Kids at Risk for Harm at School

Kids at Risk for Harm at School

National statistics show that 40 percent of violent crimes against kids, ages 12-19, occur in or around schools. But kids who believe they cannot walk away from a fight are particularly vulnerable, according to a study by UAB sociologist Kevin Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., in the October Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Among nearly 2,600 public school students surveyed, the odds of being victimized by violence was 14 percent higher for third- through sixth-graders who said walking away from a fight was hard. Among seventh- through ninth-graders, the odds increased 18 percent. And students with more negative evaluations of school conditions were victimized more often. ìUnderstanding the dynamic of the victimization process and whoís at greatest risk is critical to designing effective, age-appropriate violence prevention strategies.î Call Fitzpatrick, 205-934-8678, or e-mail [email protected].