA) of care leavers and how they compare with similar youth. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to: (1) examine LFA from age 21 to 34 among care leavers and a comparison group; (2) explain variability in age-related LFA. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Two groups were studied: all alumni of 14 consecutive birth cohorts (1982-1995) of care leavers of youth villages in Israel (22,670) and a double-sized matched comparison group drawn from the corresponding cohorts in the general population (45,340). METHODS: The study is based on a longitudinal cross-sequential between-groups design. The dataset integrates an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records. Descriptive statistic was used to describe and compare care leavers and their matched peers, in terms of background and achievements. Bivariate analyses examined differences in age-related LFA between care leavers and their matched peers. A multilevel multinomial model was employed to predict LFA levels throughout the age span. RESULTS: In terms of achievements, care leavers show poorer educational attainment, greater reliance on social welfare services and experienced more difficulties during the mandatory military service. The rate of care leavers strongly connected to the labor market gradually increased as they grew older, reaching to about 65 % by age 34, whereas the rate of those disconnected from the labor market decreased with age, standing on 19 % by age 34. Care leavers had stronger LFA than their matched peers during their entire 20's, and similar levels thereafter. Multiple factors (e.g., family background, educational attainments) were associated with different levels of LFA. CONCLUSIONS: Differential policy measures, while in-care and afterward, are needed to address care leavers' variability in labor market experience.

Challenges faced by university students during the COVID-19: An international study in five countries during the early phase of the pandemic.

This study focused on the specific challenges of university students in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and examined similarities and differences in COVID-related concerns and difficulties in functioning in samples of undergraduate students in five countries. A sample of 4306 undergraduate university students (43.8% males, 56.2% females) from Israel, Kosovo, Ukraine, Cyprus and Germany participated in an anonymous online survey during the first wave of the pandemic, between March and June 2020. Study variables included the assessment of the exposure to COVID-19, perceived health status, specific COVID-related concerns and functional difficulties, social support, and the perceived level of coping. Similar concerns about the uncertainty regarding the termination of the health crisis and worry for the health of family members were identified as the most common concerns in the five countries. Challenges in online learning and financial difficulties were rated as the most central difficulties. Both COVID-related concerns and COVID-related difficulties predicted lower levels of perceived coping. Greater social support was associated with better perceived coping. Policymakers should be informed by the accumulating research showing the substantive relationships between academic difficulties and perceived COVID-related distress and coping.

Ten years later: Satisfaction with intimate relationships and parenthood of young people aging out of residential care.

BACKGROUND: Care leavers, young people who have aged out of residential or foster care, experience many challenges during their transition to adulthood. However, there is relatively little research on care leavers' intimate relationships. Their parenthood has been explored to a greater extent, but mostly qualitatively. OBJECTIVE: This study focused on Israeli care leavers a decade after leaving care and explored various factors associated with satisfaction with both intimate relationships and parenthood. METHODS: One-hundred-and-fifty-two young people participated in the study ten years after leaving care. Toward the end of their 20s, 74.3% were either married or had stable intimate relationships, and 40.1% were parents. To assess satisfaction with intimate relationships and parenthood, two hierarchical regressions were conducted that examined the cumulative contribution of background factors (care variables and traumatic life events), personal characteristics (self-esteem, mental distress, and alcohol use) and social support. RESULTS: Satisfaction with intimate relationships was associated with higher income, fewer traumatic life events, and higher self-esteem. Gender moderated the association of traumatic life events with satisfaction with intimate relationships. Satisfaction with parenthood was associated with fewer traumatic events throughout care leavers' lives; it was also associated with lower levels of mental distress and alcohol use and with higher levels of satisfaction with intimate relationships. Gender moderated the association of mental distress with satisfaction with parenthood. CONCLUSIONS: Ten years after leaving care, care leavers' backgrounds (i.e., their traumatic life events) were strongly associated with their situation as adults. Other risk factors such as alcohol use and mental distress were especially relevant to care leavers' satisfaction as parents, demanding longitudinal interventions. Further exploration of the role of gender in satisfaction with intimate relationships and parenthood is needed.

