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Weapon carrying on school property among middle school students
February1998
POSTERPRESENTATIONS
WeaponCarryingonSchoolPropertyAmongMiddleSchoolStudents.RobertH.DuR@ Ph.D.,Daniel Krowchuk, MD,ShelleyKreiter,MD,SaraSinal,MD,CharlesWooda,MD,JaneFey,MD,BrennerChildren’s Hospital,BowmanGraySchoolof Medicine,WakeForestUniversity,Winston-Salem,NC. OBJECTIVE:Weaponcarryingat schoolhasbeerrfoundto be associatedwithotherhealthrisk behaviors amongolderadolescentsin highschool.Thisproblemhasnotbeenstudiedamongyoungeradolescents.We examinedthe associationof weaponcarryingat school,ageof onsetof substanceuse, otherindicatorsof violenceandotherhealthrisk behaviorsamongmiddleschoolstudents.DESIGN:In 1995a modifiedveraionof the CDCYouthRiskBehaviorSurvey~S) was administeredto 2,227studenta(49%.female)attending53 (outof 463)randomlyselectedmiddleschoolsinNorthCarolina.Weaponcarryingon schoolpropertyduring schoolhourswas measuredwithtwoquestionsassessingcarryinga gunandcarryingotherweaponssuchas a knifeor club.TheYRBSalsoassessedotherindicatorsof violence,druguse, suicideplansandattempts,and beingthreatenedwitha weaponat school.VariablesSignificantly (pS0.001)~SOcia@d withw ad other weaponcarryingby chi squaretests wereanalyzedwithstepwiselogisticregressionusingthe likelihoodratio aDDrOWh.All models included age, gender, minority ethnicityhzrce,and family composition. RESULTS: 30/0of
sk-dentshadcarrieda gunand 1~.l~ohadcarrieda-hife or clubto school. Males Females Caucasian Minority P P 5% 5’?40 1% .0001 2V0 .001 CarriedGun .001 14% 14% .36 CarriedKnifeor Club 20’YO 8Y0 Guncarryingwas associatedwithincreasedage( adjustedoddsratio= 1.57,gs~. corrfldenceinterval= 1.152.14),male gender(5.62,2.42-13.03),minorityethnicgroup(3.30,1.55-5.05),andearlierage of onsetof use of cigarettes(.85, .74-.97),alcohol(.81,.71-.94),marijuana(.81,.71-.92),andcocaine(.73, .62-.86).Carryinga knifeor clubon schoolpropertywasassociatedwithage(1.32,1.14-1.53),malegender(2.39,1.77-2.32),and earlierage of onsetof smoking(.88,.84-.94),alcoholuse(.81,.76-.86),andmarijuanause (.77, .72-.83).Grm carryingwas alsoassociatedwithfrequencyof smoking(1.34,1.14-1.57),alcoholuse (4.59, 1.27-16.58), cocaineuse (2.96,1.29-6.82)andmarijuanause (3.66,1.67-8.06)atter adjustingfor mrdegenderandminority ethnicgroup.Carryinga knifeor clubwasassociatedwithcarryinga gun(1.83,1.31-2.55),havingbeen threatenedwitha weaponat school(1.65,1.10-2.49),fighting(4.62,2.56,8.37),tkequencyof alcoholuse (2.91, 1.88-4.50),tlequencyof smoking(1.20,1.10-1.31),anda suicideplan(1.54,1.07-2.20).CONCLUSION: Middleschoolstudentsare morelikelyto carrya knifeor clubto schoolthana gun.Youngadolescentswho initiatesubstanceuse earlyandengagein it morefrequentlyare morelikelyto carrygunsandotherweaponato school,atler adjustingforage, genderiandethnicity.Havingbeenthreatenedwitha weaponat schooland fightingwereonlyassociatedwithknifeor clubcarryingat school.
