Prevalence and Factors Associated with Poly-victimization in Colombian High-school Attending Adolescents

Abstract

Poly-victimisation studies among adolescents are unknown in Colombia; however, there are many adolescent victims of the Colombian socio-political armed conflict. The study aimed to establish the prevalence and factors associated with poly-victimisation among high-school students from a Colombian Caribbean city. The present is a cross-sectional study involving adolescent students from official and private educational institutions at Santa Marta, Colombia. The students completed the seven items of the Youth Victimization Questionnaire (poly-victimisation), Well-Being Index (Depression risk), SPAN Scale (Post-traumatic stress disorders risk, PTSDR), Self-report Suicidal Ideation Scale (Suicide risk), four items of Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (alcohol, smoking, cannabis and cocaine use), and APGAR questionnaire (Family functioning). 1,462 students participated in the study; students were aged between 13 and 17 years (M = 15.98, SD = 0.83), 60.33% were females, and 21.54% reported poly-victimization (three or more events of violence). The poly-victimization was associated with the PTSDR (OR = 3.26, 95%CI 2.45–4.34), depression risk (OR = 1.80, 95%CI 1.17–2.76), cigarette smoking (OR = 2.55, 95%CI 1.93–3.36), alcohol drinking (OR = 2.06, 95%CI 1.45–2.94), and cannabis smoking (OR = 2.36, 95% 1.66–3.36). In conclusion, poly-victimisation is related to post-traumatic stress, depression, cigarette smoking, alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine. It is recommended for future longitudinal design research.