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. 2023 Dec 11;38(6):839-857.
doi: 10.1891/VV-2022-0033.

Prevalence of Violence Victimization and Perpetration During Middle and High School in Underresourced, Urban Communities

Sarah DeGue  1 , Colleen M Ray  2 , Daniel Bontempo  3 , Phyllis Holditch Niolon  2 , Allison J Tracy  2 , Lianne Fuino Estefan  2 , Vi D Le  2 , Todd D Little  3   4
Affiliations

Prevalence of Violence Victimization and Perpetration During Middle and High School in Underresourced, Urban Communities

Sarah DeGue et al. Violence Vict. .

Abstract

This study describes rates of violence victimization, perpetration, and witnessing in 6th-11th grade for a multisite sample (N = 3,466) of predominantly Black and Hispanic middle- and high-school students from urban areas with high rates of crime and economic disadvantage. Students completed surveys in middle and high school assessing teen dating violence, stalking, sexual violence and harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, and physical violence perpetration and victimization, as well as witnessing violence. The highest prevalence rates are observed most often in 8th or 9th grade. Youth reported high rates of witnessing serious assault and severe community violence throughout adolescence. These findings suggest that efforts to prevent violence among youth living in under-resourced communities need to start early and address community-level socioeconomic disparities.

Keywords: adolescence; bullying; dating violence; racial and economic diversity; sexual violence; witnessing violence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure. The authors have no relevant financial interest or affiliations with any commercial interests related to the subjects discussed within this article.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Rates of teen dating violence exposure by grade and gender. Note. YRBS = Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Rates of physical and sexual teen dating violence (YRBS items), sexual violence, sexual harassment, bullying, cyberbullying, and physical violence exposure by grade and gender. Note. YRBS = Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.
Rates of witnessing violence in the home and community by grade and gender.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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