Life satisfaction among alumni of youth villages in Israel: A life course perspective.

Empirical evidence on life satisfaction of care leavers is scant and often based on small and nonrepresentative samples. Based on the life course perspective, this study explored the role of objective and subjective factors in explaining life satisfaction among care leavers, both general and domain-specific (work-financial-housing, social relationships-emotional state). The sample was randomly drawn from the whole population of eight graduating birth cohorts of alumni of educational residential care in Israel and consists of 2, 295 alumni (24-31 years old). The study is based on an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records combined with structured phone interviews. Bivariate analysis and multiple regression models were used to assess associations between precare context, in-care and postcare experiences and achievements with general and domain-specific life satisfaction. Gender differences were found in both domain-specific life satisfactions with men having greater satisfaction. Family background indicators were generally more predictive of general and social relationships- emotional state satisfaction. In-care experiences of peer and staff support and postcare experience of material deprivation were strong predictors of general and domain-specific life satisfaction. Postcare contacts with care staff, surprisingly, were associated with lower general satisfaction and satisfaction with social relationships-emotional state. Higher educational attainment at the end of placement and integration into postsecondary education were associated with greater general and work-financial-housing satisfaction. The effects of in-care preparation for independent adult living, employment and parenthood are not consistent across different domains of life satisfaction. Implications for policy and practice during and after care are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

"We Need to Address the Trauma": School Social Workers' Views About Student and Staff Mental Health During COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school disruptions shined a spotlight on the mental health needs of young people, and the importance of schools and school social workers (SSWs) in attending to those needs. This study sought to understand SSWs' views about mental health and trauma in relation to the pandemic and schools reopening. Data came from written responses to open-ended questions on a national survey of SSWs during June-July 2020 (Kelly et al., 2021; Watson et al., 2022). In the national survey, 450 SSWs responded to open-ended questions, providing 115 single-spaced pages of detailed qualitative comments. A unified conceptual model for a trauma-informed school was created by integrating components suggested within the literature. This conceptual model was then used to generate a theory-based coding schema. Responses mapped well onto the conceptual model. Major themes included recognition of COVID-19 and 2020 social unrest as a unique period and potentially traumatic experience; the need for a trauma-informed school response; the challenges of addressing all facets of safety during the pandemic; and the essentiality and difficulty of maintaining school-based relationships during school closures and remote learning. Results demonstrated that SSWs used and discussed key components of a trauma-informed approach. Respondents offered several recommendations for implementing trauma-informed approaches during and after the pandemic, many of which required collaboration from other school staff. Findings provide empirical support for a unified school model that integrates components of a trauma-informed approach found in the literature. We make recommendations for interpersonal, organizational, and policy adaptations schools can take to become more trauma informed.

University students coping with COVID-19 challenges: Do they need help?

Objective: This study examined students' perceived levels of coping and need for help, and the relationship with their risks and protective factors during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. Participants: A sample of 4,710 university students responded anonymously to an online questionnaire. Methods: The risk and protective factors assessed were: specific COVID-related functional difficulties, levels of social support, and trust in the university authorities and the government in handling the crisis. Results: The most frequent COVID-19 related difficulties were: worry for the health of family members (64.4%) and difficulties with online learning (63.2%). Almost half of the students (47.3%) reported that they needed at least a little help. Hierarchical regression analyses for coping and need for help showed that COVID-related difficulties predicted lower levels of perceived coping and a higher need for help. Conclusions: Universities need to build specific services for students to provide concrete support throughout this continuous health crisis.

