Youths' knowledge about risk factors that contribute to violence

Abstract EN

identify youths' knowledge about risk factors that contribute in violence and statistical differences between demographic data of youths regarding to their knowledge and sources of such knowledge.

Methodology : A questionnaire was constructed for purposes of the study through review of literature.

It was consisted of 3 parts.

First part included demographic data of sample.

Second part included items of risk factors that contribute in violence and some of them related to preventive information.

Third part concerned to sources of information.

The study was conducted on student and youths in intermediate school of Ibn Khaldon, secondary school of Bashar Ibn Burd, medical technical institute of al- Mansour, and college of Nursing / Baghdad.

Data was collected through the personal interview with the researcher from 3 / 7 / 2011 to 18 / 3 / 2012.

A descriptive and inferential statistical approach was used to the data analysis (frequencies, percentages, mean of score and chi-square).

Results : The results of the study revealed that the majority of youths have lack of knowledge about risk factors that contribute in violence with different levels, as well as high percentage of them was reported as high knowledge to preventive information of risk factors that contribute in violence (83.8 %), majority of them between youths who boys, age group (20-25) years, and the most who was students.

In addition, there was non significant association between youth's knowledge and demographic data, especially related to gender and age.

Also, the higher percentage of source of information was reported by using of different mass media sources (37.65 %).

Conclusion : The study concluded that the majority of youths have lack of knowledge about risk factors that contribute in violence for many of items.

Also, high percentage was reported about its preventive information, and using of different mass media as a source was indicated high percentage for such knowledge.

Recommendations : Based on these results, the present study recommended on the planning of awareness programs to the students and youths.

In addition, workshops should be designed to increase their knowledge for violence prevention, and decrease risk factors that contribute in violence for health promotion in all.