We explored relationships between violent behaviors and perceived life satisfaction among 2,138 middle school students in a southern state using the CDC Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (MSYRBS) and the Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS). Logistic regression analyses and multivariate models constructed separately revealed significant race by gender results. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for the variables of interest. Having ever carried a gun, ever carried a knife/club, physical fighting and physical fighting with need for medical treatment were associated (p ≤ .05) with reduced life satisfaction for specific race/gender groups, while controlling for SES and grade. Results suggest implications for school-community based violence prevention programs. Future research should consider measures of life satisfaction as a component of comprehensive assessments of middle school student violence and aggressive behaviors in fieldwork, intervention research and program evaluation.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was conducted via the South Carolina Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey funded by the CDC/Legacy Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control, Columbia, South Carolina.
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Valois, R.F., Paxton, R.J., Zullig, K.J. et al. Life Satisfaction and Violent Behaviors among Middle School Students. J Child Fam Stud 15, 695–707 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9043-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9043-z