Preventing Peer Violence Against Children: Methods and Baseline Data of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Pakistan

BackgroundChild peer violence is a global problem and seriously impacts health and education. There are few research studies available in Pakistan, or South Asia. We describe the prevalence of peer violence, associations, and pathways between socio-economic status, school performance, gender attitudes and violence at home.Methods1752 children were recruited into a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted on 40 fairly homogeneous public schools (20 for girls and 20 for boys), in Hyderabad, Pakistan. This was ranging from 20–65 children per school. All children were interviewed with questionnaires at baseline.ResultsFew children had no experience of peer violence in the previous 4 weeks (21.7% of girls vs.7% of boys). Some were victims (28.6%, of girls vs. 17.9% of boys), some only perpetrated (3.3% of girls vs. 2.5%) but mostly they perpetrated and were victims (46.4%.of girls vs 72.6%. of boys). The girls’ multivariable models showed that missing the last school day due to work, witnessing her father fight a man in the last month and having more patriarchal gender attitudes were associated with both experiencing violence and perpetration, while, hunger was associated with perpetration only. For boys, missing two or more days of school in the last month, poorer school performance and more patriarchal attitudes were associated with both victimization and perpetration. Witnessing father fight, was associated with peer violence perpetration for boys. These findings are additionally confirmed with structural models.DiscussionPeer violence in Pakistan is rooted in poverty and socialization of children, especially at home. A critical question is whether a school-based intervention can empower children to reduce their violence engagement in the context of poverty and social norms supportive of violence. In the political context of Pakistan, reducing all violence is essential and understanding the potential of schools as a platform for intervention is key.

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“…The number of children per school ranged from 20–65. Details of the methods of sampling and recruitment are detailed elsewhere [ 22 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer violence perpetration and victimization: Prevalence, associated factors and pathways among 1752 sixth grade boys and girls in schools in Pakistan

et al. 2017

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“…Further details of the trial are described elsewhere [9]. Following Ethics Review Approval (Aga Khan University Review Document number 3705), data were collected in 40 single gender government schools (20 for each gender) in the city of Hyderabad over a time period of 60 days.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitude towards gender roles and violence against women and girls (VAWG): baseline findings from an RCT of 1752 youths in Pakistan

Ali

Karmaliani

McFarlane

et al. 2017

Global Health Action

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Background: Violence against women is driven by gender norms that normalize and justify gender inequality and violence. Gender norms are substantially shaped during adolescence. Programs offered through schools offer an opportunity to influence gender attitudes toward gender equity if we understand these to be partly shaped by peers and the school environment. Objective: We present an analysis of the baseline research conducted for a randomized controlled trial with 1752 grade 6 boys and girls and their attitudes toward gender roles, VAWG, and associated factors. Methods: We used baseline data from a cluster randomised control study. Interviews were conducted in 40 public schools in Hyderabad, with 25–65 children per school. Questions were asked about attitudes toward gender roles, peer-to-peer perpetration, and victimization experiences, and family life, including father- or in-law-to- mother violence and food security. Multiple regression models were built of factors associated with gender attitudes for boys and girls. Results: Our result have shown youth attitudes endorsing patriarchal gender beliefs were higher for boys, compared to girls. The multiple regression model showed that for boys, patriarchal gender attitudes were positively associated with hunger, depression, being promised already in marriage, and being a victim and/or perpetrator of peer violence. For girls gender attitudes were associated with hunger, experiencing corporal punishment at home, and being a perpetrator (for some, and victim) of peer violence. Conclusion: Youth patriarchal attitudes are closely related to their experience of violence at school and for girl’s physical punishment, at home and for boys being promised in early marriage. We suggest that these variables are indicators of gender norms among peers and in the family. The significance of peer norms is that it provides the possibility that school-based interventions which work with school peers have the potential to positively impact youth patriarchal gender attitudes and foster attitudes of gender equality and respect, and potentially to decrease youth victimization and perpetration.

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“…This paper presents an analysis of the baseline data from a cluster randomized controlled trial. The details of the intervention, as well as methods of the 2‐year cluster randomized controlled trial, are described elsewhere (McFarlane et al., ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The intersection of adolescent depression and peer violence: baseline results from a randomized controlled trial of 1752 youth in Pakistan

Asad

Karmaliani

McFarlane

et al. 2017

Child Adoles Ment Health

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Background Depression and peer violence are global issues impacting youth. We are presenting baseline data as part of a cluster randomized control trial underway, on adolescent depression, and associated factors among boys and girls in schools. Method Cluster randomized control trial is underway for measuring the effectiveness of school‐based play intervention program of the NGO Right to Play, in a sample of 1752 grade 6 youth in 40 public schools of Hyderabad, Pakistan. Students responded to Child Depression Inventory (CDI‐2), the Peer Victimization Scale (PVS), the Peer Perpetration Scale (PPS), and investigator‐driven seven‐item School Performance Scale. Results We report baseline assessments to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms, and associated occurrence of peer perpetration and victimization. Boys report significantly more depressive symptoms as well as perpetration and victimization compared to girls (p ≤ .0001). Our analysis indicates that among boys, depression was found associated with greater age, food insecurity, poorer school performance and working for money, as well as being beaten at home and witnessing beating of their mother by their father or other relatives. Among girls, depression was associated with a younger age, greater food insecurity and poorer school performance. Depression was also associated with a great likelihood of engagement in peer violence, experience of punishment at home, and witnessing their father fighting with other men or beating their mother. Conclusions Engagement in violent behaviors, exposure to violent acts and poverty surfaces as detrimental to mental health in youth age groups, suggesting strong measures to address youth violence, and poverty reduction for positive mental health outcomes in school age children.

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Preventing Peer Violence Against Children: Methods and Baseline Data of a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Pakistan

Cited by 34 publications

References 24 publications

Peer violence perpetration and victimization: Prevalence, associated factors and pathways among 1752 sixth grade boys and girls in schools in Pakistan

Peer violence perpetration and victimization: Prevalence, associated factors and pathways among 1752 sixth grade boys and girls in schools in Pakistan

Attitude towards gender roles and violence against women and girls (VAWG): baseline findings from an RCT of 1752 youths in Pakistan

The intersection of adolescent depression and peer violence: baseline results from a randomized controlled trial of 1752 youth in Pakistan

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