Violent Behaviors in Early Adolescent Minority Youth: Results from a “Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey”

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Abstract
Objectives: To describe the prevalence and characteristics of violence and violence-related behaviors among six populations of U.S. minority adolescents in grades 6–8. Methods: Six thousand four hundred non-White adolescents were recruited from six sites that were part of a collaborative project. Surveys were administered either during the school day or at community facilities. All students at each site were asked 10 questions about recent violence-related behaviors (including use of threats, fighting, weapon carrying, and weapon use). Prevalence of each violence-related behavior was reported within and across sites, and stratified by race/ethnicity, gender, age, and other characteristics expected to influence the behaviors. Results: Sixty-six percent (66%) of the middle school students sampled reported being involved in some type of recent fighting and/or weapon-related behaviors. Sixty-one percent (61%) indicated some form of fighting behavior in the past 3 months (threatening to beat someone up, physical fighting, and/or being hurt in a fight). Thirty percent (30%) of participating youth reported one or more weapon-related behaviors (threatening to use a weapon, carrying a weapon, using a weapon, and/or being cut, stabbed or shot at). Reported gun carrying among males varied depending upon site, but was as high as 20%. Grade in school was positively associated with reported violent behaviors. Adolescents who reported living full-time with a parent or parent figure, and those who reported religious observance or beliefs, were less likely to report violence involvement. All violence-related behaviors were more common among male than female adolescents. Conclusions: Violence prevention efforts should begin in elementary school and continue throughout adolescence. Programs should be prepared to provide services or referrals to victims of violence, implement programs tailored toward females as well as males, and build partnerships with churches and other community organizations in which youth are involved.