Original scientific paper

Drug Abuse and Physical Violence Among High School Students: Some Important Characteristic of the Developmental Model of Prevention

Ivana Radovanović ; Kriminalističko-policijska akademija, Beograd-Zemun, Srbija

Abstract

In a variety of risky behavior that high-school youth is exposed to, drug abuse and physical violence, no doubt, takes very important place. Scientific studies of risk and protective factors, and prevention programs based on these studies are required to establish an efficient system of social responses to these behaviors.
Research on a sample of 488 students was conducted in four high schools in Belgrade. The sample of students was tested by specially designed questionnaire on students' behavior with questions measuring 21 variables in the area of the family, school and peer environments of students.
Data analysis showed that 23% of secondary school students at least once tried some type of drugs, that first time consumption begins at the age 11, while most of it try it at the age of 15, 16, and 17 years. Also analysis shows that of psycho-social characteristics to drug abuse contribute the most running away from home, changing of schools because of behavioral infractions, punishing reprimand in school and drug and alcoholism in their peer group. When it comes to physical abuse of students, data analysis showed that in fights participates 65.5% of male students and 24.0% of female, that participation in fights outside the school is more frequent than in school. Also, data analysis showed that violence in school and outside of school are closely associated with their gender, the presence of family members involved in crime, running of students away from home, physical punishment in the family, poor school performance, punishment reprimand by school authorities and socio pathological behavior and crime in the peer group.

Keywords

drug abuse; physical violence in school; developmental model of prevention; socio-psychological characteristics

Hrčak ID:

105627

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/105627

Publication date:

1.7.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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