@article{ref1,
title="Structural determinants of youth bullying and fighting in 79 countries",
journal="Journal of Adolescent Health",
year="2015",
author="Elgar, Frank J. and McKinnon, Britt and Walsh, Sophie D. and Freeman, John and Donnelly, Peter D. and de Matos, Margarida Gaspar and Gariepy, Geneviève and Aleman-Diaz, Aixa Y. and Pickett, William and Molcho, Michal and Currie, Candace",
volume="57",
number="6",
pages="643-650",
abstract="PURSPOSE: The prevention of youth violence is a public health priority in many countries. We examined the prevalence of bullying victimization and physical fighting in youths in 79 high- and low-income countries and the relations between structural determinants of adolescent health (country wealth, income inequality, and government spending on education) and international differences in youth violence. <br><br>METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys were administered in schools between 2003 and 2011. These surveys provided national prevalence rates of bullying victimization (n = 334,736) and four or more episodes of physical fighting in the past year (n = 342,312) in eligible and consenting 11-16 year olds. Contextual measures included per capita income, income inequality, and government expenditures on education. We used meta-regression to examine relations between country characteristics and youth violence. <br><br>RESULTS: Approximately 30% of adolescents reported bullying victimization and 10.7% of males and 2.7% of females were involved in frequent physical fighting. More youth were exposed to violence in African and Eastern Mediterranean countries than in Europe and Asia. Violence directly related to country wealth; a 1 standard deviation increase in per capita income corresponded to less bullying (-3.9% in males and -4.2% in females) and less fighting (-2.9% in males and -1.0% in females). Income inequality and education spending modified the relation between country wealth and fighting; where inequality was high, country wealth related more closely to fighting if education spending was also high. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Country wealth is a robust determinant of youth violence. Fighting in affluent but economically unequal countries might be reduced through increased government spending on education.<br><br>KEYWORDS: Juvenile justice; Juvenile delinquency<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1054-139X",
doi="10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.08.007",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.08.007"
}