TY - JOUR
T1 - Why adolescents fight
T2 - A qualitative study of youth perspectives on fighting and its prevention
AU - Shetgiri, Rashmi
AU - Lee, Simon C.
AU - Tillitski, John
AU - Wilson, Connie
AU - Flores, Glenn
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by the Southwest Medical Foundation Program for the Development and Evaluation of Model Community Health Initiatives in Dallas (PDEMCHID), and supported in part by grant K23HD068401 to Dr Shetgiri from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Dr. Lee is supported in part by the University of Texas Southwestern Center for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research through a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ( R24 HS022418 ). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development or the National Institutes of Health.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2015 by Academic Pediatric Association.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for fighting, factors that protect against fighting, and strategies to prevent fighting, among adolescents who fight and those uninvolved in fighting. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted with middle and high school students, stratified by fighting (fighter/nonfighter) status, race/ethnicity, and gender. Groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using margin coding and thematic content analysis. Themes were independently identified by 3 coders; disagreements were resolved by consensus. RESULTS: The 65 participants in the 12 focus groups were 13 to 17 years old. Reasons for fighting include self-defense, to gain/maintain respect, or anger; having goals for the future is protective. Nonfighters state that their parents condone fighting only when physically attacked and that they teach adolescents strategies to avoid fighting. Fighters describe mixed messages from parents, and pro-fighting attitudes and modeling of aggressive behavior among some family members. Nonfighters avoid fighting by ignoring insults or walking away. Fighters feel unable to use nonviolent conflict-resolution methods effectively. Peers may instigate or encourage fights. Suggested prevention strategies include anger-management and conflict-resolution programs, relationships with caring adults, and physicians counseling youth about the consequences of fighting. CONCLUSIONS: Nonfighters use various strategies to avoid fighting, whereas fighters are aware of few alternatives to fighting. Conflicting parental messages about fighting may enhance the likelihood of fighting. Physicians can counsel youth about the negative consequences of fighting. Interventions that teach anger management and conflict resolution, promote adolescent self-efficacy for using nonviolent strategies, and address parental attitudes about fighting may be effective in preventing fighting.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for fighting, factors that protect against fighting, and strategies to prevent fighting, among adolescents who fight and those uninvolved in fighting. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted with middle and high school students, stratified by fighting (fighter/nonfighter) status, race/ethnicity, and gender. Groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using margin coding and thematic content analysis. Themes were independently identified by 3 coders; disagreements were resolved by consensus. RESULTS: The 65 participants in the 12 focus groups were 13 to 17 years old. Reasons for fighting include self-defense, to gain/maintain respect, or anger; having goals for the future is protective. Nonfighters state that their parents condone fighting only when physically attacked and that they teach adolescents strategies to avoid fighting. Fighters describe mixed messages from parents, and pro-fighting attitudes and modeling of aggressive behavior among some family members. Nonfighters avoid fighting by ignoring insults or walking away. Fighters feel unable to use nonviolent conflict-resolution methods effectively. Peers may instigate or encourage fights. Suggested prevention strategies include anger-management and conflict-resolution programs, relationships with caring adults, and physicians counseling youth about the consequences of fighting. CONCLUSIONS: Nonfighters use various strategies to avoid fighting, whereas fighters are aware of few alternatives to fighting. Conflicting parental messages about fighting may enhance the likelihood of fighting. Physicians can counsel youth about the negative consequences of fighting. Interventions that teach anger management and conflict resolution, promote adolescent self-efficacy for using nonviolent strategies, and address parental attitudes about fighting may be effective in preventing fighting.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Aggression
KW - Anger
KW - Parents
KW - Peer group
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U2 - 10.1016/j.acap.2014.06.020
DO - 10.1016/j.acap.2014.06.020
M3 - Article
C2 - 25528128
AN - SCOPUS:84927606187
VL - 15
SP - 103
EP - 110
JO - Academic Pediatrics
JF - Academic Pediatrics
SN - 1876-2859
IS - 1
ER -