Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106640

Susan M. Blake, PhD¹, Rosa Gonzalez, MSN, MPH², Jennifer K. Allard, BA³, Florencia Gonzalez, MPH⁴, Anuradha Kodali, MBBS, MPH⁵, Rebecca Ledsky, MBA⁶, Gene A. Shelley, PhD⁷, Kendell Cephas, MPH⁷, and Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN⁸. (1) Prevention and Community Health, George Washington University, 2175 K St NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20037, 202-253-4275, smblake1@aol.com, (2) School of Nursing & Health Studies, University of Miami, 5801 Red Road, Miami, FL 33124, (3) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, 3209 N. Charles St. Apt. B, Baltimore City, MD 21218, (4) Department of Urology, George Washington University - MFA, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 3-417, Washington, DC 20037, (5) Institute for Survey Research, Temple University, 9451 Lee Highway, Apt. 1013, Fairfax, VA 22031, (6) Health Systems Research, Inc., 1200 18th St, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036, (7) Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS K60, Atlanta, GA 30341, (8) School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, 525 N. Wolfe Street, Room 436, Baltimore, MD 2105-2100

Purpose: To assess whether incidence rates of verbal, physical and sexual aggression events varied by social-environmental context in four middle schools. Methods: A total of n=87 behavioral observations during Fall 2002 (3 schools) and n=274 in Fall 2003 (4 schools) were completed as part of a dating violence prevention study. Dependent variables were overall (O), verbal (V), physical (P) and sexual (S) aggression incidence rates per hour (PH). Independent variables included; school, school setting (e.g., classroom, hallway, cafeteria), crowding (# of students/square feet of the zone), time of day (morning, mid-day, afternoon), and the ratio of staff to students (S-S), and male to female (M-F) students. One-way ANOVA procedures were used. Results: Mean O aggression rates PH in 2002 (32.9) and 2003 (45.6) were high, with P event rates most frequently observed, followed by V and S rates PH in both years; in 2002 (P=21.5; V=8.8; S=2.7) and 2003 (P=30.4; V=12.3; S=2.9). Aggression was significantly higher in hallways, followed by cafeterias, and classrooms in 2002 (73 vs 30 vs 12 PH, p<.000), but in 2003, hallway and cafeteria O rates were both higher than classrooms (57 vs 53 vs 28 PH, p<.000). O rates were observed more frequently in high crowding situations both years (p<.000). No differences were observed by school, time of day, S-S, or M-F either year. Conclusions: Behavioral observations provide a useful means of assessing the social-environmental context of aggression incidence rates in schools, and compliment other assessment methods.

Learning Objectives:

• • Participants will learn about the methods used to assess verbal, physical and sexual aggression among middle school-aged youth.
• • Participants will gain a better understanding of the social and environmental contexts within which verbal, physical and sexual aggression tends to occur in middle schools.
• • Participants will know about differences in the rates of verbal, physical and sexual aggression among middle school-aged youth.
• • Participants will learn how to incorporate behavioral observations in assessments of school-violence and measurement of intervention effects.

Keywords: Youth Violence, School Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation