NCJ Number
245646
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 28 Issue: 7 Dated: May 2013 Pages: 1424-1436
Date Published
May 2013
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The authors examined the relationship between adolescents' experiences with violent victimization and academic achievement.
Abstract
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. Among males and females, 6.6 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively, earned grades of mostly Ds or Fs during the past year. Among males, those earning mostly Ds or Fs had an increased odds of having been injured in a fight (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.2, 95 percent confidence interval [95 percent CI]: 1.5-3.3) or threatened at school (OR = 2.0, 95 percent CI: 1.3-2.9) when compared to males who earned mostly As or Bs. Moreover, those who earned mostly Cs were at increased odds of having been threatened at school when compared to males who earned mostly As or Bs (OR = 1.4, 95 percent CI: 1.1-1.9). Among females, those earning mostly Ds or Fs had a higher odds of having been bullied at school (OR = 1.6, 95 percent CI: 1.1-2.3), threatened at school (OR = 1.5, 95 percent CI: 1.1-2.3), or violently victimized by an intimate partner (OR = 2.0, 95 percent CI: 1.4-3.0) when compared to females who earned mostly As or Bs. Similar findings were observed when examining females earning mostly C grades. 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 increases as academic achievement decreases. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.