IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jscscx/v3y2014i2p227-241d35749.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Adolescent Physical Fighting in Ghana, Their Demographic and Social Characteristics

Author

Listed:
  • Emmanuel O. Acquah

    (Centre for Learning Research, Department of Teacher Education, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland)

  • Jennifer K. Lloyd

    (Centre for Injury Prevention and Community Safety, PeerCorps Trust Fund, 352/64 Makunganya Street, Co-Architecture Building, 4th Floor, Dar es Salaam 22499, Tanzania)

  • Laura Davis

    (Centre for Injury Prevention and Community Safety, PeerCorps Trust Fund, 352/64 Makunganya Street, Co-Architecture Building, 4th Floor, Dar es Salaam 22499, Tanzania)

  • Michael L. Wilson

    (Centre for Injury Prevention and Community Safety, PeerCorps Trust Fund, 352/64 Makunganya Street, Co-Architecture Building, 4th Floor, Dar es Salaam 22499, Tanzania
    Unit of Adolescent Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaskenkatu 18 A 3, Turku 20700, Finland)

Abstract

Physical fighting is an important behavioral concern of public health importance among adolescents worldwide. The present study examines the patterns and correlates of physical fighting among a school-based population in a low-income country setting. Data on 6235 adolescents aged 11–16 years were derived from the Republic of Ghana contributions to the Global School-based Health Survey. Three thresholds of participation in a physical fight during a 12-month recall period were compared against several independent sociodemographic variables. Bivariate analyses were used to screen for statistically significant associations and multinomial logistic regression was used to examine significant relationships while adjusting for covariates. Within the recall period, 32% of adolescents had reported being involved in two or more physical fights. Those involved in a physical fight during three or more days during the recall period were more likely to have been bullied (relative risk ratios (RRR) = 1.86; 99% confidence intervals (CI): 1.38–2.52), have had a troubled experience with alcohol (RRR = 2.202; CI = 1.55–2.64), and miss days of school (RRR = 2.02; CI = 1.39–2.92). When adjusted only for age and sex, having understanding parents was protective (RRR = 0.64; CI = 0.53–0.78) as was having a positive school environment (RRR = 0.73; CI = 0.55–0.97). Our findings suggest that school-based programming which simultaneously targets multiple risk behaviors and conflict resolution may be helpful in interventions to reduce rates of physical fighting.

