At-School Victimization and Violence Exposure Assessed in a National Household Survey of Children and Youth

• NCJ Number: 248798
• Author(s): David Finkelhor, Jennifer Vandermindena, Heather Turner, Anne Shattuck, Sherry Hamby
• Date Published: October 2014
• Length: 2 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored

Annotation

This national household telephone survey of youth and parents assessed exposure to a broad range of at-school victimizations among a representative sample of 3,391 children and youth ages 5 to 17.

Abstract

The survey found that nearly half the sample (48 percent) had been exposed to at least one form of victimization at school during the past year (in 2011), most of which was intimidation/bullying (29.8 percent). Fourteen percent had been assaulted at school in the past year, 13 percent had witnessed an assault, 3.2 percent had been sexually harassed, and 0.4 percent had been sexually assaulted at school. Twelve percent had an at-school victimization injury in the past year, and 6 percent had missed a day or more of school as a result of their at-school victimization. Some victimizations, such as weapon assault and sexual assault, were less prevalent at school than out of school; others, such as intimidation and sexual harassment, were more common. (Publisher abstract modified)