School Social Worker Voice during COVID-19 School Disruptions: A National Qualitative Analysis.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented impacts on our schools and society, requiring school social workers (SSWs) to attend to layered and cascading effects for students and their families. This study presents rich qualitative data from a national survey of SSWs about their personal and professional roles supporting students, families, and staff members as schools shifted to remote instruction. Findings indicate that SSWs are highly concerned about a lack of basic needs resources, including food, housing, and mental health support for students and families. SSWs highlighted the unequal effects of school closures for families without technology and Internet access as well as the difficulties providing services during the pandemic. Recovery policies should target resources to schools with the highest needs while prioritizing food, housing, mental health, and access to tools for online learning. SSWs also need additional and refined professional support to overcome their isolated roles in schools and bolster their ability to deliver online services effectively.

Needs of Children and Families during Spring 2020 COVID-19 School Closures: Findings from a National Survey.

Despite extensive reports during the COVID-19 pandemic of the academic challenges facing students, and the effects of online learning on academic achievements, we have little information regarding the needs and difficulties of K-12 students and their families from a social work perspective. The present article shares findings from a nationwide survey of 1,275 school social workers (SSWs) reporting on their clients-schools, children, and families-during the spring 2020 COVID-19 school closures. SSWs indicated that the children and families they served had significant unmet basic needs, including for food, healthcare, and housing. Poverty and mental health compounded pandemic difficulties, which were associated with the sociodemographic makeup of schools. Student engagement in social work services during the closures was significantly lower than prepandemic levels, generally due to unmet material needs. Several policy and practice implications arise from these findings, including a need for additional services for students and families, a plan to address structural inequities in our schools and communities, coordinated outreach to reengage missing students, and recognition of the strong work being done by school staff coupled with a need for additional supports and resources to combat persistent inequality.

COVID-Related Concerns, the Need for Help, and Perceived Microaggression among Young Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Respondents in Israel.

Minority groups are especially vulnerable to the negative psychological and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study focused on one prominent minority group in Israel: ultra-Orthodox Jews. It examined the rate of exposure to COVID-19, adherence to COVID-19 mitigation guidelines, difficulties with adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, COVID-related concerns, financial hardships, the need for help, and microaggression during the first wave of the pandemic (April-May 2020). It then examined multivariate prediction of COVID-related concerns, the need for help, and microaggression. The sample comprised 252 respondents, with 67% female and a mean age of 32.85 (SD = 10.63). Results showed that 78.8% of the participants knew at least one person who had tested positive for COVID-19, and 31.4% knew at least one person who had passed away from COVID-19. Only 59.7% of the participants reported high adherence to social distancing guidelines. Perceived microaggression was predicted by the difficulties with adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, the level of stress associated with exposure to the media, and financial hardships. The study's implications point to the centrality of perceived microaggression and the necessity of adopting culturally sensitive approaches to engage minorities in public efforts to fight the spread of viruses.

COVID-19 related difficulties and perceived coping among university and college students: the moderating role of media-related exposure and stress.

