Alcohol Use Frequency and School Violent Victimization: Exploring Sex and Grade Level Differences among Hispanic Junior High and High School Students

Background: Alcohol use and school violent victimization are two significant public health problems impacting Hispanic youth. The purpose of the study was to determine whether involvement in school violent victimization (e.g., being threatened or hurt by another student) differed based on frequency of alcohol use among Hispanic students. Methods: A total of 946 Hispanic youth (77.4% overall response rate) in seventh through twelfth grade in one metropolitan area completed the survey. The proven valid and reliable PRIDE national survey was administered to the participants. Logistic regression and odds ratios were computed to determine whether involvement in school violent victimization differed based on frequency of alcohol use by sex and grade level. Results: Overall, results indicated that Hispanic students who were involved in school violent victimization were at increased odds for reporting recent alcohol use and frequent episodic heavy drinking than Hispanic students who were not involved in school violent victimization. Regarding sex and grade level differences, Hispanic males, junior high school students, and high school students were at increased odds for recent alcohol use based on their involvement in school violent victimization. Concerning frequent episodic heavy drinking, Hispanic males, females, and high school students were at increased odds for use based on their involvement in school violent victimization. Although not statistically significant, there was a trend of episodic heavy drinking among junior high school students. Conclusions: These findings can aid professionals in developing effective prevention programs and efforts for this high-risk population. Recommendations for future studies are included.