Violência escolar entre adolescentes: prevalência e fatores associados a vítimas e agressores

Objective: analyzing the prevalence of school violence among Brazilian adolescents, focusing on the factors associated with the behavior of victimization and aggression in school actors. Methods: cross-sectional study with 678 students from 10 to 19 years of age in public municipal schools of Campina Grande, Brazil. The following variables were analyzed: sex, age, school violence, physical, psychological, material, virtual, and symbolic violence; use of alcohol, melee weapons, and firearms at school. The Escala de Violência Escolar (EVE) was used. Data were organized using the statistical program SPSS, considering a significance level of 5% and a confidence interval of 95%. Results: school violence was reported by 86.3% of students. Female adolescents were victims of psychological violence (79.7%), while male adolescents were more victimized by physical violence (65.4%). An association was found between the variable “being an aggressor” and “use of alcohol” (p<0.001; RP=3.92 [2.01-7.65]), “carrying melee weapons at school” (p=0.03; RP=2.17 [1.08-4.34]) and “carrying firearms” (RP=17.73; [2.32-135.02]). Conclusion: school violence is high and involves, predominantly male students, who show risk behavior both as victims and as aggressors.