Peer-reviewed article
Investigation of Violence Against Children in Schools with Types and Related Variables: Kosovo Sample
Armen Mustafa ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5The study surveyed 618 students in grades 10 to 12 at higher secondary schools in Prishtina, Kosovo, about violence they experienced at school. It looked at four types of violence: against property, psychological, physical and sexual. About 87% of the students had experienced at least one type of violence during their schooling. The study also examined how gender, place of residence and age relate to the violence reported.
Key points
- About 87% of children had experienced at least one type of violence during their education.
- Violence against the property of children and school property was reported most often (73.6%).
- Psychological violence was reported by 69.3%, physical violence by 47.5% and sexual violence by 22.1%.
- Gender appeared more influential for violence against property, psychological violence and physical violence.
- Residence appeared influential for physical violence only, while age was an influential factor in the prevalence of violence in school.
Limitations
The sample comes only from higher secondary schools in Prishtina, so it may not represent all children in Kosovo or younger pupils. The abstract does not say how the direction or size of the demographic differences, or the reported reliability level (α = 0.5), should be interpreted, and the study is descriptive rather than an evaluation of an intervention.
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to conduct an investigation on the level (extent) of violence against children in school, on types of violence and on the relationship between violence and demographic characteristics of children (gender, residence and age). This study focused on a sample group of 618 children, respectively students of grades 10 to 12 of higher secondary schools in Prishtina, Kosovo. With this sample group a structured questionnaire applied, which was composed of four (4) questions for each of the following types of violence: violence against the property of children and school property, psychological violence, physical violence and sexual violence. Results of this study have shown that approximately 87% of children have experienced, at least, once one type of violence throughout their education. Among these types of violence, violence against the property of children and against school property has been reported the most (73.6%), which is followed by psychological violence (69.3%), then physical violence (47.5%) and sexual violence (22.1%). Data have shown that in the level of reliability α = 0.5, gender as a demographic factor has appeared to be more influential in the prevalence of some types of violence (violence against property, psychological violence and physical violence), residence has appeared to be influential when speaking about physical violence only, while age has been shown to be an influential factor in the prevalence of violence against children in school.