Demographic, intrinsic, and extrinsic factors associated with weapon carrying at school.
BACKGROUND
Recent incidents of school violence have heightened the need to identify societal, interpersonal, and adolescent characteristics that contribute to weapon carrying.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of weapon carrying at school and to determine associated risk factors for adolescent males and females.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study using the 1994-1995 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health data.


METHODS
A nationally representative sample of 6504 adolescents and their parents.


METHODS
Whether adolescents have ever carried a weapon at school.


METHODS
chi(2) Analyses and hierarchical regressions were done using SPSS (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Ill) and SUDAAN (Research Triangle Park, NC) software. Regression models included demographic, intrinsic, and extrinsic factors.


RESULTS
Of the overall sample, 9.3% (n = 595) reported having carried a weapon at school. Of these, 77% were male (male vs female adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3-4.1). Substance use, school problems, perpetration of violence, and witnessing violence were significantly associated with weapon carrying for both males and females. However, for males, extrinsic factors were more important in mediating the effects of substance use and perpetration of physical violence on school weapon carrying, while intrinsic factors mediate these variables for females.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that interventions for violence prevention for males and females need to be targeted toward different areas.
Kodjo
Cheryl M
CM
Division of Adolescent Medicine, Children's Hospital at Srong, University of Rochester Medical Center, Box 690, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. cheryl_kodjo@urmc.rochester.edu
Auinger
Peggy
P
Ryan
Sheryl A
SA
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*