The Spread of Youth Gangs into Rural Areas: A Survey of School Counselors

1996 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 18-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Caldarella ◽  
Jim Sharpnack ◽  
Travis Loosli ◽  
Kenneth W. Merrell
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Inner City ◽  
School Counselors ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Youth Gangs ◽  
Crime Problem ◽  
Level Of Activity

Although the study of inner city youth gangs has received substantial attention in the literature, such is not the case for rural youth gangs. In this study 41 rural school counselors from eight western states were surveyed on their perceptions of the extent of gang and crime problems in their schools and communities. The results of this study suggest an emerging gang and crime problem in these rural communities, for which the majority of school counselors felt ill prepared. More research and intervention is encouraged, both as a means of alleviating the current level of activity, as well as to help prevent the further spread of gang problems into these rural areas.

scholarly journals Envisioning the Rural Practicum

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-118
Author(s):  
Tena Versland ◽  
Kathryn Will ◽  
Nicholas Lux ◽  
James Hicks
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Teacher Perceptions ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Rural School ◽  
State University ◽  
Recruitment And Retention

Recruitment and retention of teachers in rural areas continue to dominate educational narratives across the country. School districts, state agencies, and university schools of education have instituted strategies including financial incentives, alternative standards and licensure criteria, and grow-your-own programs that target underemployed locals and paraprofessionals for accelerated licensure. While each strategy may enjoy situational success, none is a panacea for all circumstances. However, there is growing interest in the development of university and school district partnerships in creating innovative solutions to rural recruitment and retention issues. This study investigates the efficacy of a partnership between several small rural districts and a state university partnering to create and test a contextualized clinical practice model. The Montana State University rural practicum placed 13 preservice teachers in a week-long, immersive clinical practice in rural, remote schools in Montana, for them to authentically experience the rural context and for researchers to determine if such an experience might positively affect recruitment and retention efforts. The study used a community-based participatory research method to ensure equal participation of both university and rural school partners in co-creating the experience and in collecting and analyzing data. Results suggest that the rural practicum experience positively affected preservice teacher perceptions of rural teaching and rural communities. Rural school leaders and university personnel also agreed that the model held promise for recruiting and retaining teachers in rural areas.

scholarly journals How Can They Know What They Don’t Know? The Beliefs and Experiences of Rural School Counselors about STEM Career Advising

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-90
Author(s):  
Lee Edmondson Grimes ◽  
Meagan Arrastia Arrastía-Chisholm ◽  
Serey B. Bright
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
School Counselors ◽  
Career Counseling ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Rural Students ◽  
Educational Challenges ◽  
Stem Career

Many factors contribute to the educational challenges students face in rural areas, including a lack of funding compared to urban and suburban schools and a lack of role models pursuing postsecondary education. School counselors in all settings are trained to provide education to students about the postsecondary options in demand. College and career counseling with students and families in rural areas requires unique understanding of the rural characteristics that shape community life and family dynamics. National attention on rural education has highlighted a particular need for advising into STEM career fields. Using a phenomenological approach, the researchers examine the beliefs and experiences of eight school counselors working in rural schools regarding their lived experiences of advising students in their rural areas about careers in STEM. Three themes about STEM-focused career development emerged from the interviews with the school counselors, a lack of opportunities and resources, challenging local influences, and ideas for much needed place-based innovations. Implications are discussed for several key players with the ability to improve and increase STEM advising for rural students. Examples include the following: for practicing school counselors, intentional career counseling efforts that include rural families; for counselor educators, the addition of rural field placements and assignments focused on rural student career needs; and for rural communities, combining the school counselor’s efforts with local business and industry to highlight and increase STEM career awareness for students and their families.

scholarly journals The Future of Rurality: Place Attachment among Young Inhabitants of Two Rural Communities of Mediterranean Central Chile

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 546
Author(s):  
Paulina Rodríguez-Díaz ◽  
Rocío Almuna ◽  
Carla Marchant ◽  
Sally Heinz ◽  
Roxana Lebuy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Young People ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Place Attachment ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
Agricultural Communities ◽  
Connectedness To Nature

Rural livelihoods are under threat, not only from climate change and soil erosion but also because young people in rural areas are increasingly moving to urbanized areas, seeking employment and education opportunities. In the Valparaiso region of Chile, megadrought, soil degradation, and industrialization are driving young people to leave agricultural and livestock activities. In this study, our main objective was to identify the factors influencing young people living in two rural agricultural communities (Valle Hermoso and La Vega). We conducted 90 online surveys of young people aged 13–24 to evaluate their interest in living in the countryside (ILC). We assessed the effect of community satisfaction, connectedness to nature, and social valuation of rural livelihoods on the ILC. The results show that young people were more likely to stay living in the countryside when they felt satisfied and safe in their community, felt a connection with nature, and were surrounded by people who enjoyed the countryside. These results highlight the relevance of promoting place attachment and the feeling of belonging within the rural community. Chilean rural management and local policies need to focus on rural youth and highlight the opportunities that the countryside provides for them.

