The Profile of Safe and Unsafe Students in Schools: Evidence from PISA 2022

Abstract

Objectives, purpose, problem of practice, or policy focus. This study examines how students’ subjective sense of safety at school relates to their emotional well-being, social relationships, academic behavior, and socio-economic background. The objective is to identify key factors that contribute to students’ feelings of safety and to highlight their implications for educational quality, equity, and policy. Research question(s) or focus of inquiry. (1) In what ways do safe and unsafe students differ across academic, emotional, social, environmental, and structural dimensions? (2) What systemic factors shape students’ perceptions of safety at school?. Perspective(s) or theoretical framework, or context. The study is grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, psychological safety theory, and social capital theory. Together, these frameworks support a holistic analysis of students’ sense of safety, emphasizing the influence of individual, relational, institutional, and structural factors. Methods, techniques, modes or approach to inquiry. The study uses data from all participating countries of the OECD PISA 2022 survey. Students were grouped into “safe” and “unsafe” clusters using K-means clustering based on their responses to safety-related items. Independent samples t-tests were conducted to compare these groups across multiple indicators. Data Sources/evidence. Data were derived from PISA 2022 student questionnaires, including measures of academic behavior (e.g., grade repetition, truancy), emotional well-being (e.g., stress resistance, bullying), social connections (e.g., teacher support, family support), perceptions of school climate, and socio-economic-cultural status. Results, findings, learning. Students who feel safe at school are less likely to skip classes, demonstrate higher emotional resilience, experience less bullying, report stronger teacher relationships, and tend to come from higher socio-economic backgrounds. The most pronounced differences were found in emotional and social domains. However, there were no meaningful differences in long-term academic expectations, such as career aspirations. Educational importance of this research or inquiry for theory, practice, and/or policy. The findings underscore that school safety is a multidimensional construct with significant consequences for students' day-to-day engagement and emotional health. Ensuring school safety requires more than physical measures; it involves nurturing positive relationships, supporting emotional well-being, and addressing structural inequalities through inclusive policies. Connection to the conference theme. By providing robust empirical evidence on the links between perceived safety and educational equity, this study contributes directly to the ICSEI 2026 theme of building fair and supportive education systems. It calls for systemic, evidence-informed strategies to create safe, inclusive, and equitable learning environments for all students.