Prevalence of school violence and use of alcohol and other drugs in adolescents

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the school violence suffered and practiced and its association with the use of alcohol and other drugs in adolescents between 12 and 18 years old. Method: the study sample consisted of 643 adolescents enrolled in six schools, who answered two self-administered questionnaires: “Global School-based Student Health Survey” and “Violence in School”. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test and the degree of association between the variables was analyzed using the prevalence ratio. Results: the prevalence of school violence suffered and practiced was 62.2% and 51.9%, respectively. About 44.6% of the aggressors said they did not want to change their behavior. There was an expressive prevalence of alcohol use (16.5%), tobacco (15.7%) and illicit drugs (6.8%), and drunkenness (12.6%). There was a significant association between the violence suffered and the age group of 12 to 14 years old (p=0.001); (p=0.011) and education level in elementary school (p<0.001). In mothers with less than eight years of studies, the association was significant for the violence practiced (p=0.002). Conclusion: the study contributes to the aspects involved in school violence, which can subsidize actions and policies in this area.

Children and Youth With Special Healthcare Needs: (Dis) Continuity of Care

“…Another study addressing school violence and its association with the use of alcohol or other drugs among 12 to 18-year-old individuals reports an expressive consumption of alcohol (16.5%), tobacco (15.7%), and illegal drugs (6.8%), which corroborate the discussions concerning the need of providing specialized care to this population. 22 Regarding psychosocial care, one study characterized the patients cared for by a Child Psychosocial Support Center located in Santa Catarina, Brazil, and identified that the primary motivations for these individuals to seek the service included learning difficulties, followed by anxiety and aggressiveness. Only 22.75% of the 444 medical records analyzed reported the outcomes: 8.78% were referred to a PHC service, and the remaining did not need to be referred to other services.…”

Consumo de álcool e drogas ilícitas e envolvimento de adolescentes em violência física em Pernambuco, Brasil

“…O consumo de álcool e o uso de drogas ilícitas aumentaram a chance do estudante sofrer violência física e ter se envolvido em brigas, assim como em outros estudos 11,13,25,28 . Sugere-se que o efeito psicoativo dessas substâncias leva a um aumento do comportamento agressivo, perda do senso crítico e consequentemente um maior envolvimento em situações violentas 27 .…”

“…A adolescência também é caracterizada por uma fase de aquisição de condutas de saúde ou de exposição a fatores de risco à saúde 10 , e alguns destes fatores de risco parecem estar associados à violência física. Estudos indicam que o uso de álcool e a violência são comportamentos de risco fortemente inter-relacionados que tendem a atingir o pico durante a adolescência 11,12 . Jovens que usam qualquer droga ilícita parecem ter duas vezes mais chances de se envolverem em violência em comparação com jovens que não relatam uso de drogas ilícitas 13 .…”

Autoestima e o consumo de álcool, de tabaco e de outras substâncias em trabalhadores terceirizados

“…Tobacco is among the main risk factors for the occurrence of several chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD), such as circulatory, respiratory and cancers diseases 8 . In addition, abusive drug use entails a number of negative consequences in the person, which may include social, physical and psychological problems for the life of the individual and of society 9 .…”