Abstract
Objective
To investigate and compare differences in physical aggression among children and adolescents.
Subjects and methods
A cross-sectional study of victims of violence by physical aggression was conducted in a Forensic Unit that attends such victims. Reports of violence containing complete information were gathered for 164 children and 788 adolescents. Data were collected from the information contained in these reports.
Results
The results of the multivariate logistic regression model analysis indicated that five of the nine factors investigated showed a statistically significant association with children or adolescents. Female children were more likely to be associated with cases of violence [OR: 2.90, 95 % CI (1.88, 4.44)] in the domestic environment [OR: 6.55, 95 % CI (4.37, 9.82)]. Among adolescents, boys were more likely to be involved, and group violence was more frequent. The injuries sustained by both children and adolescents affected more than one body area. Separately, the head and face were the most affected.
Conclusion
Differences were encountered between the factors investigated for children and adolescents, emphasizing the complexity of the issue in the juvenile age group. Efforts to combat and prevent violence require specific guidelines for both children and adolescents. There is also a need to develop qualitative approaches that foster an understanding of this issue from a new perspective.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the Forensic Medicine and Dentistry Center in the city of Campina Grande, state of Paraíba, Brazil, for authorizing the data acquisition.
Author contributions
Ítalo M. Bernardino and Kevan G. N. Barbosa participated in the acquisition and interpretation of data and in the preparation and critical review of the manuscript, and they approved the final manuscript as submitted. Lorena M. Nóbrega, Gigliana M. S. Cavalcante and Jéssica A. L. Silva participated in the data acquisition and development of technical procedures for data formatting and approved the final manuscript as submitted. Sergio d’Avila supervised the study and participated in the conception and design of the method and critical revision of the manuscript for final approval.
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The study followed national and international standards of ethics in research involving human participants and was evaluated by an independent ethics committee (opinion no. 0652.0.133.203-11).
Conflicts of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Funding source
This study was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), MCT/CNPq no. 14/2010.
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de Macedo Bernardino, Í., Barbosa, K.G.N., da Nóbrega, L.M. et al. Physical violence against Brazilian children and adolescents: a 4-year study. J Public Health 24, 135–140 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-016-0707-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-016-0707-x