Influences of School Violence Victimization on Self-Harm in Adolescents

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the impact of school violence victimization on self-harm experiences among adolescents. Methods: The analysis used raw data from the “2021 National Survey on the Mental Health of Adolescents” conducted by the Korea Youth Policy Institute. A total of 5,937 students, including upper elementary (grades 4-6), middle, and high school students, were included in the study. Descriptive statistics, Rao-Scott χ² tests, t-tests, and multiple logistic regression were conducted using SAS 9.2, with all analyses applying weighting. Results: Among the surveyed students, 5.8% had experienced school violence, and 25.4% reported a experience of self-harm. Univariate analysis showed that self-injury experience was significantly associated with school level (lower in high school), socioeconomic status (higher in lower SES), academic achievement (higher in lower achievers), parental marital status (higher among those with separated/divorced/widowed parents), suicidal tendency (higher in those with suicidal thoughts), school violence (higher among victims), alcohol and tobacco use (higher in users), stress, depression, and anxiety (higher among those with self-harm experience), as well as self-esteem, family quality, and school adjustment (all higher among those without self-harm experience). Even after adjusting for these covariates, school violence victimization remained a significant predictor of self-harm (AOR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.55-2.79). Conclusion: Experience of school violence has a significant effect on adolescent self-harm. Therefore, in order to prevent self-harm among adolescents, measures to reduce school violence must be implemented. It is also important to carefully assess whether students who have engaged in self-harm are currently experiencing school violence.