TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2004//
TI  - Violent behaviour among adolescents in Iceland: a national survey
JO  - International journal of epidemiology
A1  - Gudlaugsdottir, Gerdur Run
A1  - Vilhjalmsson, Runar
A1  - Kristjansdottir, Gudrun
A1  - Jacobsen, Rune
A1  - Meyrowitsch, Dan
SP  - 1046
EP  - 1051
VL  - 33
IS  - 5
N2  - BACKGROUND: Violence among adolescents may have serious developmental, physical, and mental health consequences for the affected individuals. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of violent behaviour and its correlates among 15-16 year old schoolchildren in Iceland. METHODS: In 1997, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among a random half of all Icelandic schoolchildren aged 15-16 years. The overall response rate was 91% (N = 3872). In the present study, socio-demographic background, social support, negative life events, psychological distress, and substance use were considered in relation to violent behaviour using logistic regression techniques. RESULTS: The majority of the respondents reported having committed violence within the last year. Boys were more likely to use violence than girls (odds ratio [OR] = 5.6; 95% CI: 4.7, 6.6). Respondents who had experienced >/=4 negative life events in the past year were more likely to use violence than respondents with no negative life events (OR = 3.0; 95% CI: 2.2, 4.2). Smokers were more likely than non-smokers to use violence (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2, 2.2), and adolescents who had used alcohol >20x in their lifetime were more than twice as likely to commit violence compared with those who had never used alcohol (OR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.8, 3.4). CONCLUSION: Rates of violent behaviour among Icelandic schoolchildren were high. Gender, parental support, life stress, anger/aggression, and substance use were all significantly related to the perpetration of violent acts.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0300-5771
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyh190
ID  - ref1
ER  -