Association Between Violent Victimization and Academic Performance among High School Students

Objective: We examined the relationship between adolescents' experiences with violent victimization and academic achievement. Methods: Data from the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey were analyzed for males (N = 8,537) and females (N = 7,816). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were employed to estimate the relationship between academic achievement and violent victimization. Results: Of males and females, 6.6% and 4.4%, respectively, earned grades of mostly D's or F's during the past year. Among males, those earning mostly D's or F's had an increased odds of having been injured in a fight (Adj. OR = 2.8; 95% CI: 1.6-3.1) or threatened at school (Adj. OR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.8-3.5) when compared to males who earned mostly A's or B's. Moreover, those who earned mostly C's were at increased odds of having been threatened at school when compared to males who earned mostly A's or B's (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1-2.0). Among females, those earning mostly D's or F's had a higher odds of having been bullied at school (Adj. OR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2-2.5 ), threatened at school (Adj. OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.4-3.0), or violently victimized by an intimate partner (OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.9-3.6) when compared to females who earned mostly A's or B's. Similar findings were observed for females earning mostly C grades. Conclusions: Academic achievement is linked to victimization patterns among male and female adolescents. Although the temporality of the relationship is unclear, the strength of the associations increase as academic achievement decreases.