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Violence in school: An investigation of physical, psychological, and sexual victimization reported by Italian adolescents

2017; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 18; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/15388220.2017.1387128

1538-8239

Claudio Longobardi, Laura Elvira Prino, Matteo Angelo Fabris, Michele Settanni,

Gun Ownership and Violence Research

In Italy, numerous studies have been carried out regarding the phenomenon of bullying; however, studies on single incidences of sexual, physical, and psychological victimization at school remain scant. Therefore the aim of this study is to examine the phenomenon of scholastic violence with a broader perspective, as well as all the possible perpetrators including adults. The sample consisted of 277 adolescents (64% female), ranging from grade 6th to 13th (mean age = 13.29, SD = 2.19). Sixty-four percent of the participants were middle school students, the remaining were high school students. Results show that the most commonly reported type of victimization is psychological violence (incidence= 77%), followed by physical (incidence= 52%), and sexual victimization (incidence= 24%). These forms of violence are mainly inflicted by peers. The research confirmed the validity of the tool and its applicability in the Italian context for screening violent behavior at school.