Original article
The co-morbidity of violence-related behaviors with health-risk behaviors in a population of high school students

https://doi.org/10.1016/1054-139X(94)00067-OGet rights and content

Purpose:

To describe the frequency of violence-related behaviors and their association with other health behaviors among high school students.

Methods:

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey was administered to all ninth and eleventh graders (n=2075) of a school district in Texas. It provided information regarding violence-related behaviors and other health behaviors. Students were classified into four mutually exclusive, violence-related categories according to whether they were involved in a physical fight and/or carried a weapon.

Results:

Overall, 20% of the students were involved in a physical fight but had not carried a weapon, 10% carried a weapon but had not been involved in a physical fight, and 17% had been involved in a physical fight and had carried a weapon. Prevalence of weapon-carrying and fighting were higher among males than females, and among ninth graders than eleventh graders. Among males, 48% had carried a weapon the month prior to the survey. Students who both fought and carried a weapon were 19 times more likely to drink alcohol six or more days than students who did not fight nor carried a weapon. Logistic regression analyses showed that drinking alcohol, number of sexual partners, and being in ninth grade were predictors of fighting. These three variables plus having a low self-perception of academic performance and suicidal thoughts were predictors of fighting and carrying a weapon.

Conclusions:

The data indicate that violence-related behaviors are frequent among high school students and that they are positively associated with certain health behaviors. Interventions designed to reduce violence should also address coexisting health-risk behaviors and target high-risk groups.

References (36)

  • NovelloAC

    From the Surgeon General, US Public Health Service

    JAMA

    (1992)
  • HammettM et al.

    Homicide surveillance—United States, 1979–1988

    MMWR

    (1992)
  • American Medical Association

    Healthy Youth 2000: National health promotion and disease prevention objectives for adolescents

    (1990)
  • American School Health Association, Association for the Advancement of Health Education, Society for Public Health Education
  • Centers for Disease Control

    Physical fighting among high school students—United States, 1990

    MMWR

    (1992)
  • Centers for Disease Control

    Weapon-carrying among high school students—United States, 1990

    MMWR

    (1991)
  • CallahanCM et al.

    Urban high school youth and handguns

    A school-based survey

    JAMA

    (1992)
  • JessorR et al.

    Problem behavior and psychological development: A longitudinal study of youth

    (1977)
  • JessorR

    Risk behavior in adolescence: A psychosocial framework for understanding and action

    J Adolesc Health

    (1991)
  • DonovanJE et al.

    Structure of problem behavior in adolescence and young adulthood

    J Consult Clin Psychol

    (1985)
  • BakerSP et al.

    The Injury Fact Book

    (1992)
  • Drugs and Crime Facts, 1991

    NCJ-134371

    (1992)
  • KingeryPM et al.

    Violence and illegal drug use among adolescents: Evidence from the U.S. National Adolescent Student Health Survey

    Int J Addictions

    (1992)
  • ValoisRF et al.

    Adolescent risk behaviors and the potential for violence: A look at what's coming to campus

    College Health

    (1993)
  • ShafferD

    Suicide in childhood and early adolescence

    J Child Psychol Psychiat

    (1974)
  • CairnesRB et al.

    Suicidal behavior in aggressive adolescents

    J Clin Child Psychol

    (1988)
  • FarringtonDP

    Early predictors of adolescent aggression and adult violence

    Violence and Victims

    (1989)
  • LoeberR et al.

    Early predictors of male delinquency: A review

    Psychological Bulletin

    (1983)
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text