Cross-national Study of Fighting and Weapon Carrying as Determinants of Adolescent Injury

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objectives. We sought to (1) compare estimates of the prevalence of fighting and weapon carrying among adolescent boys and girls in North American and European countries and (2) assess in adolescents from a subgroup of these countries comparative rates of weapon carrying and characteristics of fighting and injury outcomes, with a determination of the association between these indicators of violence and the occurrence of medically treated injury.Design and Setting. Cross-sectional self-report surveys using 120 questions were obtained from nationally representative samples of 161 082 students in 35 countries. In addition, optional factors were assessed within individual countries: characteristics of fighting (9 countries); characteristics of weapon carrying (7 countries); and medically treated injury (8 countries).Participants. Participants included all consenting students in sampled classrooms (average age: 11-15 years).Measures. The primary measures assessed included involvement in physical fights and the types of people involved; frequency and types of weapon carrying; and frequency and types of medically treated injury.Results. Involvement in fighting varied across countries, ranging from 37% to 69% of the boys and 13% to 32% of the girls. Adolescents most often reported fighting with friends or relatives. Among adolescents reporting fights, fighting with total strangers varied from 16% to 53% of the boys and 5% to 16% of the girls. Involvement in weapon carrying ranged from 10% to 21% of the boys and 2% to 5% of the girls. Among youth reporting weapon carrying, those carrying handguns or other firearms ranged from 7% to 22% of the boys and 3% to 11% of the girls. In nearly all reporting countries, both physical fighting and weapon carrying were significantly associated with elevated risks for medically treated, multiple, and hospitalized injury events. 11 Results from these studies have broadened our knowledge of the global impact that adolescent violence has on public health. Existing international comparisons of youth violence have focused on the frequency of adolescent violence-related behaviors in a small number of countries, 12 comparisons of episodes of school violence and its determinants in Israeli and Arabic student populations, 13 studies of "child soldiers" in countries engaged in civil and international warfare, 14,15 international comparisons of firearmrelated mortality, 3 and, as part of more general international comparisons, examinations of firearm regulations and rates of homicide, 3,16,17 robberies and sexual assaults, 17,18 and suicide. 16 Beyond studies of firearms, international comparisons of rates of youth violence are still lacking, and the magnitude and nature of the adolescent violence problem remains unknown for many countries. Cross-national comparisons of violent behaviors in youth have been problematic, because of the use of nonrepresentative samples in many countries and a lack of uniformity in study designs. ConclusionsPhysical fighting and engagement in weapon carry...

Prevalence and correlates of physical fighting among school-going adolescents in Santiago, Chile

“…The majority of countries reporting the highest prevalence of physical fighting by boys were from Eastern or Central Europe. 34 Our estimates from Chile appear to be within the usual range of prevalence that has been reported elsewhere.…”

“…In a study involving 37,571 11-15-years-old in-school adolescents conducted in 2001/2002 in 9 different countries, Pickett reported that the prevalence of boys involved in physical fighting during the previous year ranged from 37% in Finland to 69% in the Czech Republic. 34 The overall average prevalence was 58%. Among girls, the prevalence of physical fighting was much lower ranging from 13% in Finland to 32% in Hungary and an overall average of 24%.…”

Prevalência e fatores associados a porte de arma e envolvimento em agressão física entre adolescentes de 15 a 18 anos: estudo de base populacional

“…Neste estudo, ser do sexo masculino aumenta o risco para ambos os desfechos estudados, assim como em todos os demais artigos que investigaram a questão de gênero 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25 . Os achados sugerem que meninos são os que mais usam a violência para resolver seus conflitos interpessoais.…”

Handgun carrying among White youth increasing in the United States: New evidence from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2002–2013

“…In addition to males more likely to carry handgun than females (Pickett et al, 2005), research has identified racial and ethnic differences. Studies in the U.S. indicate that African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to carry weapons such as handguns compared to Whites and Asians (e.g., Craun & Detar, 2015;Durant, Krowchuk, Kreiter, Sinal, & Woods 1999;Spano, 2012) in part because of more extensive and greater duration of involvement in criminal violence (Bierie, 2014;Craun & Deter, 2015;Doherty & Ensminger, 2014).…”