Investigation of Violence Against Children in Schools with Types and Related Variables: Kosovo Sample

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to conduct an investigation on the level (extent) of violence against children in school, on types of violence and on the relationship between violence and demographic characteristics of children (gender, residence and age). This study focused on a sample group of 618 children, respectively students of grades 10 to 12 of higher secondary schools in Prishtina, Kosovo. With this sample group a structured questionnaire applied, which was composed of four (4) questions for each of the following types of violence: violence against the property of children and school property, psychological violence, physical violence and sexual violence. Results of this study have shown that approximately 87% of children have experienced, at least, once one type of violence throughout their education. Among these types of violence, violence against the property of children and against school property has been reported the most (73.6%), which is followed by psychological violence (69.3%), then physical violence (47.5%) and sexual violence (22.1%). Data have shown that in the level of reliability α = 0.5, gender as a demographic factor has appeared to be more influential in the prevalence of some types of violence (violence against property, psychological violence and physical violence), residence has appeared to be influential when speaking about physical violence only, while age has been shown to be an influential factor in the prevalence of violence against children in school.