New research shows link between violence and young people’s poor health
Fri 03 Aug 2007
Violence and New Zealand Young People: Findings of Youth 2000 a national secondary school Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey released today explores ...
Violence and New Zealand Young People: Findings of Youth 2000 a national secondary school Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey released today explores the link between violence experienced by young people in New Zealand, and their health and wellbeing.
Drawing on survey data collected from nearly 10,000 year 9-13 high school students, the report looks at young people’s experience of witnessing violence in the home, bullying at school, and being a victim or perpetrator of violence.
• 16% of students reported seeing adults physically hurting children in their home in the last year, and 6% saw adults hurting other adults.
• 30% reported being bullied at school over the last year
• 26% of young women students and 14% of young male students reported having unwanted sexual contact
• 51% of males and 40% of females have been physically hurt by others on purpose in the last year
• 49% of male students and 32% of female students reported physically hurting someone else on purpose.
Witnessing violence in the home was associated with the increased likelihood that a young person would be a victim or a perpetrator of violence. Those who witnessed adult violence were more likely to be hurt by others, experience unwanted sexual contact, be sexually-abusive, hurt others, and use weapons against others.
Students who had frequently experienced violence showed higher rates of health problems and were less likely to access community support compared to young people who had not been experienced violence. The authors claim that ‘exposure to violence, especially witnessing family violence, being frequently bullied and unwanted sexual contact are associated with large increases in depression, anxiety, suicidality, and difficulties in family and school life’ (p29). They also maintain that ‘services need to recognise the significant role violence has in the lives of today’s young people’ and recommend that staff are trained to identify and respond to violence (p4).
The report can be downloaded from