Suggested Citation

  • Emmanuel O. Acquah & Jennifer K. Lloyd & Laura Davis & Michael L. Wilson, 2014. "Adolescent Physical Fighting in Ghana, Their Demographic and Social Characteristics," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 3(2), pages 1-15, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:3:y:2014:i:2:p:227-241:d:35749
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/3/2/227/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/3/2/227/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cotten, N.U. & Resnick, J. & Browne, D.C. & Martin, S.L. & McCarraher, D.R. & Woods, J., 1994. "Aggression and fighting behavior among African-American adolescents: Individual and family factors," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 84(4), pages 618-622.
    2. Mahalik, James R. & Burns, Shaun M. & Syzdek, Matthew, 2007. "Masculinity and perceived normative health behaviors as predictors of men's health behaviors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(11), pages 2201-2209, June.
    3. Fajnzylber, Pablo & Lederman, Daniel & Loayza, Norman, 2002. "Inequality and Violent Crime," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 45(1), pages 1-40, April.
    4. von Grebmer, Klaus & Fritschel, Heidi & Nestorova, Bella & Olofinbiyi, Tolulope & Pandya-Lorch, Rajul & Yohannes, Yisehac, 2008. "The challenge of hunger: The 2008 Global Hunger Index," Issue briefs 54, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Ellickson, P. & Saner, H. & McGuigan, K.A., 1997. "Profiles of violent youth: Substance use and other concurrent problems," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 87(6), pages 985-991.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hasan, Md. & Razib Mamun, Md & Saif-Ur-Rahman, K.M., 2022. "Parent-adolescent bonding on interpersonal violence in Bangladeshi adolescents: Evidence from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) 2014," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    2. Adina Bucur & Sorin Ursoniu & Constantin Caraion-Buzdea & Virgil Ciobanu & Silvia Florescu & Cristian Vladescu, 2020. "Aggressive Behaviors among 15–16-Year-Old Romanian High School Students: Results from Two Consecutive Surveys Related to Alcohol and Other Drug Use at the European Level," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-14, May.
    3. Masood Ali Shaikh & Anne Abio & Karen L. Celedonia & Michael Lowery Wilson, 2019. "Physical Fighting among School-Attending Adolescents in Pakistan: Associated Factors and Contextual Influences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Emmanuel O. Acquah & Michael L. Wilson & David T. Doku, 2014. "Patterns and Correlates for Bullying among Young Adolescents in Ghana," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-14, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. David Macro & Jeroen Weesie, 2016. "Inequalities between Others Do Matter: Evidence from Multiplayer Dictator Games," Games, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-23, April.
    2. Alejandro Gaviria & Carlos Medina & Leonardo Morales & Jairo Núñez, 2010. "The Cost of Avoiding Crime: The Case of Bogotá," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Crime: Lessons For and From Latin America, pages 101-132, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Alejandro Gaviria & Carlos Medina & Jorge Tamayo, 2010. "Assessing the Link between Adolescent Fertility and Urban Crime," Borradores de Economia 6860, Banco de la Republica.
    4. Letisha Engracia Cardoso Brown, 2020. "Eat to Live, Don’t Live to Eat: Black Men, Masculinity, Faith and Food," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-13, June.
    5. Nancy Birdsall, 2008. "Income Distribution: Effects on Growth and Development," Chapters, in: Amitava Krishna Dutt & Jaime Ros (ed.), International Handbook of Development Economics, Volumes 1 & 2, volume 0, chapter 48, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Yongwei Chen & Dahai Fu, 2015. "Measuring income inequality using survey data: the case of China," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 13(2), pages 299-307, June.
    7. Paolo Buonanno & Leone Leonida, 2006. "Education and crime: evidence from Italian regions," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(11), pages 709-713.
    8. Otto Lenhart, 2021. "Earned income tax credit and crime," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(3), pages 589-607, July.
    9. Demombynes, Gabriel & Ozler, Berk, 2005. "Crime and local inequality in South Africa," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 265-292, April.
    10. Baharom, A.H. & Habibullah, M.S., 2008. "Crime and Income Inequality: The Case of Malaysia," MPRA Paper 11871, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Altindag, Duha T., 2012. "Crime and unemployment: Evidence from Europe," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 145-157.
    12. Eduardo Ferraz & Rodrigo Soares & Juan Vargas, 2022. "Unbundling the relationship between economic shocks and crime," Chapters, in: Paolo Buonanno & Paolo Vanin & Juan Vargas (ed.), A Modern Guide to the Economics of Crime, chapter 8, pages 184-204, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Di Tella, Rafael & MacCulloch, Robert & Ñopo, Hugo R., 2008. "Happiness and Beliefs in Criminal Environments," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 1489, Inter-American Development Bank.
    14. Paolo Buonanno & Daniel Montolio & Paolo Vanin, 2009. "Does Social Capital Reduce Crime?," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(1), pages 145-170, February.
    15. Gulati, Namrata & Ray, Tridip, 2016. "Inequality, neighbourhoods and welfare of the poor," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 214-228.
    16. Justina A.V. Fischer, 2005. "The Impact of Direct Democracy on Crime: Is the Median Voter Boundedly Rational?," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2005 2005-14, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
    17. Adenuga Fabian ADEKOYA & SNor Azam Abdul RAZAK, 2016. "Effect Of Crime On Poverty In Nigeria," Romanian Economic Business Review, Romanian-American University, vol. 11(2), pages 29-42, June.
    18. Wolfgang Maennig & Viktoria C. E. Schumann, 2022. "Prevention Effect of News Shocks in Anti-Doping Policies," Journal of Sports Economics, , vol. 23(4), pages 431-459, May.
    19. Povilas Lastauskas & Eirini Tatsi, 2013. "Spatial Nexus in Crime and unemployment in Times of crisis: Evidence from Germany," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 1359, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    20. Enea Baselgia & Reto Foellmi, 2022. "Inequality and growth: a review on a great open debate in economics," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-5, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:3:y:2014:i:2:p:227-241:d:35749. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.