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Abstract
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OBJECTIVES: To investigate possible associations to violent behavior practice, such as security sensation, from a large national representative sample of Brazilian adolescents.
METHODS: Data for the present study were derived from the 2015 National Adolescent School-based Health Survey (PeNSE). The independent variables of interest included questions about feeling safe on the way to and at school. The outcome was the practice of violent behaviors, including bullying. Logistic regression models were conducted to examine the relationship between violent behavior and each independent and control variable.
RESULTS: As for the adjusted regression model, being male (aOR: 1.75; 95%CI: 1.65 - 1.86), assaulted by a family member (aOR: 1.74; 95%CI: 1.59 - 1.90), and being assaulted in the past year (aOR: 1.70; 95%CI: 1.57 - 1.85) were all found to increase the chances of having a violent behavior. Furthermore, feeling safe on the way to school (aOR: 0.82; 95%CI: 0.74 - 0.92) and feeling safe at school (aOR: 0.82; 95%CI 0.73 - 0.92) were found to reduce the chances of having a violent behavior.
CONCLUSIONS: This study extends the body of literature on violent behavior among adolescents. It demonstrates the association that experiencing school, domestic, family, or community violence can be correlated with violent behavior practice among adolescents. KEY PRACTIONE MESSAGE: Our research supports that adolescents who experience violence, such as school, community, family, or domestic violence, have more frequent violent behavior practice. Altogether, this finding has significant implications for pediatricians, child psychiatrists and psychologists, other health care professionals, school professionals, and other professionals involved in adolescent health. School professionals must be ready to identify adolescents who practice violent behavior because of the potential consequences to their mental and physical health.
Language: en |