Background: University and college students are not usually identified as a population at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, there is growing evidence of their specific distress associated with facing multiple abrupt changes and the need for rapid adaptation to a variety of academic, social, and financial challenges. The extent of their exposure to COVID-19 media and the associated media-related stress may further impair students' perceived coping. Objective: This study assessed COVID-19-related functional difficulties and perceived coping among higher education students in Israel and explored the moderating role played by media coverage of the pandemic in inducing stress and exacerbating COVID-19-related difficulties in perceived coping among students. Method: Data was collected from 7,446 students from seven academic centres in Israel through online questionnaires about four to six weeks after the outbreak of the pandemic in Israel. Results: The findings showed positive associations between COVID-19-related difficulties, media exposure, media-related stress, and decreased levels of perceived coping with the pandemic. Moreover, media-related stress (but not the level of media exposure) moderated the relationship between COVID-19-related difficulties and perceived coping: the associations were significantly stronger for students reporting high media-related stress in comparison to individuals reporting low media-related stress. Conclusions: These results highlight the specific role of media-related stress and the need to distinguish this risk factor from the global impact of exposure to media coverage. The need for self-monitoring of the subjective level of stress associated with media exposure should be part of the psychoeducation efforts provided by public health authorities for promoting self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Antecedentes: Los estudiantes universitarios generalmente no se identifican como una población en riesgo durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Sin embargo, existe una creciente evidencia de angustia específica asociada con enfrentar cambios abruptos múltiples y la necesidad de una rápida adaptación a una variedad de desafíos académicos, sociales y financieros. El alcance de la exposición a los medios de comunicación acerca del COVID-19, y el estrés relacionado a esta exposición, pueden afectar aún más a los estudiantes universitarios en sus estrategias de afrontamiento percibidas.Objetivo: Este estudio evaluó las dificultades funcionales relacionadas con el COVID-19 y el afrontamiento percibido entre los estudiantes de educación superior en Israel y exploró el papel moderador que desempeña la cobertura mediática de la pandemia para inducir estrés y exacerbar las dificultades relacionadas con el COVID-19 en el afrontamiento percibido entre los estudiantes.Método: Se recopilaron datos de 7.446 estudiantes de siete centros académicos en Israel a través de cuestionarios en línea entre cuatro y seis semanas después del estallido de la pandemia en Israel.Resultados: Los hallazgos mostraron asociaciones positivas entre las dificultades relacionadas con COVID-19, la exposición a los medios, el estrés relacionado con los medios y la disminución del nivel de afrontamiento percibido con la pandemia. Además, el estrés relacionado con los medios (pero no el nivel de exposición a los medios) moderó la relación entre las dificultades relacionadas con COVID-19 y el afrontamiento percibido: las asociaciones fueron significativamente más fuertes para los estudiantes que informaron un alto estrés relacionado con los medios en comparación con las personas que informaron un bajo nivel de estrés mediático relacionado.Conclusiones: Estos resultados destacan el papel específico del estrés relacionado con los medios y la necesidad de distinguir este factor de riesgo del impacto global de la exposición a la cobertura de los medios. La necesidad de autocontrol del nivel subjetivo de estrés asociado con la exposición a los medios debe ser parte de los esfuerzos de psicoeducación brindados por las autoridades de salud pública para promover el autocuidado durante la pandemia de COVID-19.

COVID-Related Functional Difficulties and Concerns Among University Students During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Binational Perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a sense of threat, and stress that has surged globally at an alarming pace. University students were confronted with new challenges. This study examined university students' functional difficulties and concerns during COVID-19 pandemic in two countries: Israel and Ukraine. Additionally, it examined the similarities and differences in prediction of COVID-related concerns in both countries. Two large samples of university students were drawn from both countries. Results showed that students' main functional difficulties in both countries were: worries about their family health status and their learning assignments. In both countries, COVID-related functional difficulties and stress associated with exposure to the media added a significant amount of the explained variance of COVID-related concerns after controlling for background variables. In conclusion-while the level of exposure and difficulties may differ by country and context, their associations with students' concerns seem robust. Additionally, repeated exposure to media coverage about a community threat can lead to increased anxiety.

Sexual harassment by peers in Chilean schools.

BACKGROUND: Although a significant amount of literature has explored peer sexual harassment in higher education, little is known about peer sexual harassment in primary and middle school. Among existing studies, most have examined individual student characteristics that predict peer sexual harassment without considering the importance of the classroom and school context, which may prevent or promote such harassment. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify individual and school-related factors predicting sexual harassment victimization. METHODS: A sample of 17,364 Chilean students from Grades 5 through 8 in 405 schools with low socioeconomic status answered instruments concerning peer sexual harassment, other types of peer victimization and discrimination, and perceptions of classroom and school climate and norms against sexual harassment. Data were analyzed through hierarchical multivariate regression. RESULTS: Experiences of being sexual harassed by other students were reported by 13.5 % of students, with higher frequencies in male students, students from Grades 5 and 6, and students with lower individual socioeconomic status. School-related experiences of being discriminated against due to sexual orientation, ethnic origin, and disability were the strongest predictors of sexual harassment victimization. CONCLUSION: We discuss how peer sexual harassment might be understood as a consequence of peer social discrimination based on sexism, racism, and ableism. We also discuss the need to provide inclusive school climate policies that allow all students to feel safe and included.