GENDERDIFFERENCESIN RISKBEHAVIORSAMONGADOLESCENTSWHO EXPERIENCEDATE FIGHTING. ShelleyKreiter,M.D.,DanielKrowchuk,M.D.,CharlesWoods,M.D.,Sara Sinai,M.D.,Michael Lawless,M.D., Robert H. DuRant,Ph.D. BrermerChildren’sHospital,BowmanGray Schoolof Medicine, WakeForestUniversity,Winston-Salem,NC. OBJECTIVE:Althoughdatingviolencetlequentlybeginsduringadolescence,few studieshave focusedon date fightingin middleand high schoolstudents. Fewerstudieshave studiedgenderdifferencesin date violence. Thisstudyexamineswhethergenderspecificpatternsof risk behaviorsexist amongadolescentswhoreportdate fighting. DESIGN:Thestudywaaconductedon datacollectedftom21,2978*-12thgradestudentsparticipating in the Vermont1995YouthRiskBehaviorSurvey.Datawasanrdyredon student@ ernales=58Y0) whoreported either never havingbeen involvedin a physicalfight (n=13,051)or reportedthat their last physicalfight was with a girltiiend,boy6iend, or otherdatingpartner(n*34). Demographicvariablesincludedage and grade. Etbnicity/racewas not includedon the VermontYRBSbecause97.5%of the studentsare Caucasian. Other indicatorsof violence( weaponcarrying,beingthreatened,fighting)suicideattempts, substanceuse, sexual behaviorand pregnancywere selected,basedon ProblemBehaviorTheory. Significantvariables(p < .001)by chi squaretests were analyzedwith stepwiselogisticregression.Adolescentswho reporteddate fightingwere comparedto thosewhoreportedneverhavebeen involvedin a fightand to thosereportingtheir last fightto be withsomeoneotherthan a datingpartner. RESULTS: 1.8Y.of malesand4.2 ‘Yo of femalesreportedtheir last fightto be withaboyffiend,girlfriend,or datingpartner. Riskbehaviorssignificantlyassociatedamongfemales who only experienceddate fightingincludednumberof male sexualpartnersin the past 3 months(Adjusted Odds Ratio 1.52, 95% ConfidenceInterval 1.30-1.77),numberof suicideattemptsin paat 12 months(1.71, 1.44-2.02),riding in a car with a drinkingdriver(1.22, 1.09-1.36),injectionof illegaldrugs(2.78, 1.14-6.79), use of alcoholbeforelast sex (1.66, 1.38-1.99),numberof pregnancies(1.92, 1.46-2.52),and inhalantuse (1.22, 1.09-1.37).Riskbehaviorssignificantlyassociatedamongmaleswhoexperienceonlydate fightingwere sexurd activity(3.97,2.22-7.10),numberof malepartnersin past 3 months(1.61,1.34-1.94),numberof times of getting someonepregnant(1.56,1.10-2.20),frequencyof cigaretteuse (1.16,1.01-1.32),andnumberof timesthreaterred with a weaponin the past 12 months(1.77, 1.50-2.09).CONCLUSIONS:Patternsof risk behaviorsdiffered amongmale and femaleadolescentsreportingdatingviolence. Femaleswhoreporteddate fightingwere more likelythan nonfightersto haveattemptedsuicide,to engagein sexualhodHIVrisk behaviom (use ofinjectable drugs),to havebeerrpregnant,and to have riddenin a car with a drinkingdriver. Sexualbehaviora,including same gender sexual partners,and havingbeen threatenedwith a weaponwere associatedwith date fighting amongmales.Thesefindingsare importantin screeningadolescentsat risk for partnerviolence.
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POSTERPRESENTATIONS
WeaponCarryingonSchoolPropertyAmongMiddleSchoolStudents.RobertH.DuR@ Ph.D.,Daniel Krowchuk, MD,ShelleyKreiter,MD,SaraSinal,MD,CharlesWooda,MD,JaneFey,MD,BrennerChildren’s Hospital,BowmanGraySchoolof Medicine,WakeForestUniversity,Winston-Salem,NC. OBJECTIVE:Weaponcarryingat schoolhasbeerrfoundto be associatedwithotherhealthrisk behaviors amongolderadolescentsin highschool.Thisproblemhasnotbeenstudiedamongyoungeradolescents.We examinedthe associationof weaponcarryingat school,ageof onsetof substanceuse, otherindicatorsof violenceandotherhealthrisk behaviorsamongmiddleschoolstudents.DESIGN:In 1995a modifiedveraionof the CDCYouthRiskBehaviorSurvey~S) was administeredto 2,227studenta(49%.female)attending53 (outof 463)randomlyselectedmiddleschoolsinNorthCarolina.Weaponcarryingon schoolpropertyduring schoolhourswas measuredwithtwoquestionsassessingcarryinga gunandcarryingotherweaponssuchas a knifeor club.TheYRBSalsoassessedotherindicatorsof violence,druguse, suicideplansandattempts,and beingthreatenedwitha weaponat school.VariablesSignificantly (pS0.001)~SOcia@d withw ad other weaponcarryingby chi squaretests wereanalyzedwithstepwiselogisticregressionusingthe likelihoodratio aDDrOWh.All models included age, gender, minority ethnicityhzrce,and family composition. RESULTS: 30/0of
sk-dentshadcarrieda gunand 1~.l~ohadcarrieda-hife or clubto school. Males Females Caucasian Minority P P 5% 5’?40 1% .0001 2V0 .001 CarriedGun .001 14% 14% .36 CarriedKnifeor Club 20’YO 8Y0 Guncarryingwas associatedwithincreasedage( adjustedoddsratio= 1.57,gs~. corrfldenceinterval= 1.152.14),male gender(5.62,2.42-13.03),minorityethnicgroup(3.30,1.55-5.05),andearlierage of onsetof use of cigarettes(.85, .74-.97),alcohol(.81,.71-.94),marijuana(.81,.71-.92),andcocaine(.73, .62-.86).Carryinga knifeor clubon schoolpropertywasassociatedwithage(1.32,1.14-1.53),malegender(2.39,1.77-2.32),and earlierage of onsetof smoking(.88,.84-.94),alcoholuse(.81,.76-.86),andmarijuanause (.77, .72-.83).Grm carryingwas alsoassociatedwithfrequencyof smoking(1.34,1.14-1.57),alcoholuse (4.59, 1.27-16.58), cocaineuse (2.96,1.29-6.82)andmarijuanause (3.66,1.67-8.06)atter adjustingfor mrdegenderandminority ethnicgroup.Carryinga knifeor clubwasassociatedwithcarryinga gun(1.83,1.31-2.55),havingbeen threatenedwitha weaponat school(1.65,1.10-2.49),fighting(4.62,2.56,8.37),tkequencyof alcoholuse (2.91, 1.88-4.50),tlequencyof smoking(1.20,1.10-1.31),anda suicideplan(1.54,1.07-2.20).CONCLUSION: Middleschoolstudentsare morelikelyto carrya knifeor clubto schoolthana gun.Youngadolescentswho initiatesubstanceuse earlyandengagein it morefrequentlyare morelikelyto carrygunsandotherweaponato school,atler adjustingforage, genderiandethnicity.Havingbeenthreatenedwitha weaponat schooland fightingwereonlyassociatedwithknifeor clubcarryingat school.
