Correlates of violent behavior among adolescents presenting to an urban emergency department

Objective

To examine rates and correlates of self-reported perpetrated violence among teens presenting to an urban emergency department.

Study design

Cross-sectional study of a consecutive sample of youth (12-17 years) presenting to an urban emergency department. The youth were surveyed about demographics, community violence exposure, parental monitoring, substance use, weapon carriage, group fighting, and aggression (past 12 months). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify correlates of the severity of the violence (none, moderate, or severe) perpetrated in the past year.

Results

A total of 115 youth were surveyed (males, 47%; response rate, 85%). The sample group was 51% African American. A total of 77% of the youth reported that they perpetrated violence in the past year, with 37% reporting severe violence (use of a weapon, group fighting, causing an injury requiring medical care). All patients who self-reported perpetrating severe violence in the past year were discharged home from the emergency department. The diagnosis made in the emergency department (illness versus injury) was not associated with the violence perpetrated in the past year. Sex was not a significant predictor of severe perpetrated violence.

Conclusions

Youth presenting to urban emergency departments report high rates of perpetrating violence in the past year that, on the basis of other studies, is likely to continue. These results suggest that future emergency department-based violence prevention efforts should consider universal screening of adolescents.

Abbreviations: ED, Emergency department, HMC, Hurley Medical Center