Victimization and Resilience: Experiences of Rural LGBTQ+ Youth Across Multiple Contexts

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110435
Author(s):  
Traci L. Wike ◽  
Leah M. Bouchard ◽  
Aaron Kemmerer ◽  
Mauricio P. Yabar
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Young People ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Lgbtq Youth ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Identity Based

LGBTQ+ youth experience higher rates of interpersonal violence, such as peer-based bullying and identity-based harassment, than their counterparts. Experiences of victimization can occur across different social contexts including family, school, peers, and community. LGBTQ+ youth in rural communities may be at increased risk for identity-based victimization due in part to geographic isolation and an often conservative value system that may create a hostile environment to LGBTQ+ individuals. However, few studies have examined the experiences of rural LGBTQ+ youth from their perspectives, and how the rural context may affect their experiences with victimization and social support. This qualitative study explores the victimization experiences of rural LGBTQ+ youth, the supports available to them, and ways they show resilience. We conducted qualitative interviews with a sample of 11 young people ages 12-21, recruited in partnership with a local LGBTQ+ agency across a rural five county region in the Southeastern United States. Four themes emerged related to how rural youth navigate bullying, harassment, and victimization across different social contexts and the support that is available to them: (1) conflicting family messages, (2) navigating personal safety at school, (3) connecting through technology, and (4) confronting negative religious sentiment. A fifth theme captures the strengths of young people in the mid of victimization: (5) demonstrating individual and collective resilience. Although rural LGBTQ+ youth experience victimization in similar ways to urban and suburban youth, rural youth may have less access to social supports that buffer effects of victimization. This study highlights the strengths in rural LGBTQ+ young people as well as their commitment to supporting one another and seeing change in their communities. Findings illustrate a need for greater support for LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas while leveraging existing strength of the youth and their community for sustainable support and resources.

scholarly journals Promoting Teaching in Rural Schools

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edwin Ralph
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Schools ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Cooperating Teachers ◽  
College Of Education ◽  
Rural School ◽  
School Divisions ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The University

This study extends previous investigations of interns’ and their cooperating teachers’ views of teaching in rural schools, which were conducted in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001. The present paper includes findings from a survey conducted in 2002 of a fifth cohort of interns and their classroom cooperating teachers. It examined the same four items analyzed in the four previous studies (namely: the advantages of teaching in rural areas, the disadvantages of doing so, recommendations about practicum placements for future interns, and advice for these interns), as well as items that also solicited respondents’ views of what the University’s College of Education and the rural school divisions could do to promote both interning and teaching in rural schools. Findings are synthesized and implications are drawn for both the University and the school divisions involved in these studies as well as for other institutions in similar situations—with respect to improving internship and teaching, and to helping promote the stability of rural communities, of which the school is often a key component.

scholarly journals Rural Youth’s Narratives about Their Life Strategies

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-55
Author(s):  
Danka Moravčíková ◽  
Eva Pechočiaková Svitačová ◽  
Anna Mravcová
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Young People ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Youth Policy ◽  
Survey Interviews

Abstract The paper presents results of the research project Social and Moral Aspects of Economic and Civic Life of Rural Youth, which was supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, through the Slovak Youth Institute under the specific scheme Support and Development of Research in the Field of Youth Policy. With the focus on the problems of contemporary life of rural youth, it emphasizes socio-economic and civic-politic dimension of its life. It maps different aspects as well as the influence of particular factors and institutions that affect behaviour and choices of young people in rural areas. The research methodology was based on qualitative approach using observation and personal semi-standardized interview method during the field survey. Interviews were conducted with 106 young people aged 18-30 from 39 rural communities localized in different parts of Slovakia in 2014. Besides introduction to the context, the authors describe methodological framework and the sampling procedure, the key research goals and questions, and basic research findings. They conclude that rural youth needs to be given certain stimulus and support in all possible areas of existence and participation, as well as tolerance and acceptance of their new ideas and thoughts.

