title: Aggressive and violent behaviors in the school environment among a nationally representative sample of adolescent youth.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of aggressive and violent behaviors in the context of the school environment in a nationally representative sample of adolescent youth and to illustrate these patterns during 2001-2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from 84,734 participants via the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Frequencies were visualized using heatmaps. One-way analyses of variance and corresponding post hoc tests helped to identify if differences in prevalence fluctuated significantly across all years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rates of youth feeling unsafe in their school environment, bringing weapons to school, and engaging in physical fighting on school property continue to persist. Findings illustrated that Hispanic youth and youth classified as "other" have emerged as particularly high-risk demographic subgroups over the past decade. Peer victimization and sexual victimization continue to affect girls disproportionately.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though some variation within demographic subgroups exists, rates of aggressive and violent behaviors in the context of the school environment continue to persist. Implications for the coordinated prevention of aggressive and violent behaviors among adolescent youth are discussed and recommendations for school-based prevention efforts are identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, Health and Behavior Studies, 525 West 120th Street, PO Box 114, New York, NY 10027. sr2345@tc.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Sonali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajan
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Informatics and Bioinformatics, New York University Langone Medical Center, 227 East 30th Street, New York, NY 10016. rachel.namdar@mail.yu.edu.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Namdar
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health, New York University Langone Medical Center, 227 East 30th Street, 617D, New York, NY 10016. Kelly.Ruggles@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Kelly V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Ruggles
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D004496:Education, Continuing; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends*
keywords: YRBSS; adolescent; aggression; school safety; violence