This study is the first to document optimistic bias among middle and high school students within the context of school violence. Findings from a survey of 1,508 students indicate that optimistic bias provides a good framework for understanding students' perceptions of school violence, suggesting a course of action to decrease bias in order to…

This study explored the role of the media in the formation and preservation of optimistic bias. It also sought to link optimistic bias and third-person perception, bridging a gap between communication studies and health psychology. The intersection of the two literatures may be especially beneficial in understanding how adolescents process and…

This study is the first of its kind to study third-person perception within the context of school violence. Linkages to the health psychology literature (optimistic bias) provide the basis for further understanding of adolescents' perceptions of school violence and the influence of media violence in their lives. Results from a survey of 1,500…

The study provides a unique portrait of young men self-identified as potential perpetrators of school violence, and explores the relative contributions of personal attributes and the media in the creation and preservation of optimistic biases. The study is the first to document optimistic bias among middle and high school students within the…