Demographic Changes in Rural America and the Implications for Special Education Programming: A Descriptive and Comparative Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 140-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry Johnson ◽  
Matthew A. Ohlson ◽  
Shane Shope
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Rural Families ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
Rural Districts ◽  
Linguistically Diverse Students ◽  
The Face ◽  
Changing Demographics

In this descriptive and comparative study, we present results highlighting the complexity and scope of the challenges facing rural districts as they navigate the changing demographics of the students and families they serve. Rapid increases in the number and concentration of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in rural areas may have significant implications for teaching and learning. In the face of these changes, rural districts may lack the financial, human, and logistical resources to meet these increasing demands. Viewed within the context of the salient literatures and attentive to the dynamics of organizational change, the results support recommendations for a variety of school- and district-based strategies and send a clear message to policymakers, educators, and others concerned with the education of rural youth, rural families, and rural communities: the need is real and growing in intensity, and there is a role and responsibility for all stakeholders to play.

scholarly journals Supervision Experiences of Rural School Counselors

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara A. Wilson ◽  
Susan Schaeffer ◽  
Mary Alice Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
School Counselors ◽  
Clinical Supervision ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
School Counselor ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Professional School ◽  
Supervision Training

This qualitative study explored the needs of professional school counselors and school counselor interns located in rural areas with regard to clinical supervision, consultation, and professional growth.  Four separate focus groups (n=21) were conducted.  To allow for consistency across focus groups, a series of six structured interview questions were used.  Results of the data analysis revealed six themes which included unique issues of rural school counselors, dynamics of rural living, supervision from school administrators, supporting development through technology, desire for increased connection through supervision, and the identification of roles and responsibilities.  Implications of this study indicate a crucial need to increase supervision training opportunities for current school counselors and interns.  Technology and active participation with professional organizations may provide a platform for rural school counselors to receive supervision training and offer increased professional connection to solidify their counseling identity.  

scholarly journals Sociological Analysis of Migration Attitudes of Rural School Graduates

REGIONOLOGY ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-183
Author(s):  
Anna A. Vyalshina ◽  
Svetlana T. Dakirova
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Sociological Study ◽  
Saratov Region ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Parents And Children

Introduction. The article presents an analysis of migration attitudes of rural school graduates in the Saratov Region and reveals the factors shaping such attitudes. A study into the migration intentions of rural youth and the differences in the prerequisites for their formation, as well as into the personal characteristics of young villagers with different migration attitudes will contribute to the development of effective mechanisms to prevent negative trends. Materials and Methods. The study based on the results of the applied sociological study “Parents and Children in Rural Families” conducted by the Institute of Agrarian Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2017. Graduates of the 11th grade of rural schools in the Saratov Region were the object of the study. Questionnaire survey was the main research method employed. The results were interpreted using the SPSS 17.0 application software package. Results. Migration intentions of the rural school graduates planning to leave for work in Moscow are due to high educational achievements and orientations for higher education, as well as to a set of values associated with achieving stability and success through self-fulfillment and finding an interesting job. Young villagers planning to move to the city for permanent residence seek to improve their social status through education, profession, finding a suitable job and settling in the urban environment. The motives of the young people planning to return to the village are associated with their desire to live in a familiar environment and a like-minded milieu, and to improve their social status through acquisition of power and its attendant attributes in their home village after receiving education. Discussion and Conclusion. As a result, a conclusion can be draw n that it is necessary to adopt a differentiated approach to the development of tools for improvement of the demographic situation in the rural areas of a region, depending on the needs and interests of young people with different migration intentions. The results of the study also make it possible to better understand the current trends in the change of the causes of social mobility of rural youth.

scholarly journals Placing the Standards

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Freeman
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Common Core ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
Geographic Mobility ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Common ◽  
And Migration

Rural areas in many parts of the U.S. experience population decline from outmigration. Geographic mobility has long been a contributing factor to the social and economic instability of rural communities; high-achieving and ambitious youth are inclined to leave rural areas to take advantage of the expansive economic opportunities and cultural and lifestyle amenities typically found in metropolitan locations. Here I review 20 years of research on rural population loss and migration theory to anticipate how patterns of rural youth mobility might intersect with the Common Core State Standards’ emphasis on preparing high-school students to be career and college ready. Given that the migration decisions of rural youth stem from a complex process that includes a range of social, economic, cultural, and environmental factors, I argue that certain types of rural communities are likely to be more strongly affected by the Common Core as are certain types of rural youth.

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