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

Abstract #106637

Susan M. Blake, PhD¹, Jessica Roberts, RN, BSN², Rebecca Ledsky, MBA³, Anuradha Kodali, MBBS, MPH⁴, Florencia Gonzalez, MPH⁵, Gene A. Shelley, PhD⁶, Kendell Cephas, MPH⁶, and Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN². (1) Department of Prevention & Community Health, George Washington University, School of Public Health & Health Services, 2175 K. Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20037, 202-253-4275, smblake1@aol.com, (2) School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, 4 East 32nd Street #110, Baltimore, MD 21218, (3) Health Systems Research, Inc., 1200 18th St, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036, (4) Institute for Survey Research, Temple University, 9451 Lee Highway, Apt. 1013, Fairfax, VA 22031, (5) Department of Urology, George Washington University - MFA, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 3-417, Washington, DC 20037, (6) Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, MS K60, Atlanta, GA 30341

Purpose: Behavioral observations were used to assess gender difference incidence rates of verbal, physical and sexual aggression in four middle schools. Methods: Observations were conducted during Fall 2002 (n=87; 3 schools) and 2003 (n=274; 4 schools) as part of a dating violence prevention study. Behavioral event sampling and continuous recording procedures were used. Dependent variables were overall (O), verbal (V), physical (P) and sexual (S) aggression event rates per hour (PH). Independent variables were gender of perpetrator and victim: male-male (M-M); male-female (M-F); female-female (F-F); and female-male (F-M). One-way ANOVA's were used to assess gender differences. Results: Overall aggression rates PH in 2002 (32.9) and 2003 (45.6) differed significantly by gender. M-M events PH (13.0) exceeded both M-F (6.97) and F-F (3.9), but not F-M (8.3) aggression in 2002 (p<.01). Differences were found in physical aggression (M-M=8.8; M-F=4.1; F-M=5.9; F-F=2.3; p<.05) in 2002. In 2003, M-M rates PH (22.2) exceeded all other groups (M-F=5.31; F-M=5.6; and F-F=11.73; p<.0001), and for all types of aggression: verbal (M-M=4.0; M-F=1.3; F-M=1.5; F-F=5.0; p<.0001), physical (M-M=16.8; M-F=3.3; F-M=3.9; F-F=6.2; p<.0001), and sexual (M-M=1.4; M-F=0.7; F-M=0.2; F-F=0.5; p<.0001). M-F and F-M rates did not differ in either year, and males were more likely than females to be victims and perpetrators of aggression in both years. Conclusions: Findings demonstrated considerable male to male aggression, and few differences in M-F and F-M rates. Behavioral observations provide a useful means of assessing aggression incidence rates in schools.

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 gender differences in the rates of verbal, physical and sexual aggression among middle school-aged youth in this study.
• • 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