Publication year
2016
Citation Title
Physical fighting among male and female adolescents of military families results from a representative sample of high school students.
Journal Name
Journal of Interpersonal Violence
Page Numbers
1-20
DOI
10.1177/0886260516640546
Summary
The relationship between family military involvement and physical fighting in a representative sample of 3,928 high school students was conducted. Analysis explored whether adolescents from military families had higher odds of fighting and fighting on school property compared with adolescents of non-military families after controlling for demographics, substance use, depressive symptoms, and bullying victimization. Overall, 24% of high school students reported physical fighting and 7% reported physical fighting at school and there were differences between youth from military families.
Key Findings
Family military involvement was associated with increased odds of involvement in physical fighting and physical fighting on school property.
Adolescents with multiple risk factors, including military family involvement, were at greatest risk for fighting.
The prevalence of physical fighting on school property was higher among male students compared with female students and among Black students compared with White, Latino, and other students.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide workshops for military-connected youth who relocate frequently that help to establish a strong connection to their new school and peers
Educate high school counselors and teachers who work with military-connected youth about the multiple stressors that they may face and how to support youth’s resilience
Develop school-based interventions aimed at addressing fighting to fit the unique needs of adolescents in military families, particularly those with additional risk factors
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend education of professionals (e.g., child caregivers, mental health, education professionals) on the unique stressors military-connected youth may experience
Encourage the development and continuation of programs that can support military-connected youth and their families health and well-being
Support collaboration between the DoD and local education units (i.e., elementary, middle, and high schools) coping skills curricula for military-connected youth
Methods
Youth participants in Nevada completed the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a biennial, anonymous, and voluntary survey. The overall response rate was 71%.
Youth answered questions on substance use in the past 30 days, physical fighting (in the past 12 months), and mental health.
Analysis examined the relationships between military-involved youth and physical fighting at school, after controlling for demographics, substance use, depression, and bullying victimization.
Participants
In the study were 3,928 youth participants who attended a high school in Nevada.
Participants identified as 40% Latino, 36% White, 9% Black, and 15% other.
About 10% of participants went to school in a rural county and 13% reported family military involvement.
Limitations
The question regarding family military involvement did not differentiate between deployment and nondeployment; therefore, the relationship between deployment and youth fighting behaviors could not be determined.
The measures of physical fighting could not differentiate between victimization and perpetration; therefore, results need to be interpreted with caution.
The results are only representative of youth from the state of Nevada; therefore, findings can’t represent other contexts.
Avenues for Future Research
Assess the relationship of interpersonal violence and military-connected youth through a national sample
Evaluate the effectiveness of school-based interventions designed to improve the well-being of youth from military families
Explore how deployment, family relocation, exposure to violence in the household, and other stressors relate to being in a military family and impact physical fighting among adolescents
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
The impact of family military involvement on adolescent mental health and substance abuse is well established, but little is known about other behavioral health outcomes such as physical fighting. We assessed the relationship between family military involvement and physical fighting in a representative sample of 3,928 high school students. Weighted logistic regression was used to determine whether adolescents from military families had higher odds of fighting and fighting on school property compared with adolescents of non-military families after controlling for demographics, substance use, depressive symptoms, and bullying victimization. We also assessed the cumulative impact of multiple risk factors on fighting outcomes. Overall, 23.5% of high school students reported physical fighting and 7.0% reported physical fighting at school. Youth from military families had higher odds of physical fighting (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] = 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.27, 2.25]) and physical fighting on school property (AOR = 1.98; 95% CI = [1.16, 3.39]). In models stratified by gender, family military involvement remained independently associated with physical fighting and physical fighting at school for males (AOR = 1.74; 95% CI = [1.15, 2.65] and AOR = 2.21; 95% CI = [1.03, 4.74]) and females (AOR = 1.65; 95% CI = [1.11, 2.45] and AOR = 1.88; 95% CI = [1.01, 3.50]). The odds of engaging in each physical fighting outcome increased as the cumulative number of risk factors increased. School-based interventions aimed at addressing fighting should be tailored to fit the unique needs of adolescents in military families, particularly those with additional risk factors.
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