Violence among Secondary School Students in Tikrit City

Abstract

In Iraq, no available data or previous studies about health risk behaviors and protective factors among adolescents regarding violence and unintentional injuries among secondary school students in Tikrit City have been executed. This is a pioneer studies in this time and field. This study was done to provide data concerning knowledge, attitude and practices of risky health behaviors & protective factors regarding violence and unintentional injuries among secondary school students in Tikrit City. A descriptive cross-sectional study carried out on randomly selected (1750) students, in Tikrit from 20/11/2006-20/3/2007 by using a modified questionnaire according to Iraqi circumstances for secondary school students concerning violence and unintentional injuries among secondary school students in Tikrit City issues. A sample of 1750 secondary school students was studied, of which 69.5% were 16 years and older, 57.1% were urban students and 66.3% were male. 19.1% of students were from families displaced due to sectarian causes. One fourth of students were associated in physical violence one way or another, and 32.9% had been exposed to a severe injury. One third could not reach school due to violence in the streets.ConclusionViolence and unintentional injuries problems need to be looked into in depth, and to control for factors that might negatively affect it.