Violence risk and protective factors among youth held back in school.
OBJECTIVE
To identify risk and protective factors for violence perpetration among youth with a history of grade retention.


METHODS
Longitudinal analysis of in-home interviews of 13,781 adolescents in grades 7 through 12 conducted in 1995 and 1996.


METHODS
Serious interpersonal violence perpetration at time 2 by time 1 independent variables including measures of community and school context, family context, and individual characteristics.


RESULTS
The 20% of girls and 28% of boys who had repeated 1 or more grades were more likely than those who had not to be in the top quintile of violence perpetration at time 2 (P <.001). For both girls and boys with a history of grade repetition, predictive risk factors with an odds ratio of 3 or greater (P <.001) included time 1 violence perpetration, violence victimization, weapon carrying, school problems, and alcohol and marijuana use. Although a high grade point average was a significant protective factor against violence perpetration for both girls (odds ratio, 0.36; P <.05) and boys (odds ratio, 0.23; P <.001), performance on a validated measure of verbal knowledge was not associated with violence perpetration over the study period. School connectedness, parent-family connectedness, and emotional well-being were also significant universal protectors against violence perpetration.


CONCLUSIONS
Youth who are held back in school are at heightened risk for violence perpetration. Violence-related behaviors and substance use considerably increase the likelihood of this outcome. The findings suggest that schools can participate in violence prevention by providing youth with a positive community and academic experience.
Borowsky
Iris Wagman
IW
Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455-2002, USA. borow004@umn.edu
Ireland
Marjorie
M
Resnick
Michael D
MD
D000293:Adolescent; D004493:Education; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014477:Underachievement; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*