GENDERDIFFERENCESIN RISKBEHAVIORSAMONGADOLESCENTSWHO EXPERIENCEDATE FIGHTING. ShelleyKreiter,M.D.,DanielKrowchuk,M.D.,CharlesWoods,M.D.,Sara Sinai,M.D.,Michael Lawless,M.D., Robert H. DuRant,Ph.D. BrermerChildren’sHospital,BowmanGray Schoolof Medicine, WakeForestUniversity,Winston-Salem,NC. OBJECTIVE:Althoughdatingviolencetlequentlybeginsduringadolescence,few studieshave focusedon date fightingin middleand high schoolstudents. Fewerstudieshave studiedgenderdifferencesin date violence. Thisstudyexamineswhethergenderspecificpatternsof risk behaviorsexist amongadolescentswhoreportdate fighting. DESIGN:Thestudywaaconductedon datacollectedftom21,2978*-12thgradestudentsparticipating in the Vermont1995YouthRiskBehaviorSurvey.Datawasanrdyredon student@ ernales=58Y0) whoreported either never havingbeen involvedin a physicalfight (n=13,051)or reportedthat their last physicalfight was with a girltiiend,boy6iend, or otherdatingpartner(n*34). Demographicvariablesincludedage and grade. Etbnicity/racewas not includedon the VermontYRBSbecause97.5%of the studentsare Caucasian. Other indicatorsof violence( weaponcarrying,beingthreatened,fighting)suicideattempts, substanceuse, sexual behaviorand pregnancywere selected,basedon ProblemBehaviorTheory. Significantvariables(p < .001)by chi squaretests were analyzedwith stepwiselogisticregression.Adolescentswho reporteddate fightingwere comparedto thosewhoreportedneverhavebeen involvedin a fightand to thosereportingtheir last fightto be withsomeoneotherthan a datingpartner. RESULTS: 1.8Y.of malesand4.2 ‘Yo of femalesreportedtheir last fightto be withaboyffiend,girlfriend,or datingpartner. Riskbehaviorssignificantlyassociatedamongfemales who only experienceddate fightingincludednumberof male sexualpartnersin the past 3 months(Adjusted Odds Ratio 1.52, 95% ConfidenceInterval 1.30-1.77),numberof suicideattemptsin paat 12 months(1.71, 1.44-2.02),riding in a car with a drinkingdriver(1.22, 1.09-1.36),injectionof illegaldrugs(2.78, 1.14-6.79), use of alcoholbeforelast sex (1.66, 1.38-1.99),numberof pregnancies(1.92, 1.46-2.52),and inhalantuse (1.22, 1.09-1.37).Riskbehaviorssignificantlyassociatedamongmaleswhoexperienceonlydate fightingwere sexurd activity(3.97,2.22-7.10),numberof malepartnersin past 3 months(1.61,1.34-1.94),numberof times of getting someonepregnant(1.56,1.10-2.20),frequencyof cigaretteuse (1.16,1.01-1.32),andnumberof timesthreaterred with a weaponin the past 12 months(1.77, 1.50-2.09).CONCLUSIONS:Patternsof risk behaviorsdiffered amongmale and femaleadolescentsreportingdatingviolence. Femaleswhoreporteddate fightingwere more likelythan nonfightersto haveattemptedsuicide,to engagein sexualhodHIVrisk behaviom (use ofinjectable drugs),to havebeerrpregnant,and to have riddenin a car with a drinkingdriver. Sexualbehaviora,including same gender sexual partners,and havingbeen threatenedwith a weaponwere associatedwith date fighting amongmales.Thesefindingsare importantin screeningadolescentsat risk for partnerviolence.
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