Incidence of different types of school violence in primary and secondary education

Abstract

The objective of the study is to quantify the different types of school violence that take place in primary and secondary schools, as well as to analyze whether the socio-school variables determine and predict their development in students. A non-experimental, descriptive, inferential and regression investigation was carried out. The intentional and stratified sample comprised 1139 participants [423 primary education students (M = 10.56; DT =.67) and 716 secondary education students (M = 14.09; DT = 1.22)], to which is administered the questionnaire of school violence (CUVE-R). Results show that both educational stages indicate a greater presence of verbal violence, violence by teachers and physical violence, however, these violent behaviors are more frequent in the compulsory secondary education stage. Likewise, significant differences are found in sex (greater presence of violence by teachers or social exclusion in men, and verbal violence or disruption in women), age (the older the types of school violence increase), educational stage (greater appearance of school violence in the compulsory secondary education stage) and academic record (school violence increases in students with low academic records). Finally, physical and verbal violence are the variables with the greatest predictive potential in school violence. In conclusion, data suggest the need to identify and address the different types of school violence, as well as to take into account the socio-school variables that may be mediating this problem, for a subsequent intervention at the psychosocial and educational level.